Text 12436, 95 rader
Skriven 2005-11-05 17:24:12 av Gerald Miller (1:342/512)
  Kommentar till text 12220 av ROBERT FOWLER (1:123/140)
Ärende: WinXP
=============
Hello ROBERT,

    Responding to a post in the WIN95 area:
    On Sunday October 30 2005 at 17:01,
    ROBERT FOWLER [1:123/140] wrote to GERALD MILLER,
    about: Re: WinXP

 GM>> I just spent the last hour searching on the Tiger web site for
 GM>> "C184-32585", and the search came back with so many items that I
 GM>> almost forgot what I was looking for...  :-((  Item #: C184-32585
 GM>> is a print server?  Damned if I can find a print server with that
 GM>> particular item number.  Could you supply a URL, please.

 RF> Sorry for the confusion.  From the menu on their Home page, go to
 RF> "networking", "print servers" and "shop by brand".  Choose "Cables
 RF> to Go", and then look for: Cables To Go USB 1.1 Print Server for
 RF> Canon Printers.

That was a little more direct (thanks), but I still couldn't locate Item #:
C184-32585... ??

 RF>>  That doesn't necessarily mean that the Linksys print server is
 RF>>  compatible; you would have to check with Linksys about that.

 GM>> I just started an email correspondence with Linksys customer
 GM>> support regarding the firmware update on their website -- it is a
 GM>> previous version to the one that came installed with the print
 GM>> server.  What kind of update is that?  I thought updates were to
 GM>> update; not retrograde!!!

 RF> While firmware can certainly be an issue, it's academic if the server
 RF> is incompatible.  FWIW, you should also know that the responses of
 RF> CSR staff can vary from extremely knowledgable to clueless.  They
 RF> should at least maintain a list of printers they support, I should
 RF> think.

It's next to impossible to find a list of supported printer for (just
about) any print servers; but, I guess that one could presume that a HP
print server will support a Hewlett Packard printer (at the least)?

I don't think that printer support is so much of an issue (with me), but
Bi-Directional communication between printer and computer is the
predominant factor.

 GM>> The other option I saw at the Tiger web site was an
 GM>> Auto-switching printer port -- parallel connectors; for about the
 GM>> same price I paid for the print server.  Slower than USB, but at
 GM>> least the parallel connectors _should_ have bi-di
 GM>> communication.... ???

 GM>> http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.a
 GM>> sp? EdpNo=324234&CatId=954 (word wrap)

 --- Cut ---

 GM>> Just checked my Canon i550 Quick Start Guide; can't find a
 GM>> reference to IEEE-1284.  Gawd, I do hope that's an old standard.

 RF>  It's parallel, which would imply another set of cables from the PC's
 RF>  to the switch.  Probably, not what you want.

I "Googled" for IEEE-1284.  Lot of interesting information (and pictures)
and I don't (so far) perceive any issues as these types of cables /
connectors "appear" to be backward compatible with what I currently have.

 GM>> Of course, if I can get the Linksys product to work as I had
 GM>> expected...

 RF> Print servers/printers tend to have proprietary requirements,
 RF> especially all-in-ones, limiting the compatibility of generic units.
 RF> While it *may* be possible to network a generic setup via workarounds,
 RF> such as manual configurations, etc., this is a trial and error
 RF> process, and requires the user to have more than a rudimentary
 RF> knowledge of networking.

My knowledge of network is expanding all the time, albeit most of what I
know has been by trial and error.

The particular print server that I'm dealing with "appears" that the
software was written by a 'contract' programmer who did not do a very
complete job, or he did the program as outline by some shortsighted
bureaucrats.  For example, the firmware upgrade was older than the current
firmware and when I went to install it, I didn't see any options to back up
the current firmware.

 RF> It's also a waste of time and energy if one can determine beforehand
 RF> that the hardware is incompatible.

Not to mention the expense!

           Cheers ... Gerald

... Everyone is stupid for at least five minutes a day. Don't exceed the limit.
--- GoldED+/DPMI32 v1.1.5-040330 [msg of Saturday November 05 2005]
 * Origin: At last a chance to make my skeletons dance! (1:342/512)