Why do you need a network-attached printer?

If you already have a network, why does the next printer you buy have to be a network-attached device? It will save you money. Instead of buying one printer for each of the PCs in your small company or home, you can connect all of them and let all the users share one single device.

This may seem an old solution for network users, right? Well, there is a small difference here. In the old way, you would connect a printer to one of the PCs on the network and then configure it so that it can be shared by all the other users as if it were their local printer.

This still works, of course. However, the PC to which the printer is connected will have to function as a printer server. Therefore, it has to be left running all the time. If someone accidentally shuts it down, you will no longer have access to the printer.

True, in most cases there is one machine on the network that has to be on all the time anyway, and most likely it is the Internet gateway -- the computer that opens the door to the Internet. However, if you do not have such a computer, a network- attached printer will provide a better solution.

A network-attached printer has its own network address, so that the PCs on the network are able to identify it -- as long as it is powered up. Normally, as it has an Ethernet port, it connects to the network via a UTP cable, not a USB or a parallel cable. Each time a user has something to print and clicks on "Print" button and then the OK buttons, his PC will search the network for the device without having to go through another PC. When the printer is found, the PC will then dump the data to be printed.

Newer -- and certainly more expensive -- network-attached printers also have wireless capability. Okidata, for example, has at least eight different Wi-Fi capable, network-attached printer models. That means that, if you already have a hotspot in your place of work or home, you can flexibly move the printer around as necessary without having to keep looking for the RJ-45 jack.

Today, there are also network-attached multifunction devices that can print, scan, send and receive faxes. Dell, HP, Canon and other printer makers have been offering them for some time and many large workgroups or departments in a company have been using them to cut costs.

What to check when buying a network-attached printer? Like all the other printers, they differ in their duty cycle. This indicates roughly how many pages you can print per month without overusing the device and reducing its useful life. Printing speed is important. You do not want your client to sit there waiting for an hour while you are printing your fifty-page proposal.

Memory capacity is also important, as users usually want to dump their print jobs on the printer and go back to their work. The printer needs a lot of memory storage capacity to accommodate all these dumped print jobs.

Tray capacity is also important if you share the printer with the other workgroup members who are active users. For the home, a printer with a lower tray capacity will still keep everyone happy.

You will also have to consider whether your users really need to print in color. At home, you might as well choose a color printer, as from time to time the children may need to print their school assignments as well as their personal projects. Pictures, charts, drawings and diagrams will be easier to understand if they are in color. However, at your small office home office (SOHO), a monochrome laser printer may be all that your users need.

There are other features that you may consider. Do you need a printer with duplex printing capability (the ability to print on both sides of the paper automatically)? Do you need the printer to be able to collate and staple the printout? Do you need a high resolution printer, or will the 1200 DPI be adequate? Do your users really need photo-quality printing?

Paperless offices still remain a dream, and it will most likely remain so for some time. However, you can save money by using a network-attached monochrome laser printer that is right for your requirements.

--Zatni Arbi