[Geek] One for the printer gurus ...

[dancefloorlandmine]

We have what is technically referred to as a duff printer (old and battered HP 2100 which appears to keep playing up). The suggestion is to replace this with a nice shiny HP 2300. So far so good. However, I have a query regarding the networking of printers ...

1. At present the 2100 is connected to the network by way of a nice little JetDirect (HP 170X) box, out of which a nice traditional printer cable runs. It has been suggested that we buy a 2300N rather than the vanilla 2300. As I understood it, the JetDirect box serves the purpose of the "N" upgrade in any case, allowing direct network connection. Am I correct, and would there be any other advantage to the 2300N?

2. The proposed reason for getting the 2300N rather than the vanilla version is that this would allegedly make it possible to send print jobs even when our network server is down. (a) Is this correct? And (b) would this still be possible if using a 2300 via JetDirect rather than 2300N?

Thank you for your forbearance, and general generosity in wading through the above contorted mumblings.

Comments

[drplokta]

The answer to all your questions is yes. For question 1 additionally, the 2300N has 48MB of RAM against 32MB on the 2300, and you'd use one less power socket. No other advantage that I can see. For question 2, you would need to set up the PCs to talk to the printer directly, which would mean installing the JetDirect client driver, rather than sharing the printer on the server. But subject to that, you should be able to print when the server is down wither on a 2300N or on a 2300 with an external JetDirect unit. (But note that a PC that is booted when the server is down probably won't be able to get an IP address from DHCP, and so won't talk to the network at all.)

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

Err ... speaking as a professional muppet, rather than an IT bod, how does one set up a printer to talk directly? What is this JetDirect client driver of which you speak, oh wise one? And other such supplications ...

[drplokta]

The JetDirect driver should be on the software CD that came with your JetDirect, and you'll just need to install it on each PC. The 2300N will also come with a CD. Just shove the CD in the PC and it'll auto-run and bring up an install menu.

[d-floorlandmine.livejournal.com]

Cheers! Might have to go for the N, then (as the chance of finding the JetDirect CD itself is somewhat of a "looking for a needle in the wrong haystack" type challenge - I could go on about a lack of IT policy, no consistency in staffing, etc, etc, but I won't because LJ's servers aren't big enough for my rant ...)

[drplokta]

You should be able to download the drivers from the HP website if you can't find the CD.