Hypertec Fastprint Multiprotocol Ethernet/Fast Ethernet Print Server manual

Print Server Administration User’s Guide

printers became common, it became too expensive for each user to have a dedicated printer, and some form of print sharing became even more necessary.

The simplest form of print sharing involves a switch box:

A switch box can make it more convenient for two or more users to share a single printer, but it requires long print cables unless the two users are close together. The users also have to coordinate their printing, which becomes difficult if more than two computers share a printer.

Server-based network operating systems (such as Novell NetWare) make it possible for a larger number of users to share printers. When a workstation user prints a document, network software on the workstation takes a file of instructions for the printer and stores them in a print queue on the server. The server takes each job in the print queue and sends it to the printer, which is either attached to the server itself or to one of the workstations on the network.

This arrangement allows a large number of people to share printers, and makes it possible to centrally manage the printers and their print queues.

This method has several disadvantages, however:

2 EtherP Admin Administration