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Ok, does this one seem to match the server suggested in the other thread?
http://www.shopstormcomputer.com/ssdetail.asp?pf_id=11047340

I'm thinking $54 is a steal.

Here's my issue... maybe there's a better work around.

At home: HP PSC 1210 (it's old, but it's old faithful)
At work: F380 (same thing, new packaging)

Problem: "HP products work better together". Bull crap. After three weeks of half-assed tech support... finally conclude that two HP imaging printers can't install their drivers on the same laptop. BOO. I can still print from my PSC 1210, but after installing the 380, I can no longer scan from the original. HP says there's no way for the two to co-exist.

Solution: Maybe? My *genious* idea is to put the f380 (which is right next to our wireless router at work) on a print server like the one referenced above. Will that provide a work around so that I can still scan/print at work (without ever having to plug in a cable to my laptop again... sweet)? Or am I still going to need the F380's driver meaning that my 1210 is useless for scanning now?

(Sidebar: Yes, I know I can still scan using the control panel's scanning wizard, but that only produces images, I need to scan documents, pdf's, etc.)

[Edited on February 26, 2008 at 8:35 PM. Reason : ...]

2/26/2008 8:34:37 PM

to use a printer you need a driver, that's the problem. print server isn't going to help.

2/26/2008 9:13:33 PM

So when you connect to a printer that way, does it remotely install the driver? Or does it have to be previously installed to be able to connect via print server?

2/26/2008 9:26:21 PM

well when you go to "Add printers"...
a) if it's a local printer (connected via USB) you need to have the driver pre-installed on the computer.
b) if it's a network printer (connected via network share or print driver) it will first look for a driver hosted by the computer that's sharing the printer (or print server) and get the driver from there, if the driver being hosted is incompatible it will tell you and ask for you to manually install a driver.

print servers are no different than sharing a printer that's connected to a computer, the difference is, is that with a print server you can have a printer located somewhere where there is no computer

the problem with sharing MFP's (multi-function printers) is that when you scan it wants to save the image somewhere, naturally it wants to save locally, thus making it impossible to do unless the print server supports it, or you are using a network shared printer and setting up a file share on that computer.

[Edited on February 26, 2008 at 9:42 PM. Reason : ,]

2/26/2008 9:38:21 PM

^ so the simplest solution may be to set up a network shared computer and share the folder it's being saved to there?

so that way the printers will be satisfied by installing the drivers on two different computers instead of one?

is there really no possible way to set up to multi-functions on one computer... you'd have to think technology is more flexible than that...

[Edited on February 27, 2008 at 12:20 AM. Reason : ...]

2/27/2008 12:18:54 AM

yes, it's possible, get two printers that don't have conflicting drivers.

2/27/2008 12:26:48 AM

well I knew that part, but since both are already bought and paid for... I was hoping to find a way to put both to work without having to buy... yet another...

Is there a way to find out ahead of time what types of multi-functions won't conflict? Just go to a different brand (ie: get a kodak instead)?

2/27/2008 12:58:48 AM

Are you using the HP software to scan?

2/27/2008 1:50:35 AM

^ That's the only way I know to scan pdf's etc. with out any premium adobe software... is there another way?

2/27/2008 11:15:26 AM

Other software does exist. Most of it is shareware, but there are some free programs out there. I would try using another scanning software.

2/28/2008 11:31:48 PM

^ Sweet, any suggestions?

2/29/2008 12:27:12 PM