SMC Router and HP820cse printer

After much research I bought an SMC 7004BR cable/dsl router for my home network to share a cable modem access. The system worked very nicely. I was especially interested in the unique feature of this device that sets it apart from the others...a built in print server. The print server requires an oddball proprietary printer port installed by the SMC software called PRTMATE. It worked fine with Windows NT but not at all with Windows 98 or Windows ME. Part of the problem is the goofy HP print driver for the HP 820cse.
I finally stumbled on a workaround:
1 - Install the PRTMATE port on all the Win98/ME PCs.
2 - Connect the printer to the 7004BR printer port.
3 - Install the HP 820cse print driver on LPT1: even though there is no printer connected.
4 - Share the printer just installed.
5 - Add a second 820cse printer but connect it to the network printer you just shared.
6 - In the new printer, set the port to PRTMATE.
7 - NEVER print to the shared printer.
8 - ALWAYS print to the network printer.
It's not perfect but all the network PCs on the router can print to the printer connected to the router printer port.
By the way, the other neat feature of the 7004BR is a WAN COM port. IF a cable/dsl access is not available a dial phone system modem can be connected to give the network some sort of Internet access.