Printer/scanner/router question...

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Printer/scanner/router question...

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sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sun May 01, 05 2:55 pm Post subject: Printer/scanner/router question...
Is it easy (and I mean really easy) to connect the printer/scanner to the router so that it can be used by both the mac and the laptop?

N.V.M.

Joined: 05 Feb 2005
Posts: 207
Location: British Columbia,Canada,eh!

Posted: Sun May 01, 05 4:15 pm Post subject:

no, not that easy. the easiest method is if your printer has both USB and a parallel ports. use one port on the PC and the other on the Mac.

check out THIS tutorial, looks easy enough too.

otherwise, i would say to use DAVE,but its a little pricy,although it has a free trial period.

Quote:

DAVE is a one product fits all solution for sharing between the different Microsoft platforms and Macintosh systems.

lastly, but again pricy, is to use a nifty piece of hardware called Airport Express (i'm sure you've heard of it)

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sun May 01, 05 4:30 pm Post subject:
Thanks, I'll take a good look, weigh up my options, make a decision then scream for help.

Guest

Posted: Sun May 01, 05 4:30 pm Post subject: Re: Printer/scanner/router question...

sean wrote:

Is it easy (and I mean really easy) to connect the printer/scanner to the router so that it can be used by both the mac and the laptop?

Well you can use a small print server connected to on of the spare ports (assuming the router has a built in 4 port switch) but that would only work for printing, not scanning

Something like this:
https://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=7200753658&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=38065 for a parrallel port printer or this:
https://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=7200757670&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=59956 if its usb.

I currently have my Epson injet shared using a similar box connected to my switch.

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Sun May 01, 05 4:54 pm Post subject:

Simple answer: No. Network shared access to a scanner is unusual - and if your model does it, then it will be trumpeted among its "features". (One example, https://h50025.www5.hp.com/hpcom/hk_en/10_35_85_1766_Q3094A.html and that one is also accessible from Mac and PC. It can attach to the ethernet *network* rather than a specific computer.)
But, as yours will be (I'll bet only) USB connected, there should be no harm in unplugging the unit (even from a switched-on computer) and connecting it to the other one (even while that is switched on). However, be aware that some software functions (particularly "magic" buttons on the scanner) *may* depend on the scanner being noted as present when the computer starts up.

More complicated answer: Still don't think you can share any/all scanners cross-platform (but you could share one Mac's scanner with other networked Macs, see: https://whocares.de/archive/000704.php).
For the printing function, USB printers can be shared by the Mac they are connected to, for the benefit of other networked Macs. But I wouldn't expect a PC to 'see' it. HOWEVER, the Mac should "see" a *printer* being 'shared' by its host Windoze PC. (No dedicated Print Server box is *required*.)
But this still won't help with scanning...

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Sun May 01, 05 5:09 pm Post subject:
NVM's link to a tutorial, shows how to 1/ share the printer from the (WinXP) PC and 2/ Select it from the Mac. However neither "Printer Sharing" nor (the excellent) DAVE, nor for that matter a Print Server box, will help with scanning.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sun May 01, 05 5:59 pm Post subject:
The Pc is a laptop, so some plugging and unplugging doesn't really matter. I was just hoping someone would say: "Yes it's dead easy, do this and all will work together in harmony".

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Sun May 01, 05 7:02 pm Post subject:
"Yes it's dead easy, do this and all will work together in harmony". Pay the money for a network one, like the HP as linked above... You CAN have Rolls Royce features, just not all of them for the price of a Lada! Sorry...

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