Need to choose economical Laser Printer and Router.

Soon I'll buy a laser printer and a NAT Router providing broadband web (and
rare ftp uploads) to two Win 9x computers. I need the laser and Router
located at the same computer.

I read that Parallel port connection prints much slower than Ethernet
connection. I assume USB is also fast, but USB is scarce. Computer has only
2 ports at back. One USB is used for camera transfers. (Adding USB ports is
unlikely, because I've read of trouble with powered and unpowered USB hubs,
and there aren't any slots avail in computer for cards! Bah.)


Can USB Laser go into Router's USB while broadband modem is connected to
Router's Ethernet "In" port?

If Router includes built in Print Sever, does Print Sever accept only
Ethernet from the printer? This need would eliminate lowest cost "Personal
Lasers". I prefer Laser connected to Router, though Laser connected to the
near computer is OK. But it has only one USB..


PS, common retail (D-Link, Netgear, SMC, Linksys) Routers seem to lack
Printservers unless wireless.


So, I expect to pay about $10 more for a Wireless B with printserver. Can I
assume RELIABLY disabling the wireless feature is easy? (software setting or
hardware method are fine.)

I tried to describe these complications briefly as possible, but maybe the
solution is simpler than it seems.

[Tolgay Gül]

I think you shall choose adsl speed touch ethernet modem. the modem has
switch and you can NAT. Every time top printer HP.

http://www.speedtouchdsl.com/prod510.htm



> wrote in message
...
> Soon I'll buy a laser printer and a NAT Router providing broadband web
(and
> rare ftp uploads) to two Win 9x computers. I need the laser and Router
> located at the same computer.
>
> I read that Parallel port connection prints much slower than Ethernet
> connection. I assume USB is also fast, but USB is scarce. Computer has
only
> 2 ports at back. One USB is used for camera transfers. (Adding USB ports
is
> unlikely, because I've read of trouble with powered and unpowered USB
hubs,
> and there aren't any slots avail in computer for cards! Bah.)
>
>
> Can USB Laser go into Router's USB while broadband modem is connected to
> Router's Ethernet "In" port?
>
> If Router includes built in Print Sever, does Print Sever accept only
> Ethernet from the printer? This need would eliminate lowest cost "Personal
> Lasers". I prefer Laser connected to Router, though Laser connected to
the
> near computer is OK. But it has only one USB..
>
>
> PS, common retail (D-Link, Netgear, SMC, Linksys) Routers seem to lack
> Printservers unless wireless.
>
>
> So, I expect to pay about $10 more for a Wireless B with printserver. Can
I
> assume RELIABLY disabling the wireless feature is easy? (software setting
or
> hardware method are fine.)
>
> I tried to describe these complications briefly as possible, but maybe the
> solution is simpler than it seems.
>
>

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

In article >,
> wrote:
>Soon I'll buy a laser printer and a NAT Router providing broadband web (and
>rare ftp uploads) to two Win 9x computers. I need the laser and Router
>located at the same computer.
>
>I read that Parallel port connection prints much slower than Ethernet
>connection. I assume USB is also fast, but USB is scarce. Computer has only
>2 ports at back. One USB is used for camera transfers. (Adding USB ports is
>unlikely, because I've read of trouble with powered and unpowered USB hubs,
>and there aren't any slots avail in computer for cards! Bah.)
>
>
>Can USB Laser go into Router's USB while broadband modem is connected to
>Router's Ethernet "In" port?
>
>If Router includes built in Print Sever, does Print Sever accept only
>Ethernet from the printer? This need would eliminate lowest cost "Personal
>Lasers". I prefer Laser connected to Router, though Laser connected to the
>near computer is OK. But it has only one USB..
>
>
>PS, common retail (D-Link, Netgear, SMC, Linksys) Routers seem to lack
>Printservers unless wireless.
>
>
>So, I expect to pay about $10 more for a Wireless B with printserver. Can I
>assume RELIABLY disabling the wireless feature is easy? (software setting or
>hardware method are fine.)
>
>I tried to describe these complications briefly as possible, but maybe the
>solution is simpler than it seems.

I don't think that the printer's connection type (parallel, USB, or
Ethernet) will have any effect on its printing speed. The printer is
a mechanical device that moves paper at a fixed rate, regardless of
how fast the data that it prints arrives over a wire.

If the router's USB port is designed for connecting to a computer, a
printer won't work when connected to that port.

A print server lets you connect a parallel (or possibly USB) printer
to an Ethernet network. If the printer has an Ethernet port, you
don't need a print server.

