The printer is a 1220cse color deskjet, which doesn't have a slot for an internal card. The network is 2 xp home computers on a linksys router/4 port hub connected to cable modem. Here's my question:
What advantage would I gain by adding the printer to the network over the way it is now, connected to one computer and shared? Many times one computer or the other is off while the other one is in use, so this would be my main reason for changing (the ability to not have to turn both computers on to print from the second one).
My cursory look on eBay shows 3 choices (are there others?)
1. a basic external network box (edit: printer server)
2. a 170x box (ditto)
3. and a higher speed (and too expensive) box (ditto)
The basics seem to run at less than $20us, and the 170x at $100.
Would I gain or lose speed by switching from a parallel cable to the basic box?
Thanks for any information and/or direction
kip
What advantage would I gain by adding the printer to the network over the way it is now, connected to one computer and shared? Many times one computer or the other is off while the other one is in use, so this would be my main reason for changing (the ability to not have to turn both computers on to print from the second one).
My cursory look on eBay shows 3 choices (are there others?)
1. a basic external network box (edit: printer server)
2. a 170x box (ditto)
3. and a higher speed (and too expensive) box (ditto)
The basics seem to run at less than $20us, and the 170x at $100.
Would I gain or lose speed by switching from a parallel cable to the basic box?
Thanks for any information and/or direction
kip