Looking ahead-NAS/printer sharing

windbag · 07-05-2011, 16:10

I'm due to get the phone/10M package installed in 4 days time (LE11) as a first-time VM customer moving to fibre broadband. This is my 2nd post here, and I'm almost a WiFi/router newbie (*)

Assuming installation and reception are OK, down the line I was hoping to hook the VM router up to enable WiFi access to NAS & printer shares into an "under the stairs" hub that any PC can access in the house.

Will the supplied 10M router (VMDG280) be up to those aspirations?
If so, do I need to bear anything special in mind when I start to choose a NAS to buy?
If it can't form the basis for such a hub, what do I need to enable such functionality?

Any thoughts/advice from anyone who has done this with the VMDG280 would be most welcome!

* [I had 2 weeks with a Pipex supplied ThomsonT G585v8 which got sent back as it the base speed was worse than USB modem it replaced, and didn't cure a major speed throttling problem].

General Maximus · 08-05-2011, 07:47

Although I havent seen the router nor have I got a NAS, I can confidently say you wont have any probs dude. NAS are designed to work on "networks" and it will have its own ip address which the router will give it through dhcp. I would have thought it would come with its own software/prog anyway which you can launch to access it but even if it doesnt, you can map a network drive to it in windows no probs. Wi-fi enabled printers are pretty much the standard these days, all I will say is make sure you follow the setup instructions bcause it will guide you through which buttons to press in sequence for enabling lan access and sorting out wi-fi security.

You'll be fne

windbag · 08-05-2011, 08:56

Thanks, General Maximus.

The NAS issue looks like I won't have to be concerned, which is great.
But the printers might be more of a problem.

They are both old school office printers. One is USB(1)/Ethernet, the other is serial ! (HP laserIV).

Can I plug the ethernet-enabled one (Xerox Phaser) direct into the router?

I know converters are available - is it best I try & get an adapter to make the serial one into WiFi, or would an ethernet adapter be best?

smcaul · 08-05-2011, 11:02

Yes, you can, I had a phaser 6100 a few years ago, had no problem at all with it being connected to the network - just make sure that DHCP is enabled on it to get an IP address automatically from your router - if you acquired the printer 2nd hand then it is possible it was originally set with a static IP address.

As for the HP, I would suggest going wired and and getting a serial to ethernet adapter, I try to avoid wireless where possible, if I can run a wire then thats what I do, much more stable for items that are normally always on such as printers etc.

windbag · 14-05-2011, 06:01

Thanks, smcaul.

I briefly looked on fleabay at ethernet-serial converters, and was surprised at how relatively expensive they are compared to what the printer is "worth".

But I did see a couple of old routers which included serial (and presumably ethernet ?).

Could I daisy chain a serial router and use that as a conversion bridge?

Kymmy · 14-05-2011, 06:27

For the HP you're probably better to find a network or parallel module for it..

windbag · 14-05-2011, 09:11

Thanks, Kymmy.

Would such a unit normally be billed as a "Ethernet Printer Server" ?

eg: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/160587467644

Kymmy · 14-05-2011, 09:56

Depends on the age of the printer, but look at the serial port and you might find it's on a section which you can remove and replace with a new module (or there might be a section nearby that you can add a module)

Here's an example of another module for a different HP printer but if capable they should be very similar.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HP-J3110A-Jetd...-/300554554149

windbag · 15-05-2011, 12:06

Thanks, Kymmy.
I could believe I could get one, but it might take a while, plus there's the can of worms of "will it work with this model".

I've got my eye on possible (universal) parallel and one serial adapters - which should add universal serial and /or parallel compatible ports to the system.

I'll come back if/when I get either.

zekeisaszekedoes · 15-05-2011, 18:01

Streaming media from a NAS isn't all that different than streaming it over the internet. Unless you're copying things to/from it all the time and using up all of your LAN bandwidth (~12.5MB/s assuming regular 100Mb) it probably won't slow things down, and even when you do copy things to it while, for example, someone else streams video, most routers now have excellent quality of service prioritization (QoS) that means time-dependant packets of video/audio will take precedence over file transfers, which will continue at a reduced speed - case in point, when someone streams HD from BBC iPlayer and I was copying a file from one device to another on the same router speed drops, but their video never gets choppy and neither does my file transfer halt.