Help with setting up a print server

[superduperchris]

I have a wireless US Robotics router which shares an internet connection between 3 machines - One hardwired to the router and the other 2 connect wirelessly. All machines running Windows XP Pro. I want to introduce a HP Officejet 7130 printer to the network - using a print server. Now at the moment the router uses DHCP to assign IP addresses - if i give the printer a fixed IP address outside the DHCP range will the other machines pick it up? This may be a silly question as im not too clued up on networking printers? - i was also thinking about a netgear printer server - have you ever come accross them?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Chris

[YeOldeStonecat]

using a print server. Now at the moment the router uses DHCP to assign IP addresses - if i give the printer a fixed IP address outside the DHCP range will the other machines pick it up?

Yes, I prefer to setup network devices, such as print servers, actual servers, networked scanners, and other "objects" that workstations need to access....on fixed (static) IP addresses.

Yes you should assign a static IP address outside of the regular DHCP handout range.

Example...lets use a Linksys router. By default the router itself is 192.168.1.1 (the common last octet for routers/gateways is either .1 or .254). And it hands out client addresses from .100 on up...such as 192.168.1.100, 192.168.1.101, 192.168.1.102, etc etc.

I usually assign servers .11, .12, .13, etc etc. And printers in the twenty range...such as .20, .21, .22, etc. Special purpose workstations in the 30's...that's just my usual convention...that way most of my setups are similar.

The reasoning....is that if you leave your printer set to DHCP, I've seen them fall offline now and then, become unavailable to the workstations. Granted the newer client print software usually finds them OK just searching via the MAC, but I've found it to me a more bulletproof setup if I hardcode the IP. Besides the IP, you only need to add the subnet mask, you can add the gateway also if you'd like..but that's not needed. You can completely ignore adding WINS and DNS, not needed for single networks.

The reasoning for assigning a static IP outside the DCHP range...is you can have a conflict arise if you assign it a low numbered IP that might be handed out my DHCP...and have an IP conflict arise.

[Courtney]

I use a NetGear PS101. I use the Adminstrator console on one computer to set up a permanent IP address (this is stored on the NetGear). All other computers on the network print to the IP address. Works great.

courtney sends....

[KevinF]

Are there any other drawbacks to assigning fixed IP addresses?

Thank you.