Printing
Printing is probably the network service that causes the most emotion amongst network users.
It is also a service that if planned and implemented correctly will work better, and save the business money.
In the past printers were connected directly to a PC using a parallel or serial cable or more recently a USB cable. In the case of serial or parallel printers sharing was often done using a switch box. There are numerous problems with this. The printer had to be directly connected to the PC with a cable. If it was a parallel cable this was relatively thick and normally limited to 3m. If a switch box was employed for printer sharing, this was bulky and needed more cables. It was common for offices to have large numbers of printers with little or no sharing. Later it became the norm to connect printers to a few workstations and “share” them over the network. This was a much better solution but still had some limitations. The printer could only be used if the PC it was connected to was switched on. If large amounts of print jobs went to a printer the PC had to service those tasks, which had an effect on performance of that machine. Administration of that printer had to be done at that PC.
Today the best solution for attaching printers to the office network is to use printers that have built in network cards that attach directly to the network. This has many benefits, firstly the printer need only be connected to the nearest network point and then patched into the network at the patch panel. To configure the printer it will need a network address and then can be connected to by any machine on the network. It is good practice to connect to each network printer from a server and then share it from the server. This gives the network administrator better control of the printing system and minimises the support required.
It is usually better to have a smaller number of better quality printers and share them than to have numerous basic printers. Having some standardization is also sensible as less printer supplies need to be purchased and stored, saving money. Having fewer better printers saves space on users desks and minimises users exposure to the ozone created by laser printers.
If specialist printing is required an expensive colour printer or plotter can be shared by whoever needs it. The use of expensive printers can be controlled to minimize costs. Modern network printers usually have a web interface so an administrator can centrally monitor toner levels and usage.
All quality printers are now available with built in network cards. Sometimes this means buying the “n” version of a printer. The extra cost is minimal and should be considered a “must have” in all but the smallest networks.
External print servers are available so that existing printers can be connected to the network. The HP Jetdirect print servers are generally considered the standard and best.
Atomik.biz will ensure the best use out of existing investment in printers as well as planning for the future and maximising efficiency while minimising costs.