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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.

1 of 21 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Any cheap old hardware. by boopus · · Score: 4, Insightful

    A print server as dedicated hardware is probably a better idea than running a whole new computer as a print server. The power requirements alone would pay for the print server pretty quickly. Unless you really want to implement a real print server, with job prioritization, ques and multiple printers, it just isn't worth it.

    Also, if you're leaving a computer-illiterate office with a print server, they're going to know one way to fix a problem - unplug and plug it back in. Your average linux box won't handle this too well. (I know it's linux so it'll never crash)