Wireless print server (Centronics) recommendation

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

On Sat, 13 Aug 2005 03:56:15 GMT, SMS <scharf.steven@geemail.com>
wrote:

>I have an old HP LJIII that I want to put on the network, without
>attaching it to a PC.

Gaaag. I have about 5 of those piled in the office closet and a huge
mess of HPII, III, and IIP parts. I used to repair those. You can
keep them running forever but they sure are big, slow, and ugly.

>Any recomendations for print servers with a parallel port?

First, don't get a Jetdirect card for the HPIII. They were buggy
pieces of junk that require a bootp server to run. Stay with the
parallel port.

I find it easier to do such things in two boxes. An ethernet print
server and some wireless ethernet bridge client radio. The ethernet
print server can be anything. I have a small pile of Digi/Milan print
servers and Netgear PS104/PS110 print servers I use as needed. It
really doesn't matter which print server you select as anything will
work.

The client bridge is a bit tricky. If all you want is to remote the
one printer, then a WAP11, DWL900AP+ or similar single MAC address
wireless bridge will work. However, I usually setup a client computer
nearby and want to bridge more than one MAC address. That requires a
wireless bridge that can do more than one MAC, such as WET11,
WAP54G(?), or WRT54G with Sveasoft firmware running in client mode.
Some game adapters will also work with multiple MAC addresses. You
can also do the same thing with a WDS bridge (WRT54G) and get a
wireless repeater function for free.

For protocols, I use either direct print to an IP socket, LPD/LPR, or
Netbios (Windoze) printing. Whatever is supported by the print
server.

Incidentally, one nice feature of some of the print servers in my pile
is mutliple parallel or serial printer ports. You can run multiple
printers from a single cable or wireless link.

>I'm seeing the Motorola print server in a lot of places, i.e.
>http://shentech.com/mowpprse80rj.html. Anyone have any experience with it?

No experience, but the price, features, and specs look nice. If you
have to buy something, it's probably cheaper to buy the Motorola box
than to build it yourself.



--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@comix.santa-cruz.ca.us
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
AE6KS 831-336-2558

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

SMS <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote in
news:zbeLe.8950$p%3.36568@typhoon.sonic.net:

> I have an old HP LJIII that I want to put on the network, without
> attaching it to a PC.
>
> Any recomendations for print servers with a parallel port?

I use the obsolete Intel NetportExpress print servers on my network.
The latest (although some years old) is the NetportExpress 10/100.
These have an Etherent port for network connection and come in two
versions - a single parallel printer port, or 3 printer ports (2
parallel, 1 serial).

Utterly reliable - I've never had a single failure and have used
these devices for many years. Works just fine under WinXP. You can
pick then up cheaply on eBay.

You can use them on a wireless network as well. Connect to a
wireless-Ethernet bridge, or a multi-mode access point in Wireless
Clinet or AP Client mode, and away you go. Most such current wireless
devices aupport multiple MAC addresses, so you can connect multiple
devices behind a switch. [Aside: My network is configured like this,
with clusters of typically 2 PCs + printserver + wireless client
bridge connected to a switch]

Or of course you could pick up (again on eBay) a more recent LaserJet
which takes a Jetdirect card...

Hope this helps

--

Richard Perkin
To email me, change the AT in the address below
richard.perkinATmyrealbox.com

It's is not, it isn't ain't, and it's it's, not its, if you mean it
is. If you don't, it's its. Then too, it's hers. It isn't her's.
It isn't our's either. It's ours, and likewise yours and theirs.
-- Oxford University Press, Edpress News

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

Jeff Liebermann wrote:

> No experience, but the price, features, and specs look nice. If you
> have to buy something, it's probably cheaper to buy the Motorola box
> than to build it yourself.

Apparently the specs look better than reality, as WPA is advertised but
absolutely does not work,
"http://www.wifi-forum.com/wf/showthread.php?t=6694"

Thanks for the detailed response. You should write a book on wireless
networking.

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

SMS wrote:
> Jeff Liebermann wrote:
>
>> No experience, but the price, features, and specs look nice. If you
>> have to buy something, it's probably cheaper to buy the Motorola box
>> than to build it yourself.
>
>
> Apparently the specs look better than reality, as WPA is advertised but
> absolutely does not work,
> "http://www.wifi-forum.com/wf/showthread.php?t=6694"

As far as I could find, the only standalone device that can serve as a
parallel port print server, and supports WPA is the D-Link DI824VUP
router, which is $130. So I guess that I will do it in two steps.