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Comments on USB-Equipped Ethernet Print Servers?

Posted by timothy on from the any-wireless-ones-in-this-bunch? dept.

An Anonymous Coward asks: "I'm looking to purchase an external Ethernet print server with an USB printer interface. I've only found two such beasts HP JetDirect 175x and Sercomm PS5800). Do I have any other hardware options? Do USB print servers work with any USB printer, or are there driver issues?" Comments, anyone? Information about running such a box under free operating systems would also be nice.

6 of 21 comments (clear)

  1. HP Jet Direct by Khopesh · · Score: 4, Informative

    is a VERY nice little box. it ran a few of the others out of the game a few years ago. I did tech support (ewww) for a company that used these, although not with usb. if they're as good with usb as they are with standard parallel printer ports they i highly recommend it. the configuration is very well done and the test print command gives you all the id & info you need.

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  2. JetDirect by penguinboy · · Score: 3, Informative

    I've used parallel JetDirect boxes (EX, EX Plus, EX Plus3) with excellent results. Windows NT/2000/XP and *nix can all send jobs to JetDirect devices via LPR. Win9x machines clients require either HP's JetDirect software loaded client, an LPR add-on, or a Windows print server. AppleTalk is supported by JetDirect boxes for use by Macs.

    1. Re:JetDirect by balamw · · Score: 4, Informative
      The current batch of JetDirect boxes are very different from the ones you and I have experience with. The old ones were great, sometimes quirky, but great. The new ones, well I'll let you decide...

      On the plus side, the new ones are more internet happy. They offer web based configuration and support IPP (Internet Printing Protocol). However, unlike their predecessors, these units are not flash upgradeable and thus they can't be patched for new features/bugfixes. We have some minor issues with our 1st generation 170X and DHCP, but can't fix it without replacing the box.

      Anyhow, to answer the original poster's question. HP has a list of supported printers (all HP branded) at their site. Unclear if any other USB printer would work. Link below. http://www.hp.com/cposupport/networking/support_do c/bpj06867.html

  3. Re:Any cheap old hardware. by mbyte · · Score: 3, Informative

    be carefull with that p166 box. IIRC nearly all of the original pentium line mainboards had faulty or non working usb support ... (at least the older intel based chipsets did have, anyone remember USB = Useless Serial Board? ;)

  4. Avoid the JetDirects by twixel · · Score: 2, Informative

    Jetdirect are not very good under load. If you have multiple computers trying to print to the same JD box, it will only accept one connection at a time. and it will occasionally crash. It's been two years since I last admin'ed one of the JD, so maybe the new generation is better, but for rock-solid performance, I can only recommend AXIS. Easy to set up from almost any OS, can keep all its ports busy at all times.

    1. Re:Avoid the JetDirects by qurob · · Score: 2, Informative

      I've got 12 printers, all on JetDirects. I've got 60 users printing to them, NEVER had an issue with more than one person printing at a time....

      The Tetronix Phaser 850 we have, will take a shit under multiple print jobs however.