1 usb printer-2 comps

[Fightingpiper]

well I started a new job this week and we have 2 computers in the office. They are connected to the companies intranet but not networked to each other so they can't print through my computer.

I have 1 HP printer in the office and was wondering if I can jsut get a USB hub and connect the printer to the 2 computers through it. Right now if my nurse wants to print something she has to email it to me and I have to stop what I'm doing and print it for her. They use to have an old printer with the many pin connector and had a printer switch down there but they got a new printer which is a USB.

[winterhavok]

You will need a usb router to do this, the easiest way to do it (rather than buying a router hub) is to network your computer to hers and set up printer sharing.

[AMD Phreak]

http://dlink.com/products/category.asp?cid=10&sec=2

http://netgear.com/products/business/cat_printservers_sb.php

http://www.linksys.com/products/group.asp?grid=33&scid=37

http://www.linksys.com/products/group.asp?grid=34&scid=32

Take your pick. I currently use the Dlink wired USB print server. I also have the print server that allows connection to an older non-usb printer via the Centronics port.

Or you can do as stated above, and network the computers and then set them up for print sharing. BTW Are you the admin of this network or at least the person in charge? Admins get cranky about people sharing printers and networking things together without their permission. Just a heads up. :)

[Fightingpiper]

Not an admin and they will not allow the computers to see each other nor put anything else on the network so an actual print server is out. Picked up one ot these http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=1&Product_Id=120618
from officemax today and it looks like what I need. Its jsut not an autoswitch so we'll have to manually push the button to which computer will be able to use the printer. Hope it works.....

[winterhavok]

Not an admin and they will not allow the computers to see each other nor put anything else on the network so an actual print server is out.


Man, they really want to make it rough on the workers don't they...sounds about like my college.

[Fightingpiper]

They actually said I would have to get another printer for the second computer but I have a small office I share with my nurse and there is no room for a second printer so I hope this USB switch works. Its also cheaper than a whole new printer...gotta think about my budget...:)

[UPCguy23]

Isn't there like a y cable that they make? We discussed that in another thread regarding paralell cables. So maybe there's such a thing for usb?

[winterhavok]

I have not heard of a Y-adapter for an USB cable, if there was one there would be no virtually no way an average electronics modifier could do it. Because you would have to start making your own drivers, its not like its only diverting power. I could be wrong, someone who has done usb cables would have to answer that completely.

[UPCguy23]

Well, they make them for vga, and someone said they saw such a thing for paralell at radio shack, but if you could just have the one connector going into the printer, and have it split off into 2 cables after that, so one side of the cable could go to each computer, surely someone would have something like that online with all the other stuff that is out there, lol. Just put drivers for the printer on each pc, and don't send a print job from both computers at once, probably would work, I can't be sure, but if it theoretically should.

[AMD Phreak]

Not an admin and they will not allow the computers to see each other nor put anything else on the network so an actual print server is out. Picked up one ot these http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=1&Product_Id=120618
from officemax today and it looks like what I need. Its jsut not an autoswitch so we'll have to manually push the button to which computer will be able to use the printer. Hope it works.....



Figured just as much. I am the admin of a network for a doctors office and I am the same way. Was rather ****ed that I found an office company came out and installed a network attached print/scan/fax/copy machine on the network and I didnt know about it.


BTW: Isnt HIPAA fun? ;)