WebJunction

Question: Our organization has 15 computers running Windows 95 and is networked using Windows peer-to-peer networking. I am currently sharing out my printer from my computer to everyone on our network. A friend told me that I can put the printer on the network by itself. How does this work and why would I want to?

Answer: First of all, let me clarify a few things. In order for you to network a printer, you need three things: a print server, a printer, and a network. The main key in this case is the print server. Right now, your computer is operating as the print server. It takes the documents received from the clients (your other computers) and queues them (puts them in a folder in the order received), and then sends these documents to the printer. You can place security on the printer, or assign certain people to have priority over other users, though most of the time the print server just accepts documents and routes them to the appropriate printer, which in your current case is most likely just your LPT1 printer port.

To put your printer on the network, more directly, you need to get a print server. A print server is a piece of hardware that manages the flow of print files on your network. You can get lots of different kinds now, just make sure that the one you buy has the right kind of interface for your printer (i.e. not designed for just an HP LaserJet 4M, unless that is what you want), and make sure that it can connect to your network.

Many HP printers, and a few other manufacturers such as Epson, have specific print servers for specific printers, but you can also just get some print servers that will connect to any parallel printer, such as the HP JetDirect 300X. These cost anywhere from $100 to $300, depending on the speed and brand of the print server. The easiest thing is to just look at a recent copy of MicroWarehouse or one of the other computer sales catalogs for their page on print servers. You can also do a search at CNET and find a listing with links to various e-tailers.

Why would you want to do this? The most common reason is that currently if you turn off your computer, or if your computer crashes and is rebooting, no one in the office can print. Print servers work around this problem since they don't route print jobs through another computer. There are also speed benefits, since printing is the only thing the print server is doing. Your computer, on the other hand, is probably taxed more or less throughout the day, making the print jobs go out slower or faster.

Personally, I love these print servers, and almost never set up a network without one. For the price, the technology just can't be beat.