Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mailrus!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!ists!yunexus!rreiner
From: rreiner@yunexus.UUCP (Richard Reiner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Alternatives for Printer Sharing?
Message-ID: <11219@yunexus.UUCP>
Date: 25 May 90 22:19:09 GMT
References: <16110002@col.hp.com>
Organization: York U. Computing Services
Lines: 24

mikek@col.hp.com (Mike Karin) writes:

>I would like some suggestions for *inexpensive* alternate solutions to 
>printer sharing.  The printer that they want to share is a Laserjet II.

Try an rs-232 ("Zero-slot") software LAN.  The best one by far (and
I've tried them all) is The $25 Network from Information Modes in
Texas.  It lets you share devices, including printers, between two or
more PCs using a serial link at 115 Kbps.  The resident code is only
about 10 Kb (plus or minus a few Kb depending on your configuration).
It's completely transparent, and has been totally reliable.  See the
ads in the back of the glossy PC magazines.

>I know that they could spend lots of money and put in a LAN system but I
>would like to know if there are solutions available that *just* do printer
>sharing and nothing else.

The $25 Network also lets you share disks and other character devices;
it also provides limited remote-control capabilities.

I'm not affiliated with Information Modes other than as a very
satisfied customer.

--richard