Sharing a printer! (I have little time left)

[arpanet]

Alrighty here we go:

All I need from you guys is a little nudge in the right direction, you see, I have been assigned the task of connecting three microcomputers up to a 'shared printer' and I have no idea what I'm doing.

I'm boned unless I figure out how sharing a printer works ASAP. I'm not talking about doing all the connecting via printer wizards etc, I just need to know three things:

*What I need (Wires and Materials)
*What should connect to what (Regardless of network layout, just in general how should a bunch of computers connect to a printer)

More to come later, this is just my 'first step' in a huge networking project of mine. I don't expect you to walk me through it or 'help me with my homework' but I could use a bit of a guide here..

(If you would like to help hear about the entire project, tonight, please contact me via AIM @ chaosfighter5)

 

[Osiris]

install your printer on a pc, right click on the printer and click on sharing and security, click on share this printer, name it whatever you want, then reboot that pc so the setting take affect. Then go to the other pc's and click on add printer, click on networked printer, select the printer and then add it your systems. Make sure the other computers are on the same network and you should be fine. Should take less than 5 minutes

 

[arpanet]

I think you misunderstood my problem, friend.

I need to know how things get hooked up. (What wire from computer A B & C connect to a USB port printer.

 

[arpanet]

hmm I just had a talk with my computer-savvy father and he had this to say:

The USB port printer should attach to a USB hub, which connects to each individual computer using some kind of USB medium. If I wanted these computers to attach to the internet via ethernet I should take a J45 from each one and attach them to a router, which in turn attaches to a cable modem into a wall of some sort.

Does this sound appropriate?

 

[Osiris]

I basically told you from start to finish, however your hook your printer to you pc via usb or centronix.


*What I need (Wires and Materials) USB or Centronix to pc

*What should connect to what (Regardless of network layout, just in general how should a bunch of computers connect to a printer)

Printer connects to the computer, other computers connect to the printer via being shared from the main pc

 

[Law]

You can share your printer using a USB hub, but all computers that need the printer must be connected to the hub and have the printer's driver and software installed on each computer.

There are alot of method, below are some examples.

1) Connect the printer to a computer that will act as a printer server.
Advantage:Low Cost, easy to configured.
Disadvantage:Server must be on to print.

2) Using USB hub
Advantage:Moderate cost, no dedicated server.
Disadvantage:USB wires are short (less than 15ft). Moderate to configured.


3) Convert the USB printer into a network printer by buying a usb-to-rj45 adapter and plugging it into your home router.
Advantage:No dedicated server, it uses your network and there are no cable restriction.
Disadvantage:High cost for the converter (you might as well go buy a network printer). Harder to configured.

4) Wireless printer, same as method 3 but uses a usb-to-wireless adapter:
Advantage:No cable
Disadvantage:Very high cost, hardest to configured, need a wireless router to work.

 

[arpanet]

Thanks Law, your method 3 sounds about what I should have been doing. I'll look for some adaptors right away.