[X-Newbies] Networking

[Randy B.Singer]

Chris Walker said:

>Has anyone any experience of USB print servers and are they effective/
>reliable or the devil's invention?


Unless you have a Postscript printer (which probably already comes with 
an Ethernet interface, so it wouldn't require a print server), I don't 
know of any USB print servers that work with the Macintosh (even if they 
say that they do).  In practice they have all been disappointments.  
(Read the fine print for any that you see advertised.)

There is a similar device, with a very similar name, called a "USB 
server".  These do work.  But they are so expensive that for about the 
same price you could just purchase another printer rather than share one.

e.g.
Keyspan USB server (over $100)
http://www.everythingusb.com/hardware/index/Keyspan_USB_Server.htm

USB servers have a drawback, they allow only one computer to access a 
printer at a time, and they don't have any provision for a printing cue 
if the printer is in use.

Apple's built-in USB printer sharing doesn't work cross-platform.  The 
answer for you is probably an Ethernet printer.



Randy B. Singer
Co-Author of: The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th and 6th editions)

Routine OS X Maintenance and Generic Troubleshooting
http://www.macattorney.com/ts.html