Printer Servers

[Norphy]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a cheap and cheerful printer server? We have some Netgear PS110s dotted around the place running printers which aren't run by Jetdirects but these are proving increasingly unreliable. Unfortunately we can't afford to pay the £100+ per printer we'd need to pay to outfit them all with Jetdirect servers so we need to look at alternatives.

Ideally, it would need to have two ports. Doesn't matter if it is parallel or USB. Don't want the Belkin one as that is proving to be just as bad.

Cheers

[ChrisH]

I wouldnt recommend the dlink ones either. I have the models with 2 parallel ports and one USB and they are troublesome. So much so I have three in the cupboard that have been sent as replacements still in their packets :?

[mrforgetful]

We gave up on them years ago. Never found a reliable one.

Now it's either the department coughs up for a network printer, which to be fair can be pretty cheap now if you don't go the HP route, or the printer is installed on one PC and shared to the others in the room.

[krisd32]

are the ps110's the single port ones that plug straight into the back of the printer if they are we had about 5 of them crashing constantly if you sent more than 5 print jobs at a time, they were the biggest waste of money ever!

now using jetdirects and they work absolutely spot on, can't fault them at all i would definately reccomend the models we use are jetdirect 500x or something like that

kris

[pete]

The Intel Netports are unreliable as well. We've replaced most of ours w/ integrated jetdirects.

I know this is not want you want to hear, but have to agree that its worth paying the Jetdirect's. Only use HP for network printers and have yet to have a problme that is due to them.

[Norphy]

Ordinarily, I would agree. However the money isn't there to pay for it. Can't spend what I don't have :\

[john]

I use the netgear PS110 2 port parallel ones, no issues ever with them they are brill, Dlinks = crap!, Internal HP Jet Directs are great as well external ones are iffy but not as bad as Dlinks.

[ITWombat]

It seems I am the only one who has prolems with internal JetDirect cards
Half a dozen in three years was unexpected from a tier one manufacturer.

[mrforgetful]

Ordinarily, I would agree. However the money isn't there to pay for it. Can't spend what I don't have :\

Then tell the department they can't network the printer, simple as.

You can't be expected to perform miracles, just have the printer connected to one computer and tell them they have to print from there.

[ChrisH]

Inkjet and Toners are offering:

JETDIRECT EN3700 EXTERNAL PRINT SERVER UK (J7942A)
Qty Price
1 - £49.95
2 - £39.95
10 - £29.95

They are only single USB 2 port and I have no experience of them but the prices seem reasonable from a quick search. Just thought I would pass it on

[wesleyw]

If you do share out the printer from a desktop then I was told that maximum amount of print jobs that can be sent to the print at any one time is ten? Or have microsoft relaxed this? I have never tested this to be fair so I don't know

DLinks seem to crash so "power cycling" them get them up and running again not sure why this occurs though, have to agree with the rest internal Network cards here as well if at all possible HP and Brother (Though I don't use Brother print drivers HP generic ones instead, Brother drivers have been known to crash the print spooler on servers).


Wes

[ChrisH]

Its a limit of file and print sharing that the maximum amount of connections is about 10 for XP/2000 workstation.

[DMcCoy]

If you share printers from Windows (non server) then the maximum number of connections is 10, you can be using a connection witout printing, you can use more than one connection. After about 6 you will find the printer dissapears or doesn't print reliably. You can of course either use a network printer, windows server or linux to avoid this limit.

Inkjet and Toners are offering:

JETDIRECT EN3700 EXTERNAL PRINT SERVER UK (J7942A)
Qty Price
1 - £49.95
2 - £39.95
10 - £29.95

They are only single USB 2 port and I have no experience of them but the prices seem reasonable from a quick search. Just thought I would pass it on

These are what came with my HP 3500n / 3550n and from experience (10 in use) are rock solid. So easy to config, its great and at under £30.00 when purchased in bulk is even better.