[wg2499]

hello I did a search and found alot of older topics so here I go.. I am searching for the cheapest and simple solution to getting this printer to work on my network.. I have multiple macs running panther and a couple windows pcs' running xp all connected to a snow basestation I am looking for a wired or wireless solution that will make this function.. I am not beyond building a lowend pc maybe as a print server but I have no idea where to go after building the pc..... anyone have experience there? I am only familiar with windows and osX but I am willing to "try" others maybe I won't need to... I also have a epson rx500 if I could get this networked also that would be a bonus but not essential... any ideas will be appreciated..
I would be willing to replace my router if there is one that will work in osX

[John Strung]

Hunt around a bit and see if you can find an SMC Barricade 7004ABR router or 7004AWBR wireless router. I have seen the 7004ABR's (which are now discontinued) on sale for as little as $20. They have a built-in printer server for parallel port printers. Just uplink the SMC to your existing router, turn off DHCP and set the LAN IP address to one on your existing subnet and you should be able to use it as really cheap print server for both PC's and the Panther Macs.

[ginoledesma]

The cheapest solutions would be:
- Buying a dedicated print server (or a wired/wireless router with one)
- Buying a network connector (e.g. HP JetDirect)

There a bunch of print servers you can buy for $40-$100, depending on brand, model, and features. A standard parallel-port print server with a 10BaseT interface is the cheapest, at about $40. There're USB ones for $50. The nice thing with dedicated print servers is that they work with most platforms, including Windows, Mac OS (9/X), Unix/Linux, etc. Most dedicated print servers use the tried-and-tested Line Printer Daemon (LPD) protocol, the old Unix standard for network printing.

The second alternative would be to buy a network connection device. HP sells their JetDirect line of expansion peripherals that makes their printers networkable. Similar to a print server, it gives the printer an ethernet connection, so you can print directly to it. The downside to the JetDirect device is, aside from its being model-specific, and usability with HP-only devices, the driver has to be specifically instructed for JetDirect printing. I'm not sure whether all HP printers have a JetDirect expansion option.

[Scarpa]

Unless the printer is postscript or PCL capable you'll have trouble with the printer regardless of the network setup. I would recommend the LJ 1300 with a built-in JetDirect card. It's a little pricier but will be much easier to support in the long run.