Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[rocketsauce]

So, I'm helping a friend setup a wireless network so he can use the TiVo Home Media Option. I've pretty much worked out most of the stuff I need to do it, but still have a few questions. Hopefully someone here can answer or point me to a site.

Here's the specifics I have worked out:

cable modem connected to wireless router
2 laptops, each with a wireless adapter card
2 TiVos, each with a usb wireless adapter

My friend also wants to wirelessly connect other peripherals like a usb printer/scanner, an external firewire hardrive, hopefully even a Palm OS phone hotsync cradle. Is there some sort of wireless hub that all of these devices can be connected to that would allow both laptops to access them?

Thanks, Rob

[JimH]

I've seen print servers several places, including Micro Center and CompUSA.

I use Bluetooth to synch a Palm Device (Sony CLIE) to a PC, but I don't think that's what you're looking for.

[LisaRCT]

'Bluetooth' . . . . .  sounds like a dentist's nightmare  

[serf]

2 things from CES:

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20040108005008&newsLang=en

http://news.com.com/2100-7353_3-5136070.html?tag=nefd_top

Almost?

[PhatPhreddy]

While there are printers with TCP network ports and even HD enclosures that do the same because of thier specific need they are often vastly expensive... Each device must run a network stack and the costs of this only come in high end gear not aimed at consumers.

It would be far cheaper to simply pick up a really cheap packaged PC and leave it connected to the network headless (no monitor / keyboard etc... Log in via XP's RDC for maintenance) and connect the HD / printer / hotsync etc all to that... Dell has has 299 PC specials that would be far cheaper than even a TCP ported printer last time I looked.

You may want to find a combo wireless and 2 or 4 port router as hard ports are always useful (I have an 8 port thats often full !!) and are not usually much more...

[rocketsauce]

Thanks for the replies.

@serf:

Thanks for those links.

@PhatPhreddy:

I guess I should mention that one laptop is running Win2000 and the other is running Win98 (not sure if it's Second Edition). Upgrading to XP at this point in time is not possible for various reasons. Although I highly doubt my friend would go for running a "headless" pc, would the combination of those two operating systems present a problem in that situation? And, do you think the combination of those two operating systems will likely present a problem in general?

So then, based on my research, the easiest way to connect the printer to the network and have it be available to both laptops would be with a either a wireless print server or a print server connected to the router? And for the other peripherals (firewire hardrive, hotsync cradle), other than the "headless" pc option, there's not really an easy/affordable way to network them wirelessly?

The router I was planning on using is the Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router (WRT54G) which has a built in 4-port switch.

Rob

[Zarius]

rocketsauce:
I doubt you'd be able to use XP's RDC (Remote Desktop Control?) with Win98, and probably not with Win2000 either.  I would recommend VNC (probably the variant called TightVNC - same thing, just compresses the image so it's a little quicker, usually) - you can set up a VNC server on the "headless" pc and access it with quite a few operating systems (including windows 95, 98, 2k, xp, linux, etc - would need to check the page for a complete list of OS'es).  There are also quite a few other remote desktop programs out there that will work over all versions of windows (well, from win95+... don't know about win3.11 :] ) with varying features and security options.

[rocketsauce]

Thanks.

I don't really know what RDC or VNC are used for or supposed to do, but there won't be a "headless" pc nor any computers running XP on the network.

Rob

[loraan]

If you want to connect a printer to a network, you have some options. There are dedicated "print server adaptors" that will plug into the USB or parallel port in the back of the printer and allow the printer to connect to the network. The printer appears in the windows network neighborhood just as if it were connected to a server. There are even versions of this that allow the printer to connect directly to an 802.11b network.

Here's a URL to some options: http://www.buy.com/retail/computers/specialty_store_1.asp?loc=7069

[PhatPhreddy]

Remote desktop client works fine on Win98 and Win2k but needs the server PC (the one you connect to) to be XP Pro... Personally I amways use the most current OS I can as the step up from previous OS's is huge...

Anyway you can sort the printer but you wont have much joy (cheaply) with HD's and palm sync to a network port...

As stated with dell type celeron deals coming in amazing low if you wait and hunt (sub 300) the filestore machine is one i have adopted on my network and really like the use of...

Given the limits you may find a router with built in parrallel print server (not seen one with USB but thats not to say they dont exist) which could handle your printer..

[rocketsauce]

Personally I always use the most current OS I can as the step up from previous OS's is huge...

I agree (as I sit here still using Win98 ), but my friend has to use Win2000 on one laptop because of software for his work and the other laptop, I think, is old enough that it's not worth upgrading in order to run XP on it.

The "headless" pc is probably the solution to my friends needs, but I'm almost 100% sure he won't want to go that route.

For the printer, Linksys has both wired and wireless usb printer-ready print servers.

Thanks again.

Rob

[Zarius]

I know you've said a headless pc is pretty unlikely, but I thought I'd explain what RDC and VNC do anyway...

I haven't used RDC... but as far as I know it works pretty much the same as VNC, so I'll just mention VNC here, but it pretty much applies to all these type of programs...

With VNC you install the program (the Server) onto the 'headless' PC and use the Client program on the PC you want to access it from (with VNC you could connect from two computers at the same time if you wanted... you'd just be fighting for the mouse - always fun that :] ).  VNC displays a window on your screen that's a replica of the desktop on the other machine, and transfers your mouse and keyboard commands within that window to the other PC... so essentially it's the same as sitting at that machine, just from a distance.

VNC can also come in handy in quite a few other situations... the machine doesn't have to be a 'headless' one... you could just be lazy and not want to walk into the bedroom to control that machine (eg. You want to access a directory on the machine in the other room, but haven't shared it yet... just VNC in and share it without moving from your seat :] )

VNC can also be set up to make two computers seem a little more like one.  Put the two computers monitors next to each other and using Win-VNC you can set it up so that when you move the mouse to the edge of computer 1's screen (the computer that the mouse is attached to) the cursor will appear on computer 2's screen and control that computer.  Just move the mouse back to computer 1's monitor to control that one... this makes it seem like one computer with an extended desktop, but you get the benifit of having two distinct CPU's (eg if one crashes, the other will still be running).

Anyway, that's just some of the fun one can have with desktop remote control programs :)

If you have any questions, just let me know :)