Network Help
 

Hi There

I work for a small charity and we are setting up an office. I wondered what you thought was the best way to set up a small network.

Basically we will have 2 desktop pc's and a laptop. We want to share a boradband internet connection and 1 printer which connects via USB.

I currently have one pc connected to the printer and run a lan cable to the other pc and use printer sharing but i'd like to find a way to have all three pc's able to use the printer independently without the main pc being on.

Also we are about to get BT broadband installed and i was planning to get a wireless router so the laptop will connect via wireless and run a lan cable into the modem/router from the other 2 pc's.

What equipment do i need to allow each pc to independently print to the printer and independently connect to the broadband.

Thanks
Riffssco

Re: Network Help
 

The basic network is simple - any wireless router should have sufficient wired ports that enables your PCs to all be connected wired and / or wireless, sharing the connection without any PC needing to be on. Enable print and file sharing using windows and you have the ability to share all the data.

As for the printer. You can get adaptors for USB to ethernet as a print server. Then you ethernet connect the adapter to the router, and share it. Most have straightforward setup instructions.

edit: this type of thing should work http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx...avigationKey=0

Re: Network Help
 

you need a router with a built in print server, as well as an adsl modem

something like this

http://www.dsl-warehouse.co.uk/product.asp?pr=FWG114P

- but look around, there may be better/cheaper available - I havn't used anything like it, myself :)

- I assume the laptop has a wireless card in already?

Edit> ^^ that will work, too :tu:

Re: Network Help
 

Actually you don't NEED a router with a print server, as long as the computer which has the printer plugged into it will be on all the time you can continue to use Printer Sharing on that machine so all can use the printer.

Re: Network Help
 

if you end up getting a seperate printer server it will be connected something like this

NTL250(for VM cable)or DSL modem(for BT etc BB)<>wireless router<>printer server
(if the DSL modem is internal to the wireless router ignore the first <>bit)
all machines eather connected to the wireless router through an installed wireless card in each,or RJ45 wired to the ports on the router.

if you run out of ports and want to expand the wired part , you then plug in a seperate wired router into one of the wireless router ports, and the other machines into the new router

wireless router port<>wired router<>all wired machines.

its simpler and better if you just get wireless cards for the machines though, and perhaps get an 11N wireless router(and 1gig wired ports) for faster wireless networking for copying files between the machines.

do they make 11N with an inbuilt printer port ?,i cant seem to find any at the moment.

Re: Network Help
 

Thanks for the info. I just wondered if i got hold of a cheap printer with a network card in it would that just plug in to a lan port on the wireless router and take care of its self assuming each pc or laptop had the drivers installed?

Re: Network Help
 

yes. that will work fine, get an 'all in one' with a lan port will serve an office better over the longer term though.

Re: Network Help
 

Thanks

When i ordered the boradband from BT today they told me that the wireless router they provide will allow me to connect the printer to the router and it will be available for any computer on the network to use. Does that sound right?

Re: Network Help
 

Only if the printer is network enabled - ie - has a NIC.

Re: Network Help
 

i dont know what BT are giving out but as above as the printer has a lan (RJ45)connection built-in or the router has a USB port that a USB printer can connect too, then it seems it would be ok.

Re: Network Help
 

The USB port on the router will allow you to connect a PC to it - I doubt you could use it for a printer connection!

Re: Network Help
 

Could i use a usb to ethernet converter cable and plug the printer into one of the ethernet sockets on the router?

Re: Network Help
 

not necessarily, you need to be able to assign an IP address to the ethernet connection of the printer. Better off using a print server device.

Re: Network Help
 

I am guessing they are sending the homehub which has the following ports on it

1 - 1xADSL port - this connects to your phone line via a microfilter
2 - 1xPhone port
3 - 2x Ethernet ports to connect to your computers
4 - 1x USB type B port - this is to connect a computer to the hub if it doesn't have an ethernet port
5 - 1x USB type A port to connect to a printer via USB


The USB A port can actually be used for many things, USB phones, memory sticks, hard drives etc, if you need any help configuring when you have it, drop back and ask :D