Setting up a LJ with Jetdirect card on a router

[JeeDub]

I hope there is somebody out there that can shed some light on this for me.
I have bought a second hand laser printer because my old one went belly up. It is a HP LaserJet 5Si MX with a JetDirect card in it. I have a cable modem plugged into a Ovislink router to share the Internet between 3 computers in the house. My question is - Can I directly plug the JetDirect card into the router and somehow use it as a network printer for everbody in the house? Previously I had the other laser printer plugged into one computer and shared it, but that meant that the computer had to be left on all the time to allow it to function as a print server for the other PC's, if you know what I mean. What I would like to do it set up the 5si as a standalone so it would be a "network" printer. Can I do this without having a "server", just using the router. I did google around and went to HP's website but didn't really find anything that led me to believe you could do this with just a router. Does anyone out there have any experience with this kind of thing?

Thanks in advance . . .

[shoozleboy]

I had a LJ4 hooked up to my home LAN through a router.... I don't remember all the details - but you have to set the IP to a fixed IP and the subnet mask (?) to match what your computer is at... (255.255.255.0 just an example of what it looks like - yours may be different). My biggest lesson learned was that the subnet mask had to match, otherwise your pc will never see it on the lan.

As far as drivers, I used it with both the windows default drivers and the HP install software and it worked fine either way. The key was to get the computers to see the LJ on the Lan. Everything else was almost automatic.

Sorry I can't be more detailed - I haven't had that LJ hooked up for almost 2 years now.... still have it, just haven't used it.

Good Luck

[ViRaL1]

Set the IP address to some static IP that is not in the range that your router assigns to DHCP clients. You CAN choose to have DHCP assign the printer address, but it's easier if you assign it yourself, especially for the purposes of mapping / connecting. For example if you router gives your PCs addresses like 192.168.1.101, pick something like 192.168.1.21 for your printer (you'll have to use the buttons on the front of the printer to actually set the IP address. Set the subnet mask and gateway to the same addresses that your PC uses. If you're not sure what these are, open a command prompt and type in

IPCONFIG /ALL |more

This should show your current IP address, subnet mask and gateway. Once you have all this information, and you've set these addresses on the printer you're ready to add it. Make sure the printer is connected to the network and powered on. Then all you have to do is add a local printer (don't automatically detect) and click Next. Choose to Create a new port and pick Standard TCP/IP port and click Next. Another wizard will pop up, click Next. Type in the IP address that you chose for your printer where it says "Printer Name or IP Address." It will fill in the port name for you when you're done. It SHOULD pick up the JetDirect card (it may ask you for a port number on the JetDirect card, I'd just choose the first one). Then it should prompt allow you to choose the make and model of your printer. Finish that and you should be all set. Print a test page just to be sure. Do the same on your other computers. If they don't support TCP/IP printing you can always share the printer through your XP box.

[JeeDub]

Thanks ViRaL1, I will try that tonight if I get a chance.