8 printers to 1 pc help!

GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 LifeAkron, PA Icrontian
edited November 2003 in Hardware
I need to connect 6 to 8 printers to 1 pc whats the best way to go about that?

Comments

  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    What the ****?

    Why?
  • TheLostSwedeTheLostSwede Trondheim, Norway Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    That totally depends.....
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited November 2003
    What interface? Parallel or USB?
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    dont ask! lol



    Its for a server i am running
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    parallel

    usb would be easy just get a hub but this is a diff story
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited November 2003
    Well, depending on the number of slots the computer has, and the kind they are, you have a number of options.

    www.koutech.com
  • mcwcmcwc Vancouver, BC Member
    edited November 2003
    Who needs 8 printers connected to one server? Two is more than enough. One colour inkjet and one laser or dotmatrix. If it was only two, I would have recommended a manual printer switch box or installing an PCI parallel printer card. Try looking around for a switch box that can handle 8 printers but I'm not sure that there is such thing as an automatic one.
  • ClutchClutch North Carolina New
    edited November 2003
    I would go with usb, just get a hub. But wtf?
  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    I was trying to think of a stranger question I could ask, so I could one-up Gnomewizardd and get the "what the hell are you smoking" award.

    I've hurt my head trying to think of one... :banghead:

    Seriously mate, if you don't tell us why you need all those printers hooked up to one computer, I don't think I'm going to get any sleep tonight.

    Incidentally, if this computer happens to be on a network, just install printers on other computers and share them.
  • EMTEMT Seattle, WA Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    I think there are splitters used for parallel devices. We used one that you had to switch but I think later we could just select on the computer (diff. device). BTW, can't you like... chain devices on parallel? Isn't that what parallel means? I've never tried it or anything.
  • mcwcmcwc Vancouver, BC Member
    edited November 2003
    4-Port DB25 Switchbox
    http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=&Section_Id=1559&pcount=&Product_Id=12662

    Bitronics AutoSwitch Kit (4-port)
    http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=&Section_Id=1554&pcount=&Product_Id=13206

    This is what my previous post was about. Printer switches, 4 port only as there isn't a 8 port version. The automatic version is a bit pricey though. Get an extra parallel port card and two switches and it should do the job just fine.
  • GobblesGobbles Ventura California
    edited November 2003
    do they have to be attached directly to the server... why not make them network based.. like just attach a switch to your pc and get some cheap network print servers and attach the printers to the print servers and the printer servers to the switch... Then add them in windows and they are available to that machine.. then if you want you can share them via a second nick and route the traffic..

    it sounds complex but is really simple...

    OR.....

    some parallel port cards and load your PC up...


    gobbles
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