You don't need to go wireless. These web pages show wired routers
that have built-in print servers:

http://www.dlink.com/products/category.asp?cid=2
http://www.smc.com/index.cfm?sec=Products&pg=Product-Details&prod=67&site=c
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional - Windows Networking
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

Steve Winograd's Networking FAQ
http://www.bcmaven.com/networking/faq.htm

[Haggis]

look at the smc barricade ..it is a router with a parallel port for print
serving


"Steve Winograd [MVP]" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> > wrote:
> >Soon I'll buy a laser printer and a NAT Router providing broadband web
(and
> >rare ftp uploads) to two Win 9x computers. I need the laser and Router
> >located at the same computer.
> >
> >I read that Parallel port connection prints much slower than Ethernet
> >connection. I assume USB is also fast, but USB is scarce. Computer has
only
> >2 ports at back. One USB is used for camera transfers. (Adding USB ports
is
> >unlikely, because I've read of trouble with powered and unpowered USB
hubs,
> >and there aren't any slots avail in computer for cards! Bah.)
> >
> >
> >Can USB Laser go into Router's USB while broadband modem is connected to
> >Router's Ethernet "In" port?
> >
> >If Router includes built in Print Sever, does Print Sever accept only
> >Ethernet from the printer? This need would eliminate lowest cost
"Personal
> >Lasers". I prefer Laser connected to Router, though Laser connected to
the
> >near computer is OK. But it has only one USB..
> >
> >
> >PS, common retail (D-Link, Netgear, SMC, Linksys) Routers seem to lack
> >Printservers unless wireless.
> >
> >
> >So, I expect to pay about $10 more for a Wireless B with printserver. Can
I
> >assume RELIABLY disabling the wireless feature is easy? (software setting
or
> >hardware method are fine.)
> >
> >I tried to describe these complications briefly as possible, but maybe
the
> >solution is simpler than it seems.
>
> I don't think that the printer's connection type (parallel, USB, or
> Ethernet) will have any effect on its printing speed. The printer is
> a mechanical device that moves paper at a fixed rate, regardless of
> how fast the data that it prints arrives over a wire.
>
> If the router's USB port is designed for connecting to a computer, a
> printer won't work when connected to that port.
>
> A print server lets you connect a parallel (or possibly USB) printer
> to an Ethernet network. If the printer has an Ethernet port, you
> don't need a print server.
>
> You don't need to go wireless. These web pages show wired routers
> that have built-in print servers:
>
> http://www.dlink.com/products/category.asp?cid=2
>
http://www.smc.com/index.cfm?sec=Products&pg=Product-Details&prod=67&site=c
> --
> Best Wishes,
> Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)
>
> Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
> for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
> addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.
>
> Microsoft Most Valuable Professional - Windows Networking
> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
>
> Steve Winograd's Networking FAQ
> http://www.bcmaven.com/networking/faq.htm

"Steve Winograd [MVP]" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> > wrote:
> >Soon I'll buy a laser printer and a NAT Router providing broadband web
(and
> >rare ftp uploads) to two Win 9x computers. I need the laser and Router
> >located at the same computer.


> >I tried to describe these complications briefly as possible, but maybe
the
> >solution is simpler than it seems.
>
> I don't think that the printer's connection type (parallel, USB, or
> Ethernet) will have any effect on its printing speed. The printer is
> a mechanical device that moves paper at a fixed rate, regardless of
> how fast the data that it prints arrives over a wire.
>
> If the router's USB port is designed for connecting to a computer, a
> printer won't work when connected to that port.

i wondered about that. searching showed that most printserver routers w usb
use the usb for the prn.


> A print server lets you connect a parallel (or possibly USB) printer
> to an Ethernet network. If the printer has an Ethernet port, you
> don't need a print server.

You guys have helped a lot. I still had to look at more info, but somehow
this helped sort things out.

=========Outline:
An Ethernet networkable printer costs US$150- 370 more than non network
ready printer. And I don't need the features that tend to come with more
costly lasers. (It's still possible that the lowest cost network ready
lasers don't mess up as often as the lowest cost non network lasers. The
print quality, handling, page cost, etc. might be better, too)

Router with most expensive print server use USB. USB costs US$8- 30 more
than parallel. And parallel costs $20 more than Router lacking print server.

=========So, my strategy:
I need to select Laser, then assume I will find a print server that works (I
appear to have many Router choices, but ITRW stuff is too often
incompatible).

One tip I've read is to be sure the Router's printserver is bi-directional.

I have slowest cheap broadband, so privacy/security/firewall abilities of
Router most concern me. (and reliability, which Bill M. wbillups mentioned)


If no Router works with printer, I resign myself to turning on the printer's
computer when printing from second computer. (I rarely print from second
computer, btw) If the printer uses USB only, then I'll Hotplug various
devices as necessary. An extension USB from the back of the computer will
make swapping easier. I don't trust messing with USB hubs.



regarding parallel port speed versus Ethernet or USB speed: I'd have thought
the printer was the speed bottleneck, especially considering the need for
spooling. (yes?) But I saw a post claiming to have found large difference,
same printer, parallel vs Ethernet. Whichever is true, I'm not going to be
printing a lot, so parallel speeds should (continue to) be fine.


and in response to one person: a Webstar modem is already supplied by the
provider.

thanks.