Interesting Dilemma
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Original Message
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Name: RobRem
Date: January 31, 2007 at 13:32:00 Pacific
Subject: Interesting DilemmaOS: XP HomeCPU/Ram: 2.4 Ghz / 512 MB RAMModel/Manufacturer: Dell/ eMachines |
Comment: I have 2 computers (both run XP) that are connected via a KVM switch. There is a USB printer (no Parallel port on it) attached to one of the computers.
The other computer (the one without a printer) needs the ability to print. I can't think of an efficient way to 'share' the printer between the two. The obvious way to go would be to network them and share the printer. To do that, I would have to buy a router or hub, buy a NIC for one of the computers, and then set up sharing. This seems like too much work for the task.
Is there a simpler way to do it?
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Response Number 1
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Name: jam
Date: January 31, 2007 at 13:54:36 Pacific
Subject: Interesting Dilemma |
Reply: (edit)install the printer software on PC-2 & when you need to print from it, unplug the USB printer cable from PC-1 & plug it into PC-2
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Response Number 4
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Name: Tubesandwires
Date: January 31, 2007 at 15:05:56 Pacific
Subject: Interesting Dilemma |
Reply: (edit)This can be cheaper, not as cheap as jam's suggestion, but the computers will also be networked for other purposes:
If one of the computers already has a wired NIC, get a PCI wired NIC card, and a crossover network cable - you don't need a router between computers.
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Response Number 5
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Name: Tubesandwires
Date: January 31, 2007 at 15:15:46 Pacific
Subject: Interesting Dilemma |
Reply: (edit)"If one of the computers already has a wired NIC, get a PCI wired NIC card, and a crossover network cable - you don't need a router between computers." That is, if the computer that has the wired NIC is not using it - otherwise you need two PCI wired NIC cards, one for each end. Even in that case probably still cheaper than orbital's suggestion.
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Response Number 6
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Name: RobRem
Date: February 1, 2007 at 08:50:47 Pacific
Subject: Interesting Dilemma |
Reply: (edit)thanks for all the good ideas. It seems all of them would have worked. It seems to be worth the $40 to get the Belkin switch Orbital suggested.
Thanks for all the input.
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Response Number 7
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Name: Tubesandwires
Date: February 1, 2007 at 10:16:00 Pacific
Subject: Interesting Dilemma |
Reply: (edit)"It seems to be worth the $40 to get the Belkin switch Orbital suggested." Plus shipping, if applicable. That doesn't give you the advantage of also having the two computers networked to each other though, and my suggestion may cost a bit less even if you have to get two 10/100mbps cards and a crossover cable. Cheapest prices locally at small places that build systems and repair computers and/or have lots of computer parts. The 10/100 cards are typically less than $15.
You would have to go to the trouble of getting the network between them working and setting up the printer to be shared however. Presumably the Network Setup Wizard would be of help. I looked in Help and Support in XP using: crossover cable and several other things and it looks as if you would be better off looking online for directions about how to do it with two NICs and a crossover cable.
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