null Posted January 25, 2005 Report Share Posted January 25, 2005 I want to do the home network thing, so I just have a couple of preliminary questions. First the facts: I have a linux box as my main machine, a win2k box as a 2nd machine, and no printer at this time. Both machines are cabled to a NetGear MR814v2 wireless router. I use both machines separately for different things. I'd like both machines to see each other on a home network, and I'd also like to buy a HP deskjet printer and connect it directly to my win2k box, and print to it from either box. Now the questions. Can I just get any cheap HP printer for this? In other words, I'm wondering what "network ready" means when referring to a printer... Some HP printers say that they are "network ready". Does that matter for what I want to do? Another question, I assume what I want to do requires samba. Would my linux box be able to get files from my win2k box (but maybe not write files - I probably have ntfs). Would my win2k box be able to read/write to my linux box? Instead of connecting a printer locally to my win2k box, could I connect a "network ready" printer to my router (it has one connection not being used)? I'm not ready to start doing this yet, I just want to get some things straight first. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qchem Posted January 25, 2005 Report Share Posted January 25, 2005 Can I just get any cheap HP printer for this? In other words, I'm wondering what "network ready" means when referring to a printer... Some HP printers say that they are "network ready". Does that matter for what I want to do? I would suggest any cheap HP printer would be fine for this. Different companies mean different things by "network ready", it can mean that you can share the printer over the network whilst it's attached to a server, or it could mean it has a network port. Although a printer with a physical network port is great (the "server" doesn't need to be on), they are generally a lot more expensive and tend to be high end printers only. I've successfully shared both cheap laserjets and very cheap deskjet printers from HP. I assume what I want to do requires samba. Would my linux box be able to get files from my win2k box (but maybe not write files - I probably have ntfs). Would my win2k box be able to read/write to my linux box? This all depends on your samba config, but either scenario is possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
durvish Posted January 25, 2005 Report Share Posted January 25, 2005 if you get an HP printer that has an ethernet jack you just add it to the network not a computer and set it up on both computers as a network printer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
null Posted January 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2005 ok, thanks. I recently found out my neighbor is a systems technician (mostly windows), So he knows all about networking and stuff. After I get (with his help if necessary) my win2k machine set up on a home network, I'll get help with linux/samba from you guys... Guess I'll just get a mid-range HP printer for $80 or $100. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
null Posted January 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2005 If I make my win2k machine a dual-boot, say with mdk 10.1, would I still need samba for that machine to communicate with my main FC2 machine? I mean, if mandrake on the dual-boot box can read the win2k files, couldn't my FC2 box also read read the windoze files...? If my win2k box is ntfs, should I make a partition as fat, and then move the files I want to share to the fat partition. Can you non-destructively repartition an existing ntfs area as fat...? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qchem Posted February 3, 2005 Report Share Posted February 3, 2005 If I make my win2k machine a dual-boot, say with mdk 10.1, would I still need samba for that machine to communicate with my main FC2 machine? I mean, if mandrake on the dual-boot box can read the win2k files, couldn't my FC2 box also read read the windoze files...? You would need to export the win partition as some form of network filesystem to be able to read it from your FC2 box, something like NFS would do it. This is probably more complicated in the long run than simply running samba to access windows shares. Linneighbourhood may also be able to do this, but I've no experience with it. If my win2k box is ntfs, should I make a partition as fat, and then move the files I want to share to the fat partition. Can you non-destructively repartition an existing ntfs area as fat...? A FAT partiton is good (necessary I would say) if you want to be able to write to it from Linux, if you just want to read then leave it as NTFS. Whilst partition magic and parted have both been known to resize an existing NTFS partiton, I'd still ensure you back up anything you don't want to go missing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
null Posted February 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2005 I guess my primary goal is to have one printer available to the linux box & the win2k box. Sharing files is secondary to that. I suppose the first step is to go out and buy an HP printer, and then go from there. I'll connect the printer to my win2k box. I have some stuff I need to print on my linux box. I'll just put the files on my usb stick and plug the stick into my winbox, and print from there. That'll work until I get myself connected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
null Posted February 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2005 I bought an HP 6540 printer and connected it to my win2k machine via usb. To print to this computer from my linux box (both computers are connected to a dhcp router) I'll have to try out samba. What do I need to do an my win2k box before messing with samba on my linux machine? I right-clicked on the printer and said Share this Printer. anything else to do on the winblows side? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qchem Posted February 10, 2005 Report Share Posted February 10, 2005 Just note the name of the printer share, as long as theres no router or anything in the way everything should be good on the windows side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
null Posted February 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2005 I did name the shared printer. "HP6540" I think. I was thinking that maybe I would also have to name some kind of "workgroup" on the windows side - like "home" or something. Then samba would recognize the home network. But, guess not. I have browsed thru some samba books, but they seem more complex than simple home networking stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qchem Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 For simply sharing the printer, on your linux box point your browser at localhost:631 and configure cups - the GUI should be pretty simple to use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
null Posted February 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2005 thanks, I did that. However, after you select the name of the printer (while in CUPS printer admin), you have to enter a Location, and then it asks for a Device. :unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qchem Posted February 14, 2005 Report Share Posted February 14, 2005 The location field is just a description, put something like study or living room or whatever. In device you want windows printer via samba. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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