Page 31
User Guide MeeBox NAS
Sharing a USB printer
If you connect a compatible USB printer to one of your MeeBox’s three USB 2.0 ports, you
can use it from any computer on the server’s local network. Most standard USB printers are
compatible, although ―bidirectional‖ features such as reporting ink levels are not
supported. Some multifunction printers (MFPs) are also compatible, but for printing only—
not scanning or faxing. In general, if a printer is compatible with other USB print servers
using ―raw socket‖, ―port 9100‖, or HP JetDirect-compatible printing technology, it should
work with your MeeBox.
Only one printer can be shared through your MeeBox at a time.
Adding a shared printer to your computer
Before you can use a printer connected to your MeeBox, you must first register or ―add‖
the printer to your computer. Part of this process is installing the correct printer driver on
your computer, just as you would for a printer that was directly attached to your computer.
You do not need to install a driver on your MeeBox. Before adding a shared printer, please
make sure either that its driver has already been installed on your computer, or that you
have the driver ready on CD-ROM or other media.
Different ways to add a shared printer to your computer
In Windows XP, there are two ways to add a shared printer to your computer: the
network
printer method
and the
TCP/IP port method
. Instructions for both methods are given
below.
The network printer method is more intuitive and requires fewer steps, but this method is
not recommended because a printer added this way is often slow in use. This is because,
whenever you use the Print command, Windows must search for the shared printer and
determine its status. The TCP/IP port method, while it takes a little longer to add a printer,
does not result in such delays when you use the printer.
If you use a non-Windows operating system, please refer to your operating system’s
documentation for instructions on adding a network printer.
Figure 8
