One of frequently used device in home to share with others in computer networking is the printer. With the network, sharing a single printer with others is one of the advantages of the computer network in the home or in offices. There three types of print servers you can install in your home or in offices:
- A computer as the print server
- Wired / Ethernet or USB print server
- And wireless print server
Traditionally you can attach your USB printer to one of your computer and configure it for shared so it is available for others to print. Configuration is easy, just right click the printer from the printer and fax menu and select “share”. Other computers on the network just need to add a printer on the network, not local printer.
Secondly, you can add an Ethernet or USB print-server which includes USB port for the printer to attach to, and one or more Ethernet ports for Ethernet-based devices to connect to. For example you may consider Linksys PSUS4 print server.
Lastly, wireless print server which is a print server you can place in convenient area with your attached printer without a network cable, so computer clients can send the print jobs wirelessly. You need a wireless network infrastructure to let you configure a wireless print server.
What can you do with Linksys PSUS4 print server?
Main features:
- Supports printers with USB port
- Includes four Ethernet ports with auto MDI/MDI-X support
- Works with most USB printers
- Supports IPP (internet printing protocol)
This PSUS4 is an old generation wired USB print server, before the wireless print server is booming. If traditionally you attach a printer to the computer for sharing, with this USB print server you don’t need a dedicated computer as the print server. Connect one Ethernet port of the print server to your network and configure it for sharing.
Today, probably you need to choose a wireless router that supports a USB port that allow you to share printer so you don’t need to add a wireless print server or dedicated computer for print server. Not many wireless routers which include a USB port support to host a printer. All models of Asus wireless routers support print share such as Asus RT-N16 and the latest one is Asus RT-N56U black diamond. They include two USB ports to let you attach an external disk drive and a USB printer to let tem shared across the network.
For wireless version of the Linksys print-server, you may consider:
Linksys WPSM54G
Linksys WPSM54G is the wireless G print server which is a multi-function printer server you can configure for sharing and place in convenience area, easy for everyone to access it. Everyone on the network can send the print jobs without waiting for the queues to complete. With multifunction printer shared across on the network, you can share the fax, the copy and printer in a single device. See also other Linksys wireless print-servers.
Other solution you may also consider affordable TP-Link TL-WPS510U Mini USB 2.0 Wireless Print Server. It is powered by high speed processor with wireless G standard and it supports all OS including Windows, Mac, Unix and Linux.
Connection diagram
The above figure is a common networking diagram with Linksys PSUS4 print server which connects to the modem router such as Actiontec GT701D ADSL modem router.
Linksys PSUS4 is USB print server with four Ethernet ports. This is old generation of wired print server. Selecting wireless router with print-server port is advantageous eliminating separate print server device.
See also:
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