From: Victor Bien    
      
   David H. Durgee wrote:   
   > Peter Brown wrote:   
   >> Hi Victor   
   >>   
   >> Victor Bien wrote:   
   >>> Peter Brown wrote:   
   >>>> Hi Victor   
   >>>>   
   >>>> Victor Bien wrote:   
   >>>>> I have had a Windows XP computer networked to my OS/2 computer for   
   >>>>> years. I access the volumes and print on the attached printer. Now I   
   >>>>> want to move to Win7. Apart from the huge reinstall of applications I   
   >>>>> have to do I in the Windows environment I have a conceptual blockage   
   >>>>> with working out how to retain that connection if possible?   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> XP connects because I have Netbeui working on it. Netbeui is not   
   >>>>> available for Win7. I have never understood SAMBA or how to get it to   
   >>>>> work.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> Another option is NFS but the reading and the potential cut and try   
   >>>>> seems it will blow out.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> Anyone here can offer some clues?   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> Thanks,   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> Victor Bien   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>   
   >>>>   
   >>>>   
   >>>> For sharing files you could try ftp - FireFTP is a useful addon to   
   >>>> Firefox/Seamonkey.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> Does the printer have an ip address or is it a shared printer?   
   >>>   
   >>> It's a shared printer. I use FTP for file access. I run the OS/2 FTP   
   >>> server and swap files from a Vista laptop which won't connect via   
   >>> Windows networking. I use to make the FTP server available to the   
   >>> internet to allow fetching files when I'm at client's sites but was so   
   >>> troubled by "hammering" - troublemakers making repeated attempts to   
   >>> login and threatening havoc, I deleted the port forwarding to the OS/2   
   >>> FTP. I now safely FTP within my LAN only. (I installed a secure FTP   
   >>> server on my XP machine - it gets hammered as well but it has an   
   >>> anti-hammering facility to throw the troublemakers off).   
   >>>   
   >>> I could buy a small print server with a tcp/ip connection I suppose.   
   >>> I've never tried to print from OS/2 to a print server. Can I assume   
   >>> it'll all be straightforward. That'll just mean that trying to connect   
   >>> the OS/2 to the Windows world is all getting too hard?   
   >>>   
   >>>   
   >>   
   >> The only 2 print servers I have used with OS/2 systems have been built   
   >> into routers and both worked well using the OS/2 SLPR printer port   
   >> configured with the print server ip address and port name.   
   >>   
   >> They both worked fine with eCUPS as well.   
   >>   
   >> I guess you should be asking if anyone knows a current print server that   
   >> definitely works - and if there are any that do not work - with OS/2   
   >> systems.   
   >>   
   >>   
   >> Regards   
   >>   
   >> Pete   
   >    
   > I don't know how current it is, but I use a Zonet ZPS2102 here on my    
   > LAN.  I have Warp Server, eCS 1.03, eCS 1.2, Linux Mint 8 and 11 systems    
   > on the LAN and all can make use of the print server and the printer    
   > connected to it.   
   >    
   > I chose the Zonet ZPS2102 in particular as it had a USB-2 port on it and    
   > I wanted to be able to drive the printer, a Brother HL-5050, at full    
   > speed from older systems that did not have such support.  I could also    
   > connect two additional printers to the server, but have no need at this    
   > point to do so.   
   >    
   > Dave   
      
     I read up on this particular print server but am rather discouraged to chase   
   it.  The reviews out there are not good.   
      
     I tried to find some discussion about what makes one print server better   
   than another one but it will take a lot of time to get a good handle on the   
   subject.   
      
     My understanding of a print server is almost a complete vacuum!  How do they   
   work?  How do they differ one from the other?   
      
     At the simplest would the thing take bytes from the LAN cable and just past   
   it through to the USB port?  If that is the case why do some of them have to   
   have Windows driver installed?  If there is such an animal as a "dumb" print   
   server OS/2 could print to it couldn't it?  I mean the spooler and the OS/2   
   printer driver (Lexmark E310 in my case) would just shove the data out through   
   the network port instead of the USB port I'm presently using, find the IP   
   address of the print server and then just flow through it to the printer and   
   you have your printouts?   
      
     You get my drift?  What criteria do I use to ascertain which print server to   
   try?  I may try to buy one via eBay.  I do have a local "corner shop computer   
   shop" who lets me try out gear on try and see basis and perhaps I could   
   identify a suitable one that way.  My fundamental problem is I don't know how   
   a print server works!  I don't know what I'm looking for!   
      
     If I can get my OS/2 computer to print through a print server and I can swap   
   files with Filezilla and the OS/2 FTP server then my problem to keep it   
   ticking away with any Windows computer will be solved.   
      
   Victor Bien   
      
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