Posted: 6/4/2006 8:26:12 PM EDT
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I called Dell and they set me up. I asked for this: A wireless network with 5 computers and a "media station" (thats what I am calling it) with 2 Dell printers that are NOT connected to any of the 5 computers. Dell told me that I needed to put my DSL modem/router (a 2Wire Homeportal 1000SW) at the media station and I would need an additional wireless router. He said it would be easy to set up. I set up the 5 workstations today and then plugged in the 2Wire DSL modem/router and went around putting this little code in to get the 5 computers onto the internet. This went easy and worked great. Now for the fun part. I got the "Sonicwall" out and I got the two printers out and got them set up. I plugged the two printers into the Sonicwall and plugged the Sonicwall into the 2Wire. I called Dell for help at this stage since I have never done this type of thing before and after over an hour, I was told that I didn't need the Sonicwall, that I needed a "Print Server" I don't happen to live anywhere near a place where I can get one of these easy. My office is kind of shut down while I install all of this stuff. They told me that while its possible with the Sonicwall, it would be eaiser with a print server and the 2 wire. They told me to call Sonicwall. Sonicwall said I have a 8 by 5 package and to help me it would cost $150.00. I honestly didn't know what to say. I bought this Sonicwall from Dell, they won't support it since they didn't make it and Sonicwall wants me to call back during their business hours to help me or charge me $150.00 to help me. Is it really even possible to do this? I am wondering at this point. Any help at all would be great. |
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Yes you can hook up a printer to one pc and share it among all of the pc's on the network... but if you shut down your pc's at all, this could be a problem... turn off the pc with the printer... no one can print. Printer servers are the way to go for an office type situation though. You sometimes can use a print server from Linksys or D-Link... but some multifunction printers like those "All-n-One" printers need some special attention from a pc to work right. So... in those cases you'll need a printer server that is specifically designed for that printer series. Some business printers also have a network card built in to them, so you can just wire it directly to a switch/router/etc and you can access it on the network. Not sure why they had you buy a Sonicwall, since I don't believe that they make a print server at all. But at any rate.. if the rest of your network wireless? Do the pc's connect wirelessly to the router or are they hard wired? -d |
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Problem solved. I bought a hub, connected the printers to the hub and connected the hub to the 2 wire and the printed the IP addresses of the printers and used the dell software to connect them to each workstation. The Sonicwall is going back to Dell. Dell offered to send me a print server overnight mail for free, but I told them to keep it and send me a RA on the Sonicwall that they sold me that I never needed. Thanks for helping me guys! |