Mixed Environment Print Server

[SeaSoft Systems]

I have a small wired network with a mix of older machines (OS8.6, Mac 
9.x, Windows NT4) and a newer eMac ramping me slowly into the 21st 
century (OSX 10.2.8).

My aging Laserwriter NTX died this week, my copier died a while back, 
my scanner is the original SCSI AppleScanner (still working fine on 
an OS8.6 machine), and my fax setup (GlobalFax) is many years old...

So, I decided to spring for the highly rated new Brother MFC 8420 
laser multifunction box ($400 at MacConnection).

The unit has a USB interface and I would like to convert it to a 
network device. Brother offers an Ethernet interface ($144 at 
Amazon), but it seems to me that a print server might be more 
versatile if I later decide to add other peripherals to the network.

There is a printer thread on MacInTouch with some reports of print 
server difficulties by folks in roughly my circumstance, so I'm 
looking for opinions and guidance on the print server route, or other 
suggestions for getting these different computers talking to the 
Brother.


Gratefully,

Richard Hartman