Cheap, locally available openwrt capable devices.

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richms

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#32048 9-Apr-2009 16:04

Need something with a USB port that I can hang a printer off, and can run openwrt - reason being I want to set it up so a server on the internet will SSH into it with a port foward and get access to the connected printer (from the webserver) to deliver printouts to it.

Would prefer openwrt since I know that SSH into that to foward ports works just fine, whereas I have not found other routers that will do it properly.

Cant use a VPN tyep thing as it would need changes to the server, whereas ssh and printing to a IP printer are already available on it.

Richard rich.ms

Ragnor

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#206213 9-Apr-2009 16:46

Does the printer support ethernet? Alot of those oss wrt distro's don't have very good usb support.

richms

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#206231 9-Apr-2009 18:23

Ragnor: Does the printer support ethernet? Alot of those oss wrt distro's don't have very good usb support.

One of them does (the laser for invoices) but the sticker printer is USB only. These would be getting deployed to many sites so something that is a single device that can just sit behind the existing router with a port forwarded to it would be the easiest option.

If this ends up working then the laser would probably be swapped for a cheaper one with no network on it. My geek that I have doing it assures me that he can make it work on anything with a USB port and openwrt as he has done it before.

Client side printing is too problematic since that makes it a multistep process rather then the server just sending everythign down as needed.

Richard rich.ms

kiwidrew

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#206405 11-Apr-2009 00:24

Apparently the ASUS WL-520GU (which has USB) will work. The OpenWrt wiki did claim, though, that despite it being advertised as USB 2.0, it is actually only USB 1 -- so 11mbit. Might still be fast enough for a printer?

Anyway they're available for around $100 from various online shops.

raytaylor

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#206618 13-Apr-2009 01:34

My suggestion is:
Forward port 9100 to the ethernet laser printer at the branches
Forward port 515 to a usb-to-ethernet print server attached to the sticker printer

That way you should be able to use a simple usb print server rather than messing around with openwrt etc.
9100 uses the jetdirect / raw protocol used by almost all ethernet printers
515 uses the older lpd protocol used by unix systems and can be enabled in windows by adding the print services for unix in the add/remove components of the control panel.
If you dont want to go and buy a usb print server, a windows computer can act as a usb to ethernet print server by enabling the unix print services also, as an alternative to the standard windows file and printer sharing.

Ray Taylor

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richms

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#206674 13-Apr-2009 15:34

raytaylor: My suggestion is:
Forward port 9100 to the ethernet laser printer at the branches
Forward port 515 to a usb-to-ethernet print server attached to the sticker printer

That way you should be able to use a simple usb print server rather than messing around with openwrt etc.
9100 uses the jetdirect / raw protocol used by almost all ethernet printers
515 uses the older lpd protocol used by unix systems and can be enabled in windows by adding the print services for unix in the add/remove components of the control panel.
If you dont want to go and buy a usb print server, a windows computer can act as a usb to ethernet print server by enabling the unix print services also, as an alternative to the standard windows file and printer sharing.

Not happy with the idea of running documents across the internet with no authentication or encryption so that idea isnt going to happen I am afraid.

I remember when I was working at a certain ISP in the past we had an angry guy because one day telecom decided to block the SMB ports (back when all adsl was telecom supplied and the ISP just got $10) - anyway the guy was using SMB to print to his offices from a central place - it was universally agreed at the time the guy was nuts for doing that and opening his printers up to the world, and this solution is essentially the same.

Richard rich.ms

raytaylor

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#206894 14-Apr-2009 17:01

richms:
raytaylor: My suggestion is:
Forward port 9100 to the ethernet laser printer at the branches
Forward port 515 to a usb-to-ethernet print server attached to the sticker printer

That way you should be able to use a simple usb print server rather than messing around with openwrt etc.
9100 uses the jetdirect / raw protocol used by almost all ethernet printers
515 uses the older lpd protocol used by unix systems and can be enabled in windows by adding the print services for unix in the add/remove components of the control panel.
If you dont want to go and buy a usb print server, a windows computer can act as a usb to ethernet print server by enabling the unix print services also, as an alternative to the standard windows file and printer sharing.

Not happy with the idea of running documents across the internet with no authentication or encryption so that idea isnt going to happen I am afraid.

I remember when I was working at a certain ISP in the past we had an angry guy because one day telecom decided to block the SMB ports (back when all adsl was telecom supplied and the ISP just got $10) - anyway the guy was using SMB to print to his offices from a central place - it was universally agreed at the time the guy was nuts for doing that and opening his printers up to the world, and this solution is essentially the same.

You raise a good point - I forgot to mention that the modem only accepts data from the server's ips although it can still be boosted in tranzit.

Ray Taylor

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