HP JetDirect and sharing a printer

CaffeineMeCaffeineMe Cedar Rapids, IA
edited February 2004 in Hardware
I do some support for a small office locally (2-4 users max), so $$ are a consideration. That said, I had them sharing an HP LJ4 printer (parallel interface) utilizing an old Win98 box acting as a print server. Well, the Win98 box may have given it up, and a replacement solution is needed. I'd like to eliminate the PC between the users and the computer.

HP JetDirect devices appear to offer a solution. Install the JetDirect on a network drop, connect printer to it, then install printer/JetDirect software on user's PC's. Is it that simple, or am I missing something? Is one particular JetDirect model ideal for this situation, or am I dreaming?

Comments

  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited February 2004
    JetDirect externals are great - perfect for what you're doing. What is the client OS on the workstations? If it's 2000/XP you don't even need the JetDirect software - they do IP printing natively. If it's 9x, you'll need to install the JetDirect software.
  • BodezafaBodezafa Lower Michigan
    edited February 2004
    Yes it is that easy. They work very well.
    You can even get Jet Dricet print servers with mulit ports so you can hook up more than one printer to it.
  • ShortyShorty Manchester, UK Icrontian
    edited February 2004
    Ive got a jet-direct here, they are that simple.

    D-Link do a budget version with two parallel interfaces, just the same as a JD, if they are looking for a el-cheapo option :)
  • CaffeineMeCaffeineMe Cedar Rapids, IA
    edited February 2004
    WS's are Win2K and a laptop or two w. Win98. I'll offer up the idea of a multiple JD or similar device, and maybe move all their printers to one area, move them off the desktops. Brilliant. Thanks guys!
  • CaffeineMeCaffeineMe Cedar Rapids, IA
    edited February 2004
    The point is moot....I was able to repair the Win98 box (thanks to Google and MS Technet), and restore it as their print server. Also discovered that their DSL modem is providing them w. private IP addressing and NAT firewalling. So, the office is more secure than I suspected, and that's good, and they don't have to spend $$ on hardware. Sadly, I won't get paid for installing the new hardware, but I do get paid for the diag's I did yesterday. Dolla dolla bill ya'll. :celebrate
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited February 2004
    CaffeineMe wrote:
    I do some support for a small office locally (2-4 users max), so $$ are a consideration. That said, I had them sharing an HP LJ4 printer (parallel interface) utilizing an old Win98 box acting as a print server. Well, the Win98 box may have given it up, and a replacement solution is needed. I'd like to eliminate the PC between the users and the computer.

    HP JetDirect devices appear to offer a solution. Install the JetDirect on a network drop, connect printer to it, then install printer/JetDirect software on user's PC's. Is it that simple, or am I missing something? Is one particular JetDirect model ideal for this situation, or am I dreaming?

    An FYI Just for you and others who are interested: A Direct-connect printer that uses HP software to link yelids a situation where you need client HP software on legacy machines through Windows 98 and back. Where you have a printer with a Jet Direct add-on card, it often cames with a floppy or CD with client software. 98 and back need client side software to work unflakily with older Jet Direct cards in printer or with older external print share-and-spool modules.

    2000 and XP do often recognize HP Jet-Direct hookups and do not need the client-side software. In that case, network has to allow routing perms for printer connected to network, by IP or MAC ID also, or have printer shared off of a computer with computer as server. I have worked with both scenarios, and an older computer that does not do much else well makes a nice substitute print server if money is tight and there is an older unused or infrequently used box around which could be used. "server box" merely needs to have printing shared, and be a node accessible to boxes that need to share it on network. You can subnet boxes and printer sharing box if you need to isolate printer to a small group of boxes, and use ACLs to control access also to exclude other segments which CAN be subnets. If you want this, the subnet wants a switch port section or a whole switch to itself, as control will be at switch level or router level or both.

    John D.
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