If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Low-power, minimal XP box as print server?
Hi all, I'm interested in using a minimal PC running Windows XP as a
print server on our home network. For a variety of reasons I don't want to hang the printers off the network with their own adapters or run them through a box sold as a dedicated print server. The criteria I'm looking at are these: -- Low power consumption, since this will be left on all the time. -- Has to support USB connection to one printer, and Firewire connection to a second printer, plus a 10/100 Ethernet card for the network. -- Minimal system to support Windows XP, but not so minimal that its function as a print server is compromised. -- Preferably as dirt-cheap as possible. Offhand it would seem that a laptop would be ahead power-consumption-wise, but would be more expensive to buy initially than a low-end desktop-type unit. Is there a way to cobble together something both cheap and that won't eat a lot of power? A build-it-yourself approach from components would be fine with me. Thanks for any input on this. |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Low-power, minimal XP box as print server?
Hello
Well buying a few different parts for a low-end pc would be good but if your concered about power just so you know, your monitor burns much more power than your low end pc or desktop will. alvin So why the big concern about power Frank O'Donnell wrote: Hi all, I'm interested in using a minimal PC running Windows XP as a print server on our home network. For a variety of reasons I don't want to hang the printers off the network with their own adapters or run them through a box sold as a dedicated print server. The criteria I'm looking at are these: -- Low power consumption, since this will be left on all the time. -- Has to support USB connection to one printer, and Firewire connection to a second printer, plus a 10/100 Ethernet card for the network. -- Minimal system to support Windows XP, but not so minimal that its function as a print server is compromised. -- Preferably as dirt-cheap as possible. Offhand it would seem that a laptop would be ahead power-consumption-wise, but would be more expensive to buy initially than a low-end desktop-type unit. Is there a way to cobble together something both cheap and that won't eat a lot of power? A build-it-yourself approach from components would be fine with me. Thanks for any input on this. |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Low-power, minimal XP box as print server?
Alvin A Brown writes:
Well buying a few different parts for a low-end pc would be good but if your concered about power just so you know, your monitor burns much more power than your low end pc or desktop will. Valid point. I wasn't going to run it with a monitor plugged in, however. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Low-power, minimal XP box as print server?
Xref: 127.0.0.1 microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardwa119689 comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc:40419 comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.systems:20235
Frank O'Donnell wrote: Hi all, I'm interested in using a minimal PC running Windows XP as a print server on our home network. For a variety of reasons I don't want to hang the printers off the network with their own adapters or run them through a box sold as a dedicated print server. snip I can't think of even a _single_ reason -- satisfy my curiosity. |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Low-power, minimal XP box as print server?
CJT writes:
For a variety of reasons I don't want to hang the printers off the network with their own adapters or run them through a box sold as a dedicated print server. snip I can't think of even a _single_ reason -- satisfy my curiosity. Well, here are four: -- I'm dealing with two printers, whereas most network access boxes that include a print server are set up for one. -- We want the faster speed of USB and Firewire as opposed to parallel. -- Some friends report that network print server hardware often do not pass back full error messages correctly. -- Finally, several friends who have networked the specific printers I'm dealing with have strongly urged me to run them through a networked PC, not through print servers. Mostly I'm interested in any advice on the feasibility of putting together a build-it-yourself PC with an emphasis on low power usage (for example, do any case-mounted motherboards support low-power versions of CPUs?). |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Low-power, minimal XP box as print server?
Xref: 127.0.0.1 microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardwa119691 comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc:40423 comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.systems:20237
Frank O'Donnell wrote: CJT writes: For a variety of reasons I don't want to hang the printers off the network with their own adapters or run them through a box sold as a dedicated print server. snip I can't think of even a _single_ reason -- satisfy my curiosity. Well, here are four: -- I'm dealing with two printers, whereas most network access boxes that include a print server are set up for one. -- We want the faster speed of USB and Firewire as opposed to parallel. -- Some friends report that network print server hardware often do not pass back full error messages correctly. -- Finally, several friends who have networked the specific printers I'm dealing with have strongly urged me to run them through a networked PC, not through print servers. Mostly I'm interested in any advice on the feasibility of putting together a build-it-yourself PC with an emphasis on low power usage (for example, do any case-mounted motherboards support low-power versions of CPUs?). Well, FWIW I had a related discussion in a different context (fan-free PCs) recently, and somebody suggested the following: http://www.siliconinvestor.com/stock...msgid=18761864 |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Low-power, minimal XP box as print server?
Frank O'Donnell wrote:
CJT writes: For a variety of reasons I don't want to hang the printers off the network with their own adapters or run them through a box sold as a dedicated print server. snip I can't think of even a _single_ reason -- satisfy my curiosity. Well, here are four: -- I'm dealing with two printers, whereas most network access boxes that include a print server are set up for one. -- We want the faster speed of USB and Firewire as opposed to parallel. -- Some friends report that network print server hardware often do not pass back full error messages correctly. -- Finally, several friends who have networked the specific printers I'm dealing with have strongly urged me to run them through a networked PC, not through print servers. Mostly I'm interested in any advice on the feasibility of putting together a build-it-yourself PC with an emphasis on low power usage (for example, do any case-mounted motherboards support low-power versions of CPUs?). Look at systems built on the mini-itx motherboards. (see http://mini-itx.com/ for starters). Ethernet, video, USB, and a printer port are on the mobo. These motherboards have one PCI slot and one PCMCIA slot for expansion. You could put your second printer and a firewire card there. There are several models, the high-end card has a fan. I'd avoid using that one. -- Al Dykes ----------- |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Low-power, minimal XP box as print server?
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|