Author: Rob Malpass Date: To: Hampshire LUG Discussion List Subject: [Hampshire] Print servers
Hi all
A bit of a convoluted one this so please bear with me...
I spend most of my time on 3 machines: XP, Ubuntu and Vista. Last year I installed a netgear PS121 print server but for various reasons I've only just started to test it in earnest. My main box (XP) prints fine through it (attached to an Epson Stylus Colour 1400). Recently I've tried to make that printer (via the print server) work with both Vista and Ubuntu and had dreadful results. So much so that the only sense I can get out of it is when I use XP - in which case it might as well be local!
So XP prints fine. Both Vista and Ubuntu send umpteen pages of garbage to the printer if using the server - even if the document I send is a one sided test page. I have just connected each box to the printer locally (i.e. usb straight into each PC) and it's printing fine on each.
The curious thing about all this is, contrary to the way I expected the print server to work - you have to redirect a port [1] - it doesn't just appear as another network device.
Given it prints fine through XP - I deduce there's nothing wrong with the print server.
Given both Ubuntu and Vista can print locally (i.e. bypass the print server) I deduce there's no issue with the printer or the driver on each box. The problem only occurs when I go Ubuntu -> PS -> Printer or Vista -> PS -> Printer.
The PS manual says it's a driver issue but I think I've proved otherwise and it's obviously not a printer issue because it works (like a dream) without the server.
So having got through all that preamble - should I look for another print server and if so - any recommendations? Or is there another possible option I might try?
