05-14-2007, 01:29 PM
Heiho,
If no driver is available for your OS check printer's documentation for its capabilities of supporting lingua franca of printers like PCL, but those with network interfaces usually do so.
With a print server you still need an appropriate printer driver on each computer, since it doesn't do actual printing stuff, it just enables networking.
Of course a print server could also be a sole computer/printer combo with printer sharing enabled (which you don't want) or an entire server computer (or virtual machine) just to administrate printing data, but I think this is a bit through the roof here.
Quote:The questions is now. Will the printer <with network interface> above function correctly and be accessible from all computers on the net? Or do one need to set up some print server for it? The idea is for it to be accessible from the laptop even if the stationary computer is not turned on. That should work, right?assumed you have the appropriate printer driver installed on each computer there's nothing more required here.
If no driver is available for your OS check printer's documentation for its capabilities of supporting lingua franca of printers like PCL, but those with network interfaces usually do so.
Quote:We have two more printers that me might want to add to the network, preferably being able to ... not connect them directly to a computer. They both have only USB connections.This most probably won't work, at least from my experience. Surely not without the mentioned Print Server with USB connectors. Cheaper built USB printers (those only providing USB connection) don't have inbuilt 'intelligence' to digest raw printing data from a computer, the computer has to translate it (via the driver) before sending it to the printer. You _could_ try to achieve some Y-USB cables to connect more than one computer to one printer, this may work if _always_ just one of the connected computers is powered on, but could do serious damage otherwise and is _way_ beyond specifications.
Quote:What about "print servers", when are they needed? Always? What purpose do they have. Seems one need one for printers to connect to a network, but what about the printer I have that can be connected through an Ethernet connection, does it still require some print server on the net to function meaning I need to have a computer running anyway for it to work?A 'print server' as in 'some little box with blinky LEDs close to a printer' usually shares a printer with no inbuilt network interface to the entire network, that is it provides an IP and does the protocol stuff. A printer with a network interface of its own doesn't need it.
With a print server you still need an appropriate printer driver on each computer, since it doesn't do actual printing stuff, it just enables networking.
Of course a print server could also be a sole computer/printer combo with printer sharing enabled (which you don't want) or an entire server computer (or virtual machine) just to administrate printing data, but I think this is a bit through the roof here.