Do anyone know of a 7 computer USB switcher that connects up to one printer?
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Re: Looking for a USB switcher for printer
Can't you just connect the printer locally then share it ? Or some routers have a USB port for just this reason.
Or something like this http://www.amazon.com/AGPtek-Etherne.../dp/B004T11M4ELast edited by diif; 10-25-2015, 01:26 PM. -
Re: Looking for a USB switcher for printer
I'd personally go with a USB print server for this here. I don't recall ever seeing more than 4 port and if one does exist I can say for sure it won't be cheap.Comment
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Re: Looking for a USB switcher for printer
Problem is that these seven computer are connected up to a Ethernet switcher and the switcher is connected to a modem which is connected to one line. They are using the switcher to connect 6 computers through one computer to the printer and at the same time the 7 computers are connecting to the web through the same printer. Often times the only one that can connect to the printer is the one directly connected. I am not sure why this happens. It might be when the USB ports are suspended. Not sure. There is a lot being asked of that one switcher. I thought of designing a USB switcher. I am not a design engineer though. It would seem to me that not using the switcher to go through one computer would be quicker and smoother. I have attached my ideas about a USB switcher design if there are any design engineers that want to perfect it.Originally posted by diif View PostAttached FilesComment
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Re: Looking for a USB switcher for printer
What's the maximum distance ? the max length of USB is 5m.
There shouldn't be any problem sharing the printer on the network. I've set up a few printers like this on a few networks. You are not asking to much of your Ethernet switch, that is what they are designed for.
You can buy a USB switch for sharing a printer but i can only find four port switches, and they are far more expensive than the Ethernet print server i listed.Comment
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Re: Looking for a USB switcher for printer
Unfortunately there is a problem with it sharing the printer. I did not set the Ethernet switch up. The printer is in the community room in my building along with the computers. The Ethernet lines are running between 20 and 30 feet. The one computer that is connected directly up to the USB port to the printer is about 4 feet away. We have software people who are suppose to be responsible for this. They seldom do anything with the equipment. They have a program called Deep Freeze on all the computer which if the computers are reset will reset up to the original conditions before the user was on the computer. There was one tenant that kept shutting down the computers which caused many tenant to get angry. I was one of them as I use to set them up for high performance and advance settings. I set up the Firefox to not remember passwords or history. One does not want that on a public computer. So I took one machine and got rid of Deep Freeze and loaded my own operating system on it with Bit-defender. You would of thought the world came to a end. One good thing they did is actually updated Window Defender which they previously had on anti-virus programs running. I do get a little upset that they do not install windows critical updates but once in 3 months and then they do not do it with all the computers. Anyway I just thought having a UBS switch would be so basic that it would not get screwed up. Also, another gothing is they stop the tenant from shutting down the computers. It took them about 3 meetings with her to get her to stop.Last edited by keeney123; 10-25-2015, 07:50 PM.Comment
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Re: Looking for a USB switcher for printer
Perhaps it needs setting up properly? Or if there is a spare port on the switch plug in the Ethernet print server and connect the printer to it.
If they are not your computers I'm not surprised they were unhappy you put your own OS on. Maybe they use a volume licence and are centrally managed.
Critical updates aren't so important when running Deep Freeze.
Do you logon to the machines with a username ? do users have admin rights or are parts of the pc locked down ?Comment
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Re: Looking for a USB switcher for printer
what is the printer?Comment
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Re: Looking for a USB switcher for printer
They are not their computer either, they belong to the Housing Agency. Our rents are paying for their jobs. I take it back, the same girl is starting to turn off the computers again. So if a person wants to use a computer for a short time one has to wait for the boot up all over again. These computers were given to the Housing Agency through a grant. I found that when the critical updates are not down loaded it effects web access speed. If a security feature is missing then the process slows. No one has administrative rights and even if one had them it would do no good because unless you have the password for Deep Freeze you are unable to thaw it. Nothing can be changed unless it is thawed. Of course one could wait around for a volunteer who comes once every three months to thaw the Deep Freeze so updates can be added and of course he only has a limited time so maybe 4 of the 7 computers will be updated if we are lucky. Microsoft put the operating system on these computers. Their techs told our software people do not worry if the computers come up with you may have a counterfeit OS. This is very annoying as it is continually pops up even if you turn off notification. What they are worried about are some people try an watch porn on these machines and they want to catch the people who do this. So they keep track of who is watching at what time. The attitude here is well, if they are going to do that why should we take care of the computers. So because there are a few who do this they figure to take it out on everyone. That is similar to if your neighbor commits a crime we will also punish you to.Originally posted by diif View PostComment
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Re: Looking for a USB switcher for printer
A quick Google shows the HP 2015 to have an ethernet socket.Comment
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Re: Looking for a USB switcher for printer
problem solved then, just need a used 16port 10/100 hub.
loads of 16 & 32 port rackmount ones going for almost nothing now everybody has upgraded to gigabit.Comment
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Re: Looking for a USB switcher for printer
Ahh, it seems they make 5 versions of the 2015, 3 with ethernet, 2015n, 2015dn and 2015x, the plain 2015 and 2015d do not.Comment
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Re: Looking for a USB switcher for printer
that's why i asked, HP's site wasnt clear.
there is always a chinese print server/raspberry-pi and the 16port hub option.Last edited by stj; 10-26-2015, 04:17 AM.Comment
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Re: Looking for a USB switcher for printer
To confirm to you no it does not have a Ethernet only USB. I will look at the two you suggested STJ One problem is I believe they have the switcher set up in dynamic mode so it reconfigure the computer IP address all the time. This I believe they are doing for speed. So the raspberry pi is most likely out. The 16 port HUB requires a Ethernet Port for the printer otherwise it will be set up the same way it is now through one computer. I am surprised no one has not made a UBS switch that can detect which computer is requesting printing and sets them up as a stack and handles one at a time in the order of the request. With the USB port at 480 MB a sec and the fact one can go directly to the printer from the computer I would think it would be a faster optionLast edited by keeney123; 10-26-2015, 10:44 AM.Comment
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Re: Looking for a USB switcher for printer
recycle centers probably have the rack-hubs.Comment
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Re: Looking for a USB switcher for printer
before buying something like that, you need to make sure it supports the exact printer model.Originally posted by diif View PostComment
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Re: Looking for a USB switcher for printer
At £12, it's cheaper than Pi with a case SD card and power adapter.Comment
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