jae@uncecs.edu (Jeff Ersoff) (03/20/90)
We are setting up a microcomputer lab with 15 AT&T 6300's, 2 Panasonic 1124 dot matrix printers, and a HP Laserjet II. A simple multiway switch seems to be the cheapest way to allow users at any station to print. However, we would like to give as many of the users as possible the option to print to either a dm or a laser printer. Could we hook one switch (connected to the laseerjet) to the parallel port of each computer and another (hooked to a dm printer) to its serial? Then the user could choose printers by choosing ports. This method would allow 8 stations printer choice, all 15 stations dm printer access, and cost about $480 (3 8way automatic switches). This seems like the simplest and cheapest short term solution to sharing printers while providing printer choice. Will it work? Is there a "better" but affordable alternative. We are not interested in spending 3-5K for printer/e-mail/file-sharing devices. -- Jeff Ersoff Math & Computer Sci., Salem College, Winston-Salem, NC 27108 USENET: jae@ecsvax