Print serving...

[FallenMystic]

Greetings all,

Recently I purchased a multi-function printer and I want to be able to set this up side-by-side with my existing printer and share them with my main 2 PC’s, (mine and my wife’s).

As I see it I basically have a few options:

1. Use a USB switch: probably the most inexpensive method but I’m not real keen on having to flip a switch when I am going back and forth between printers.
2. Use a print server: I have yet to see any USB based print servers that can run more than 1 printer at a reasonable cost, (I don’t want to piss away a ton of cash on this endeavor.). Though it is feasible to run multiple print servers... I’d rather not spend the cash on 2 uni-task devices.
3. Use an old system as a print server: I’m leaning towards this one but I doubt the wife will be thrilled with jamming another box in an already cramped room, (and the added electricity cost/having to turn the box on etc...

Does anyone have any other thoughts on which way I could go; or have any thoughts on which would be the most efficient of the above?

As always the help is much appreciated,
Fallen Out

 

[Eiolon]

My wife and I used to be in the same boat. I just used her PC as the printserver. There really isn't a decrease in performance if that's what you are worried about. The only real inconvenience is having to keep her PC on to print.

Having said that, we decided to get rid of our printers and get a multifunction printer like you. It is pretty standard now that these types of printers come with an ethernet port so you may want to check into that. Our HP All in one 7310 came with one and we just plugged it into our router and went on our way.

 

[Jinxplayer]

Just hook up the printers to a pc and print share.

 

[EvilTwinSkippy]

I use the USB switch that's integrated into my KVM so I don't have to rely on a particular machine to be up and running in order to print. However, I also have both of my PCs set up as print servers so I can print from my laptops as well (as long as at least one PC is on, which is almost always the case). This setup works very well for me.