IT Nurd sorry, Guru wanted

[ozwinner]

Welcome back viewer.
Here is what Im trying to do.
We have 2 computers that have internet access via a hub/router.
I have just bought a 300 gig hard drive to have for saving important stuff too, it has lan and usb capeability.
We have a printer with usb cableing.

At the moment my son has to turn on my computer to be able to print.

I want to be able to network the printer and new hard drive some how.
I thought about a wireless usb hub.
Will that work?
Any other sugestions?

I am a little concerned about setting up the new hard drive on the lan hub that has internet access for fear of a virus etc.

Al

[Exador]

You need a router or a gateway, Al. the router will replace your hub altogether, whilst a gateway would merely replace the role of your PC at the moment. I'd go the router, simply because it's a one-box solution. Also, you'll need to make sure it's a print server as well.

[Ianab]

Hi OZ

You dont need wireless hub, unless you want to loose the cables someplace.

You should be able to get a USB print server.. a little box that connects the printer to the network and allows you both to print without the other PC being on.
Like one of these
http://www.dlink.com.au/Products.asp...ub2=21&PID=123

I'm not sure about the hard disk you have.. is it a network storage device than can just be added to the network and accessed from both PC? Either way a virus could possibly trash it no matter how it's connected. Not that likely becuse modern virus are written to hide, spy and replicate, not so often to kill computers. They may foul up windows so bad you need to wipe and reload, but most dont delibrately delete files.

Anyway it could either be set up attached to the network, or attached to one PC and shared. Just remember make a backup of anything you cant afford to loose

Cheers

Ian

[knucklehead]

The hard drive is easy. Just plug it in to a port on the hub.
The printer on the other hand will probably be harder, unless it also has a LAN card. Most domestic printers use USB or parallel connections. These are not routable. They require a host PC to drive them.

The way around this is to get a cheap print server that can take over the PCs roll. If it is a basic printer this should be O.K. If the printer is a wiz bang colour joby or (as in my case) a multi function type you will loose a heap of functions. A fairly common compromise is to have a standard black and white printer off the printer server to act as a network printer. Then the photo/ multifunction/ plotter or what ever is still run of a PC via USB.

[Exador]

OOPS! Completely misread the question

As you were.

[Grunt]

IT Nurd sorry, Guru wanted

I knew you wanted me.

And why are you looking like Zed? Don't need to have two ugly furry fricks to look at everytime we log on.

[BrisBen]

Al - a 300 gig hard drive is a great start

now

copy all of the young fellas data onto it

then

copy all of your data onto it

pop down to the local apple centre

Buy two of these http://www.apple.com/au/macmini/

plug it in, transfer the data and enjoy

hey if you miss the old windoze days you can even run that if you want

http://www.apple.com/au/macosx/bootcamp/

Bitingmidge - I hope you don't mind be beckoning Al towards the light

[echnidna]

Alien Attack

Quick Al,

put yer foiley on before



Shudder



yer become


a



mac user

[Daddles]

I knew you wanted me.

And why are you looking like Zed? Don't need to have two ugly furry fricks to look at everytime we log on.

It's THREE for the rest of us Grunt

Richard

[bitingmidge]

Bitingmidge - I hope you don't mind be beckoning Al towards the light

Well I was just going to say:

Under the Apple menu, set "location" as "automatic" (it's probably like that anyway as it's the default setting.

Now all the drives will be visible in the toolbar on the left hand side of any screen you call up.

Now click on iSync and tell it what you've just told us.

.... Unless you haven't taken BrisBen's advice and still live in lala land of course!!

Cheers,

P (It really is that simple folks, just like in the ads!)