Networked printer

I've ordered a Netgear DG834G Wireless router. I've read up a bit on the
subject of wireless networks, but I'm still not 100% on a few areas.

I want my printer to be part of the wireless network. The Netgear has four
ports on the back to accept computers or printer connections. Firstly is it
juat a case of plugging my printer to this port and the printer being able
to accept jobs from a nearby laptop?

Also my printer (HP 960C) at the moment only has a parallel port lead, what
kind of lead do I need to connect the printer to the router?

OVS wrote:

> I've ordered a Netgear DG834G Wireless router. I've read up a bit on the
> subject of wireless networks, but I'm still not 100% on a few areas.
>
> I want my printer to be part of the wireless network. The Netgear has four
> ports on the back to accept computers or printer connections. Firstly is
> it juat a case of plugging my printer to this port and the printer being
> able to accept jobs from a nearby laptop?
>
> Also my printer (HP 960C) at the moment only has a parallel port lead,
> what kind of lead do I need to connect the printer to the router?

Your printer isn't ethernet compatible (yet). You need a print server to
convert parallel-port talk to ethernet talk. NetGear makes a Mini Print
Server PS101 that ought to do the job.

There's a no-cost alternative: plug your printer into one of the computers
on the network and set it up as a shared resource. Badness: that computer
must be booted up whenever anybody on your LAN wants to print.

Roby

> Your printer isn't ethernet compatible (yet). You need a print server to
> convert parallel-port talk to ethernet talk. NetGear makes a Mini Print
> Server PS101 that ought to do the job.

Thats great! They're not too expensive either.
http://www.ciao.co.uk/NETGEAR_PS101_...444874/TabId/4

Thanks Roby.

So I just plug in the printer using the parallel cable to the Print
Serrver and then plug in the Print server to the router using an
ethernet cable.

Hope I'm right in my understanding on how it works.

This networking stuff sure gets complicated very quickly!

>
> There's a no-cost alternative: plug your printer into one of the computers
> on the network and set it up as a shared resource. Badness: that computer
> must be booted up whenever anybody on your LAN wants to print.
>
> Roby
>

OVS <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> I've ordered a Netgear DG834G Wireless router. I've read up a bit on the
> subject of wireless networks, but I'm still not 100% on a few areas.

> I want my printer to be part of the wireless network. The Netgear has four
> ports on the back to accept computers or printer connections. Firstly is it
> juat a case of plugging my printer to this port and the printer being able
> to accept jobs from a nearby laptop?

In little tiny print on the
http://www.netgear.com/products/details/DG834G.php page, it shows the
printer connected via a PS101 or PS121 (links to each on the right of the
page). These adapt either Parallel or USB printers to ethernet.

http://www.netgear.com/products/details/FWG114P.php has a USB port built
in to the router. A parallel printer can be connected to a USB port with a
$20 cable.

> Also my printer (HP 960C) at the moment only has a parallel port lead, what
> kind of lead do I need to connect the printer to the router?

Is that "just" a printer? The wireless sharing solutions generally don't
work with printer/scanner/fax multi-function machines, although they
should work okay with simple printers. Printers known to work:
http://www.netgear.com/products/ps101_ps121_comp.php

The other solution is to leave the printer connected to a PC, and share it
to other PCs on the network. That requires that the one PC be turned on in
order for the other PCs to use it, but it is the cheapest solution, and
almost guaranteed to be fully compatible. $60 for the PS121 adapter. Free
for sharing from a PC.

--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5

OVS wrote:

>
>> Your printer isn't ethernet compatible (yet). You need a print server to
>> convert parallel-port talk to ethernet talk. NetGear makes a Mini Print
>> Server PS101 that ought to do the job.
>
> Thats great! They're not too expensive either.
> http://www.ciao.co.uk/NETGEAR_PS101_...444874/TabId/4
>
> Thanks Roby.
>
> So I just plug in the printer using the parallel cable to the Print
> Serrver and then plug in the Print server to the router using an
> ethernet cable.
>
> Hope I'm right in my understanding on how it works.

Pretty close. The PS101 has a Centronics connector that plugs directly into
your printer. Your assignment: find something else to do with the orphaned
printer cable ... a new leash for Rowf perhaps?

Roby

> Pretty close. The PS101 has a Centronics connector that plugs directly into
> your printer. Your assignment: find something else to do with the orphaned
> printer cable ... a new leash for Rowf perhaps?
>
> Roby

Thanks Roby, your replies are much appreciatted. The PS101 looks to be
exactly what I need. It all seems so simple now! (fingers crossed it will
stay that way!)

Thanks again

> In little tiny print on the
> http://www.netgear.com/products/details/DG834G.php page, it shows the
> printer connected via a PS101 or PS121 (links to each on the right of the
> page). These adapt either Parallel or USB printers to ethernet.
>

Thanks for pointing out that print, its confirmed to me that PS101 is
excatly what I need. My printer is just a a basic inkjet model. Its not on
the Netgear list, but google shows that people have got it working fine
with the PS101.

Thanks

OVS wrote:

>I've ordered a Netgear DG834G Wireless router. I've read up a bit on the
>subject of wireless networks, but I'm still not 100% on a few areas.
>
>I want my printer to be part of the wireless network. The Netgear has four
>ports on the back to accept computers or printer connections. Firstly is it
>juat a case of plugging my printer to this port and the printer being able
>to accept jobs from a nearby laptop?
>
>Also my printer (HP 960C) at the moment only has a parallel port lead, what
>kind of lead do I need to connect the printer to the router?
>
>
Some of the older HP printers were windows only printers (like a
winmodem, much of the processing was shifted to the OS). I'm not sure,
but I believe the 960c was one of those. If it is, I doubt you will be
able to make it work except when attached to a Windows computer.

In article <1iqgp83hrhvv5$.oq4mo3jjr3hs$.(E-Mail Removed)>,
OVS <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> In little tiny print on the
>> http://www.netgear.com/products/details/DG834G.php page, it shows the
>> printer connected via a PS101 or PS121 (links to each on the right of the
>> page). These adapt either Parallel or USB printers to ethernet.
>>
>
>Thanks for pointing out that print, its confirmed to me that PS101 is
>excatly what I need. My printer is just a a basic inkjet model. Its not on
>the Netgear list, but google shows that people have got it working fine
>with the PS101.
>
>Thanks


You've got several steps to go thru after you get the print server
wired up. Look for the "getting started" literature that comes with
your print server and follow the instructions. Youi'll also need
to have the right print drivers for your OS at hand.

There are several ways to hook up multiple PCs via a print server.
All of them work, but it can be confusing. Follow the instructions
that come in the box.



--

a d y k e s @ p a n i x . c o m

Don't blame me. I voted for Gore.

>>
> Some of the older HP printers were windows only printers (like a
> winmodem, much of the processing was shifted to the OS). I'm not sure,
> but I believe the 960c was one of those. If it is, I doubt you will be
> able to make it work except when attached to a Windows computer.

I hope it will work. All parts are ordered now. My 960C is getting pretty
old now, and I'm not happy with the ink costs, if it doesn't work it'll
give me a good excuse to get a new printer.