Re: printer etc question

In message <(E-Mail Removed) >, mellybelly
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes

>However I rarely use the desktop pc and could do with the space it takes up.
>Is there any way of adapting the scanner and printer to work direct from the
>laptop (other than physically taking it upstairs and plugging it in)

Getting a printer to work on the network is pretty easy, what you need
is a "print server." Some routers have the capability built in. Getting
the scanner to work like that is practically impossible.

>and
>also is it possible to connect just an external hard drive to the router so
>that I have spare storage space not on my laptop?

What you are aiming to do is to create a NAS system, Network Attached
Storage. There are standalone NAS boxes available. Some routers have the
capability built-in - you just need to plug in a USB external disk.

>And if either ARE possible, how difficult is it ? (!!)

There isn't a practical solution for the scanner problem, that I know
of. There is a way to do it using Linux but that would still need a PC.

If your budget will stand it then you can just replace the router with
one that has print-server and NAS capability. These have USB ports, plug
the printer into one and a USB hard-drive into another. It's really
easy, but not cheap if you have to buy another router.

There is a cheaper way but it's not entirely easy and may not do exactly
what you want. That is to turn your desktop machine into a "headless"
server. That means running it without a monitor attached. It gives you
more flexibility about where to put the PC, which may be all you need.
Use remote-desktop to connect from a laptop to the desktop box when you
need to control a printer or scanner attached to it.

For the sake of completeness I'll add that Linux is probably a better OS
to do this with, but there's a steep learning curve.



--
Bernard Peek
London, UK. DBA, Manager, Trainer & Author.

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>,
Bernard Peek <(E-Mail Removed)> writes:
> In message <(E-Mail Removed) >, mellybelly
> <(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>
>>However I rarely use the desktop pc and could do with the space it takes up.
>>Is there any way of adapting the scanner and printer to work direct from the
>>laptop (other than physically taking it upstairs and plugging it in)
>
> Getting a printer to work on the network is pretty easy, what you need
> is a "print server." Some routers have the capability built in. Getting
> the scanner to work like that is practically impossible.

An all-in-one printer/scanner/fax] with network connection would
work nicely in this case. I bought an HP C6180 (now superceeded
but similar newer models available) for someone in the family and
that's how we use it. The printer is very nice from the hardware
point of view. The basic printer driver is good too, but the
spamvertising it installs at the same time is a right royal pain
in the arse, and the fancy HP scanning tools such as scanning a
whole document into a PDF file would be extremely useful, if it
actually worked, which it doesn't, but basic scanning is OK.
(I eventually worked out how install the printer driver without
the HP spamvertising.)

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]