Sharing Printer With Two PCs

[Sean K]

I have a USB 2.0 printer and I want to share it with two computers.  How can I do this?

[chris48083]

 install the printer...then go into control panel (this may vary penind what you have as far as operating system).  find that printers icon.  right click.  go to 'sharing...' and then select the sharing option.  now go over to the other computer and click 'add new printer.'  select the network and then in the next screen select that printer...boom-batta-bang you have a shared printer...

[Sean K]

I meant, what hardware do I need to connect the printer to two PCs.

[chris48083]

oohh, just plug the printer into one of the two computers.  then, make sure the two computers are on a network with each other.  to do this you will need a hub and some RJ-45 cable.  then just do what i said earlier

OR

you can buy a printer hub.  im not sure how this works.  but basically it puts the printer on the network by making a USB conection into a RJ-45 conection.  then goes into the back of a hub.  but you would have to do some reading for that

[jonah]

you can buy a printer hub.  im not sure how this works.  but basically it puts the printer on the network by making a USB conection into a RJ-45 conection.  then goes into the back of a hub.  but you would have to do some reading for that

This would be the best option, the other one would require the host computer to be online in order to be accessed by other PC's.

P.S. If you run the printer off another PC you would have to set up sharing options, (more homework  )

[Sean K.]

"you can buy a printer hub.  im not sure how this works."

That's the thing.  While I'm fairly experienced with other computer matters, I'm totally new to interconnecting a printer.  I bought a USB hub, which connects via USB cable into my computer, but I'm not sure what to do next.  Do I connect the printer into one of the hub's 4 ports and then connect the second computer to another of those 4 ports?  Or will that not work?

Anyone?

[Sean K.]

"you can buy a printer hub.  im not sure how this works."

That's the thing.  While I'm fairly experienced with other computer matters, I'm totally new to interconnecting a printer.  I bought a USB hub, which connects via USB cable into my computer, but I'm not sure what to do next.  Do I connect the printer into one of the hub's 4 ports and then connect the second computer to another of those 4 ports?  Or will that not work?

Anyone?

[Bruce Plummer]

The USB hub is the wrong device for what you want to do.  That just lets you convert one usb port into 3 or 4 or however many it has.
There are printer switches you can buy that have one printer output and two PC inputs.  I thnik this would be the cheapest easies solution.  It's pretty simple, just add the drivers on each PC and plug everything together.  Some of these devices have a switch to determine what PC is using the printer. That can get annoying, I would try to find one that doesn't have the switch.

[merlin_2]

you should be able to share printers/folders via network wizard? nic card +cat cable and a router ...or direct cable connection <crossover cable>this depends on how far the only pc is?