networking a printer

[gyn_paul]

Is there any sort of a dongle which will convert a USB-cabled printer into a networked one (either ethernet or - preferably - wireless) ? Always seems to me as though there should be !

 

p

[Quillan]

Yes there is. Try Googling 'Windows USB Print Server'. Below is a typical example.

http://www.netgear.co.uk/usb_print_server_ps121.php

They can cost from between £25 and £80 depending on what extra functions you want. Amazon sell them.

[AnOther]

If you do get it to work chances are all you will be able to do is basic default printing, but if that's all you want or need.......[;-)]

[Pierre ZFP]

For more advanced functions it may well be possible to download new drivers from the website of the maker of your printer.  I did this with Samsung very successfully

[AnOther]

Unless designed specifically for Wifi use drivers alone are unlikely to enable the full facilities.

Pierre, were you doing exactly as the OP is trying to, i.e. run a USB printer over Wifi ?

 

[Pierre ZFP]

No probably not but I've tried all sorts of weird and wonderful things [:D]

In the end I gave in and bought a little Samsung colour laser printer with a built-in wi-fi card.  Works brilliantly, consumes less than 1 watt on standby and dead easy to set up.  IIRC it was only about £15 more than the standard USB model too.

 

[cooperlola]

My Canon MP620 is wireless and cost less than 100€ in Auchan.  The printer/copier/scanner then works from any computer in the house which is on the network, plus any visitor can use it too.  If dongles are that pricey then you might as well get a new printer with all the facilities, as Pierre has, imo.

What kind of weird and wonderful things, dare one ask, PZFP?

[gyn_paul]

No I am keen to hang on to my HP laserjet... I've absolutely had it with inkjets and their expensive cartridges which dry out if you don't run them. Yes - a toner for a laserjet is expensive, but it lasts me for years - usually without any problems and suits our needs which seem to be:  nothing, nothing, nothing, couple of web page print outs, nothing, nothing, 100 pages of sheet music, nothing (etc). It would just be nice if I could run it from any machine on the network without the attendant need to keep its parent computer fired up.

The

Netgear WGPS606 Wireless Printserver

 

Seems like just what I'm after... currently bidding on one.

 

Thanks everybody,

 

p

[cooperlola]

I completely understand your point of view, Paul, and I've often been tempted to buy a laser printer but I don't print much so have never bothered.

To be perfectly fair to Canon - my printer was not used for 10 months whilst I was in hospital and it worked perfectly first time when I got home.  Plus the cartridges are a third the price of the other manufacturers whose printers I had before.

[Mr Wiggy]

Hi Paul.

I own an HP Office jet all in one and find that they are quite economical with the cartrdges and certainly not expensive, if of course you  shop around as I did, and now buy my supplies from Cdiscount they offer a pair of black cartridges in a 2 for 1 deal for 24-26€. They also do a photo starter pack consisting of a colour cartridge + 60 gloss photo cards for 18-19€s. I find that is very good value.

[gyn_paul]

Actually I also have a Kodak printer/scanner/teasmaid (can't remember the model number, it's up in the attic) acquired from the emptying of my Mother's flat, which made a big thing about its having the cheapest cartridges. That will be our colour option: it'll print out even fewer pages/year, so I shall be pleasantly surprised if it works properly each time.

p

[pachapapa]

[quote user="gyn_paul"]

Is there any sort of a dongle which will convert a USB-cabled printer into a networked one (either ethernet or - preferably - wireless) ? Always seems to me as though there should be !

 

p

[/quote]

Whilst I can appreciate the need for a print server or a multi-function with onboard wi-fi in an anglo-saxon environment, it would in my opinion not be so popular in a gallic environment where "LiveBoxes", etc incorporate such facility.

[pachapapa]

Reference above "Livebox" is meant generically to include modem-routers supplied by other FAIs.

However the Livebox 2 is representative of the breed and with it's Orange association enjoys notable popularity amongst expatriate households living in france.

http://assistance.orange.fr/partager-une-imprimante-usb-avec-la-livebox-2-47.php

[AnOther]

The Livebox 2 features 2x USB ports one of which is used for the VoIP phone whilst other can be utilised for an external hard drive or a printer however reports suggest it to be very fussy as to which printers it will successfully entertain.

For storage it works seamlessly however, already owning a Wifi printer, I have not bothered trying to connect it via USB.

[pachapapa]

[quote user="AnOther"]

The Livebox 2 features 2x USB ports one of which is used for the VoIP phone whilst other can be utilised for an external hard drive or a printer however reports suggest it to be very fussy as to which printers it will successfully entertain.

For storage it works seamlessly however, already owning a Wifi printer, I have not bothered trying to connect it via USB.

[/quote]

Oh! Do be a devil! Large print Linux PDF.[:)] http://www.c-orange.fr/tutos/images/Tuto_imprimante_USB_LB2.pdf

[gyn_paul]

Hmmmm.  My Freebox sports no such fancy periferals.

A phone in, and phone out, an RJ thingy ethernet which goes to my router, a perfectly useless (in every sense) scart socket, and a 12v in. No chance of a printer there unless there's a composite or component video printer on the market.

 

p 

[pachapapa]

[quote user="gyn_paul"]

Hmmmm.  My Freebox sports no such fancy periferals.

A phone in, and phone out, an RJ thingy ethernet which goes to my router, a perfectly useless (in every sense) scart socket, and a 12v in. No chance of a printer there unless there's a composite or component video printer on the market.

 

p 

[/quote]

Available only with the FreeBox HD. Been around about 3 years not normally supplied in a non degrouped area. http://www.freenews.fr/spip.php?article5548

[gyn_paul]

[quote user="pachapapa"][quote user="gyn_paul"]

Hmmmm.  My Freebox sports no such fancy periferals.

A phone in, and phone out, an RJ thingy ethernet which goes to my router, a perfectly useless (in every sense) scart socket, and a 12v in. No chance of a printer there unless there's a composite or component video printer on the market.

 

p 

[/quote]

Available only with the FreeBox HD. Been around about 3 years not normally supplied in a non degrouped area. http://www.freenews.fr/spip.php?article5548

[/quote]

 

7 kms from the FT equipment cabinet, in a comune of 204 people (average age 134), it will, I fear, be some time before we are considered for 'degroupement' !

p 

[gyn_paul]

I've brought this subject back to the top for a progress report and another problem !

Thanks to everyone who took the trouble to write about the networking of printers, as a result of which I bought a Netgear wireless printer server/router on Ebay.

This is identical to my current wireless router apart from having 2 x USB ports for the printers and no ex-modem data socket.

So to the problem...

With the install disc and the wizard, I can install the print server (hereinafter "server") on any of the computers on my network with the server connected to the ethernet port. no  problem.

I can then wirelessly install and match the printer connected to the server, again no problem, it seems to be able to find, identify, and install the correct model, but then when I try to print a test page it says "operation could not be completed. Unable to create a print job."  

I have re-installed the drivers but it makes no difference.

The documetation with the server is no help.

Any thoughts anyone ?

 

p

[pachapapa]

It was a similar problem with the onboard FreeBox in 2007 and a popular forum topic. Presume there has subsequently been a firmware update as the subject has lost its popularity.

Sounds like a spooler problem.