OT - Networking a Printer

Can you set up printer sharing? At least (on my multiple different OSs) the MacOS printer sharing is a useful way for networked Linux and Mac)S machines to print on a single printer. The 'host' computer has to be awake at print time, though.

I'm not sure how Windows 8 supports it, but the basic software (CUPS) is open-source. Try pointing your browser at

That is a wireless network printer. Set it up on the network instead ofUSB and it will work without having to have a "host" computer turned on.

That printer's software might not support W2K (does it say it does on the package?) , and he didn't mention having wireless available . Snuffy , if you want to upgrade that comp to XP let me know . I have a couple of licenses from dead boxes that I scrounged for parts . Only have XP home , but that should work for you . All the original updates and security patches are still available . Just no new ones except for malicious software tool , and it doesn't seem to work on XP any more .

FYI: I've started running into printer companies who have removed their XP drivers from their websites. Brother & Ricoh I know already. I'm using a foreign language Ricoh driver for my main laser printer on one of my machines now downloaded as from "not in USA."

Its a big pain in the wazoo.

Note that for some printers, there are plugins which allow direct connection to the ethernet, so any computer can talk directly to it and use it without needing to go through other computers. This is more common in laser printers -- especially higher end ones made for business use. But the Laserjet II even had such cards -- and cards to allow it to print Postcript without needing a computer to do the formatting.

Also -- unix systems (including Mac OS-X systems -- which are unix under the hood) have the ability for one computer to be talking to the printer directly, and accepting print requests from all other systems on the local network.

I believe that similar capabilities exist in Windows systems, but I don't use Windows, so I don't know for sure. Look for "Printer sharing" on the web.

If printer sharing is implemented in Windows, than you should be able to do this.

That should not be necessary.

As I said -- look for the term "Printer Sharing" -- on the web if not in your OS manual.

If there were an ethernet card for your printer, that would be the easiest way. Otherwise -- you have to configure one system as a "print server" and let the other system send the print jobs to there.

Good Luck, DoN.

There are various "printer servers" that can be connected to the printer. I currently use a "D-Link USB Multifunction Print Server" which connects by USB cable between the printer and a wireless router. Any computer that is connects to the wireless router can then use the printer.

I use Linux rather than Windows but the Printer Server comes with a CD that is intended to configure a Windows machine, and I believe that there are also instructions for manually configuring a Windows or Apple machine.

As someone replied and I confirmed at Epson's site, your printer is a wireless printer. Is your router also wireless? If so, then you can activate the wireless functionality of your printer and let your router "see" the printer. Then any device that is part of your router network should be able to communicate with the printer. You may need to do some manual steps to get your printer connected wirelessly to the router. For instance, I have MAC filtering active on my router, so I manually had to add the printer's MAC address to the router's MAC filter list (I have to do that frequently, when one of my son's friends comes over and needs to connect his third replacement iPhone to the network so he can get to the internet without eating up his data plan.)

That's my setup. I have a desktop PC that is connected to the router via Ethernet cable. My HP OfficeJet Pro 8600 connects to the router wirelessly. Other devices in the house connect to the router wirelessly, and they (one Windows XP desktop and one iPad) and my desktop all can send output to the printer.

A few years ago, I had an older HP printer - also an all-in-one - that wasn't network-capable. I had it connected by cable directly to my desktop computer (Windows XP), and on that computer I shared the printer. Then another computer, a wireless laptop also with Windows XP, could see and use the desktop's shared printer. However, the desktop had to be up and running - not hibernating or in sleep mode.

If you activate wireless printing so that your printer is visible through the router, you might want to consider disconnecting the USB cable to your computer, and instead let your computer communicate with the printer through the router. The printer probably has built-in print server and queuing ability, so receiving print files from different sources (network plus USB direct connection) probably wouldn't be a problem, but I think it would be cleaner to have only one access point to the printer.

XP SP3 required - -

No cabled network support but wireless routers and access points are dirt cheap and readily available.

That is mandatory - the printer can be USB OR it can be wireless. At least from my experience trying to do both - it possible at all - is way more trouble than it is worth.

I think you're right. It has been over a year since I set my printer up, and I can't remember everything I learned along the way, but I think I remember reading that it shouldn't be set up both for wireless and for some cabled connection.

My boxes are all SP3 , XP Pro , dual core 2Ghz or better , and all have at least 3Gb RAM except the laptop , it only has 2Gb .

lot more practical ideas than the geeks who live at computer groups dishing out opinions...

with Windows 8.1, which is connected by ethernet to a router. There is another PC connected to the router that runs Windows 2000 and need to rig it up so I can print directly from W2000.

computer, then printing. That's OK for something now and then, but on a daily basis I need to print directly.

and installing from the printer's CD and no success.