As some others have pointed out, this is too much of a drain on electrical resources. I can't justify eating up 300W to run a print server. Maybe if it was also the Multimedia center, torrent server, and X10 controller all at the same time, maybe it would be worth the extra $20/mo on the light bill.

xizdaqrian

@swalve: compUSA has them on sale for the 20-30 range pretty frequently.

xtc46

oh, and lifehacker "and it will work even more efficiently if you network your printers"

no, it will only work if you network your printers. that's what a network printer means.

notatoad

better to make it an everything server. throw ubuntu alternate install and samba on there.

notatoad

With the right tweaking, you can probably get the power consumption down to almost nothing. Linux, CD boot with no hard drive, no fans, underclock processor, etc.

Now that I think about it, I might do that myself...

@engtech: Where? I've never seen anything like that under $50.

swalve

My primary suggestion: If you're going to run an old computer to be a print server, throw in a big hard drive or two and make it a file server too. With advances in technology using a device that consumes 200+ watts of electricity for intermittent use as a printer server is nearly indefensible. Now if it serves file across the house, acts as a remote backup station for automated backups, and prints... that's another story.

@AlexPDL/whitlock: If the computers your print from are in proximity to the printer, an even more economical way would be to use a USB to parrellel conversion cable, around $20-30. Here's one courtesy of CablesToGo:

[www.cablestogo.com]

JFitzpatrick

FYI, I've seen network routers with printer ports and built-in networked printing on sale for under $20.

engtech

I have an old laptop that lost it's case years ago (along with the display). It's currently mounted in a book binder on my bookshelf attached to a laser printer on the top. It's new enough to have a wireless card installed, so no one knows there is a print server setup.

It would be simpler and more economical in the long run to use a wireless bluetooth module. The power drain of an old computer over a year vs. one time payment for the module and minimal use.

whitlock

Meh.. That's just overkill when you can use Ubuntu 7.10 (or your favorite flavor of *nix) with Samba AND it'll support USB printers.

@AlexPDL: I still have an old Laserjet 6MP that only has a parallel port. I had to set up a print server out of an old machine to be able to use the printer because of the fact that all of my newer computers only have USB ports on them.

-A

Adam Chernow

This doesn't seem to the most environmentally friendly way to run a print server. But I guess if you use the "dedicated print server" for other stuff too, maybe it's not as much of a waste.

hector7g

Hmmmm.... not to be a downer but...the eHow article says it will not work with a USB printer? What? Who has a parallel port printer anymore?! Even my oldest printers are USB.

AlexPDL

I'm having trouble with the distinction between "print server" and "Network printer".

I always thought that the end result was the same - printer accessible from every PC in the building. I don't see how combining a print server and network printing would be helpful at all - since so far as I know they both achieve the same objective.

Anyone wiser then I able to shed light on the advantages of using both?

(PS - I think running an old PC 24/7, like others have said, is a bit too extreme for me on the power use... sometimes the right tool for the job really is the right tool for the job (a printer with built in networking or a router with a built in print server))

Binks

I wouldn't use an old desktop as a print server (too power hungry and too noisy), but I do use an old laptop running Ubuntu (command line version) as a combo print server, home web server, and SSH server. With the backlight turned off it only pulls around 13 watts or so. I would use it as a file server too, but it only has USB 1.1 (so external drives are out), and the hard drive is only 20 gig or so.

AndyFromTucson

Another nod for print servers.....even at $50 max, I think they'd be easier and more power friendly than running old server 24/7.

edmicman

Wasteful to have another old power supply running in the house 24/7. Make use of that free VMWare Server software and consolidate some low use/low power systems into one. Even a $399 brand new higher end system running a few VMs would be more efficient than 3 or 4 of these old PCs.

shokk

@xizdaqrian: If the computer isn't working that hard all of the time typical power consumption without a monitor usually only costs around $5 in the Chicagoland area based on current electric rates.

Nod again for simple print server, they are on ebay for about $10 shipped for the cheapo ones. Then again, I'm a softcopy guy so this isn't for me :)

Frost Face

@Binks: a print server will not require you to explicitly install drivers, as it will download them to your computer when you connect to them initially (at least in Windows). This is really only an advantage if you have a building full of PCs you are trying to manage.

If you are only printing from one or two PCs, as is the case in this scenario, there is really no advantage to going through a print server vs. printing directly to the printer.

jaxun

I bought a network multi-function made by Brother for close to $100 -- running a computer for just a printer is sick. That said, if you run it to download torrents all day, store media files and download podcasts.. then it's not so bad.

steve w.

I couldn't justify the extra expense for a print server either, so when I bought my wireless router/cable modem I bought one that had a print server built in too. I have a Vigor 2600, but I'm sure there's others around that do the same.

rikky

I see a lot of these "recycle your old computer into X" how-tos all over the web but nobody ever mentions the environmental/financial cost of leaving your old computer running 24/7 in order to be able to print/share mp3s/run bit torrent or whatever. A more environmentally friendly choice would be to use an old laptop or better yet a purpose-build printserver, router or NAS - all of which would dramatically reduce energy use compared to an old desktop.

GreenDealsDaily

Couldn't this just be seen a pure wasteful. Have a computer running 24/7 to provide print service for your occasional printing needs. In an office setting it is one thing but the average home user seems a bit much. Now turn it into a file server, ftp, media server, etc then you can at least utilize the energy consumption across multiple channels of use.

adub1979

this is a waste of electricity if you ask me. If you're going to have a 200-watt (at LEAST) monster running 24/7, you're better off running a NAS rather than a print server.

here is a REALLY DEAD SIMPLE FREE NAS software. it supports real RAID, and can even do software-based RAID.

[www.freenas.org]

oh and if you really need a printer that you can access through the network, either share your printer from Windows (off by default) or buy a network printer like one of them all-in-one HP printers..

bubuli

yeah. all of my old pcs dont have usb. how am i exactly supposed to put my printer on that? and who has a simple printer anymore? they all have more features (scanner/fax/ect.) am i supposed to go without these features i paid EXTRA for!?

techhead89