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Home Networking Print Server Hassle
Hi Folks-
I have a question about a printing problem within my home network. Let me give you the setup and then ask for advice.
I have 2 desktop computers and one notebook computer connected to the internet via cable modem and a Netgear Wireless Router. The two desktops are hardwired to the router and the notebook is wireless. This all works fine, but it is a pain to have to bring the laptop into the room where the printer is, and switch cables to print something. So, I bought a Netgear Wireless Print Server. Here is where it gets interesting.
I tried connecting the 2 desktops via ethernet cable to the server. I saw a noticeable difference in the performance of my internet, I would imagine it would be because the gap between the Wireless Router and Wireless Server, is well, Wireless. It must take additional time, or something like that. I could live with it, but my son, who is a gamer, yells at me that his FPS is too slow and his ping is too high, whatever that means.
At this point I decided to leave the 2 desktop computers connected to the internet through the hardwired ports of the router. I bought a 4 port switch, so the desktops could print through the USB switch and not lose internet quality. Here is where the problem comes in.
If I plug the Wireless Print Server into the USB Switch, via USB cable, the switch doesn't recognize the server, and the printer light on the server is not lit. When I plug the printer wire directly into the Print Server, I can print fine wirelessly. So now, in order to keep the desktops quick on the internet they stayed in the Router, but I now have to keep pulling the USB wire out of the switch, and into the Server, and vice versa, when we want to print. This is almost as inconvenient, when printing from the notebook, as bringing the notebook to the printer.
Is there any way to get the switch and server to work together, and if not, other than cabling the desktops to the server, is there some way to avoid the musical cables game?
Suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!!!!
Thanks so much!
Joan
I have a question about a printing problem within my home network. Let me give you the setup and then ask for advice.
I have 2 desktop computers and one notebook computer connected to the internet via cable modem and a Netgear Wireless Router. The two desktops are hardwired to the router and the notebook is wireless. This all works fine, but it is a pain to have to bring the laptop into the room where the printer is, and switch cables to print something. So, I bought a Netgear Wireless Print Server. Here is where it gets interesting.
I tried connecting the 2 desktops via ethernet cable to the server. I saw a noticeable difference in the performance of my internet, I would imagine it would be because the gap between the Wireless Router and Wireless Server, is well, Wireless. It must take additional time, or something like that. I could live with it, but my son, who is a gamer, yells at me that his FPS is too slow and his ping is too high, whatever that means.
At this point I decided to leave the 2 desktop computers connected to the internet through the hardwired ports of the router. I bought a 4 port switch, so the desktops could print through the USB switch and not lose internet quality. Here is where the problem comes in.
If I plug the Wireless Print Server into the USB Switch, via USB cable, the switch doesn't recognize the server, and the printer light on the server is not lit. When I plug the printer wire directly into the Print Server, I can print fine wirelessly. So now, in order to keep the desktops quick on the internet they stayed in the Router, but I now have to keep pulling the USB wire out of the switch, and into the Server, and vice versa, when we want to print. This is almost as inconvenient, when printing from the notebook, as bringing the notebook to the printer.
Is there any way to get the switch and server to work together, and if not, other than cabling the desktops to the server, is there some way to avoid the musical cables game?
Suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!!!!
Thanks so much!
Joan
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