Does anyone make a gadget to share a USB printer ?

[Al Dykes]

Is there a 2 or 4 input box that would let several PCs contend for one
printer ?

 

[Kevin]

Print Server?

 

[Stanley Krute]

Best bet is to have your computers on a network.
Then you can share out the printer over the network.

Best technique is to attach a wired/wireless print server device
to the printer (D-Link and LinkSys make good ones). Best because
the printer's always available no matter which computers are turned
on.

Okay technique is to have the printer attached to a computer,
and share it out from there. The drawback with that technique
is that the attaching computer has to be on for you to be able
to print.

-- stan

 

[Al Dykes]

Best bet is to have your computers on a network.
Then you can share out the printer over the network.

Best technique is to attach a wired/wireless print server device
to the printer (D-Link and LinkSys make good ones). Best because
the printer's always available no matter which computers are turned
on.

Okay technique is to have the printer attached to a computer,
and share it out from there. The drawback with that technique
is that the attaching computer has to be on for you to be able
to print.

-- stan

I'm _very_ familiar with print servers. Is there a USB box that works
like the Centronics print sharing devices of the Bad Old Days. Not
that I ever loved them, but they did have a place.

 

[Stanley Krute]

Hi Al

I'm _very_ familiar with print servers.
Okay.

Is there a USB box that works
like the Centronics print sharing devices of the Bad Old Days.

Yep. Here's one:

http://www.qvs.com/switch-usb.asp

-- stan

 

[Stanley Krute]

Hi again

Here's a Belkin that does the job:

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatSectionView.process?IWAction=Load&Merchant_Id=&Section_Id=1561

-- stan

 

[BILL]

Is there a 2 or 4 input box that would let several PCs contend for one
printer ?

A shop here sells a 4 Port Router that has a USB printer port fitted..

http://www.dse.co.nz/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/4251d57f070305742740c0a87f990680/Product/View/XH1151

 

[gary]

Best bet is to have your computers on a network.
Then you can share out the printer over the network.

Best technique is to attach a wired/wireless print server device
to the printer (D-Link and LinkSys make good ones). Best because
the printer's always available no matter which computers are turned
on.

Okay technique is to have the printer attached to a computer,
and share it out from there. The drawback with that technique
is that the attaching computer has to be on for you to be able
to print.

-- stan

Odd I find that my printer needs to be on for me to be able to print too.
LOL

On the network point I have a good computer and old computer and a really
old computer and a laptop set up on a home network. The printers (inkjet &
laser) are connected to the new computer and the others share it works
great. I would highly recommend Stans setup. I got a Microsoft network hub
has a hardwired firewall. I just plugged it in and went form computer to
computer to install. My internet goes into it too so the plug and play part
of it connected to the internet and self installed the router I guess it is
called. Then I just allowed printer sharing on the new computer and then
set up the printers on the other computers through printer setup. The whole
thing took around an hour to do with 4 computers and 2 printers.

Hope that helps.

 

[Rob]

Odd I find that my printer needs to be on for me to be able to print too.
LOL

Did you read the above before you made comment?????????????????

And the key words are "the attaching computer has to be on"

r

 

[gary]

A little humor there. Now pull the broomstick out of your a**.