Printer online?

[Robert]

This may seem like a weird question, but does anyone know of a software that will turn my printer (connected to my system) into a "printer server" so I can print to it from anywhere in my city?

So let's say I am at School and I want to bring, I can just print it directly to my printer at home?

Thanks.

[Chicken]

I'm not sure about printing exactly, but something like this might get you most of the way there:

http://www.symantec.com/pcanywhere/Consumer/index.html

[interactive]

PCanywhere would work. But you would have to install it on both machines which may turn into a pain depending on the circumstances.

[Robert]

nah. I jsut want something that is simple and quick.

[Chicken]

Well, you need to give remote capability to the host computer, and remote access to the remote computer. Something tells me it shouldn't be that simple and quick.

[Robert]

My network already consists my about 7 systems here at home on a wireless connection. So I don't making my printer "available" to the www!

[net-trend]

Why do you need a remote printer? How about setup one of your comp's with an FTP server, upload whatever to the comp then when you get home..press PRINT?

Doesn't that save all the hassle? :P

[mgriffin]

Some printers (generally high-end network enabled -- we ran a Textronix for awhile) allow you to assign an IP to it (either public or private). I honestly never tried printing to it over IP and we've since returned it to Xerox, but it did have the option of being assigned a public IP.

- Mike

[Robert]

I'm a computer ner..ahem gee. i mean a computer specialist and love to try different things.

[no1v2]

In UNIX/BSD/Linux it's easy, but there aren't any simple ways in Windows. The easiest free way I can think of is to write a server-side script that prints documents you send it (via HTTP, FTP, SMTP, or whatever you prefer). The biggest problem would be supporting unknown (to it) file types.

[Lamont]

Would this work: put the printer on a printer router with it's own IP in your network. Set up a port through your router to forward to the printer router. From the remote computer set up to print to a network printer using the IP and port you configured on the router.

Being kind of a noob to networking this is just an idea from having played with a few things on my home network. I can't guarantee this will work.

[Robert]

Originally posted by no1v2:

In UNIX/BSD/Linux it's easy, but there aren't any simple ways in Windows. The easiest free way I can think of is to write a server-side script that prints documents you send it (via HTTP, FTP, SMTP, or whatever you prefer). The biggest problem would be supporting unknown (to it) file types.

Umm that's not a bad idea. Installing apache and php. Than writing a php script or perl script that runs the command. Ummm

[no1v2]

For HTTP use ASP in IIS instead, or if you really want to use Apache run a WSH script via CGI.