Printing remotely

Mint_Sauce · 7 Apr 2008 at 12:17

Ok, this is business related and I think sometimes people get funny when it's business related but it's a very small business (me) so I hope no one minds me asking.

I've got a customer who I do various random IT related things for and he's asked me to set up some remote printing. Basically he has a Mac at home and his business premesis. He wants to be able to print from home to his business premises so his staff in the morning can pick up the prints and sort out the orders from those sheets.

I've looked in to it and have found that you can get VPN routers. Since he also wants his premises to be wireless enabled (only a small business) I think a wireless VPN, print server router would be just the ticket.

Am I right? Or is there a better way?

TheKnat · 7 Apr 2008 at 16:45

Sounds like a VPN would do the job, but you would probably need to make the VPN between the business router and the home router so its easier to use. You could make it from the mac to the business router, but that then messes around with general routing of traffic on the mac. At least with it being router to router, you can more easily choose what traffic needs to go off down the VPN, rather than out to the internet normally.

Remember as well, that you don't need to setup a standalone print server. You could use a standard Windows XP machine to do it to save some cash, or if they haven't got the printer yet, just get one with a network card built in.

Mint_Sauce · 7 Apr 2008 at 17:06

The VPN through two routers is something I didn't even think about and would save me a TON of hassle with messing about with his Mac.

I know some routers have a built in print server, so I would only need the wireless router at the business end and just plug the printer in to that. So that would be all his needs complete with just two boxes and a printer... In theory

mdjmcnally · 7 Apr 2008 at 17:52

If a MAC place then why not get a pair of Airport Extremes and VPN them. Should make life easy. You can use the Airport Extreme at the far end as a print server as well so should be real easy to setup from the MAC.

Can also use with PC's as well.

Mint_Sauce · 8 Apr 2008 at 11:40

The airport extremes look good but I would still need a router at either end for the internet connection. If I bought two routers with VPN and USB printing capabilities then that's basically job done.

bledd · 8 Apr 2008 at 12:53

hamachi network (vpn)

sorted

Mint_Sauce · 8 Apr 2008 at 15:27

I've been looking for something like hamachi for a long time so have installed it but it wouldn't be good for the guy I'm setting this network up for as there isn't a PC at his premises. Cheers though Bledd, very handy utility.

bledd · 8 Apr 2008 at 16:11

thought it was connected 24/7 to the printer and he'd be on his laptop, sorry

-if you mean PC (as in non-mac), then they do have hamachi for mac's too

Mint_Sauce · 9 Apr 2008 at 00:16

Nope, no PC there at all - just literally a router which has a print server function built in. Usually a USB connector that you just plug a printer in to. Hopefully they work over VPNs!