Bridging USB -> Ethernet?


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Hey guys.

Been a while since I been on here. I guess I been spending my time at most of the Mac-based forum sites since I converted.

Anyways, I have a question for you today.

I have a Brother printer connected via USB to the family room Windoze XP machine.

I also have a file server sitting in the corner serving files right next to this Windoze PC. It's running Ubuntu.

Is there any way that I can connect the printer to the Ubuntu machine, and then bridge the USB to Ethernet so it gets it's own IP address, thus relieving the need for me to have to turn the Windoze PC on all the time to print from my Mac?

Cheers.

-Ben.

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I'm guessing your Ubuntu fileserver is going to be running 24/7? If so, you could just hook up the printer to the Ubuntu machine and set up CUPS. Once you're sure it's working (i.e. you can print the CUPS test page), you should be able to set up an IPP printer in OSX to allow it to print through CUPS. However, I have no experience doing this on a Mac. Perhaps someone else can help with that part. In any case, this is the avenue I would try first if I were trying to do what you are doing; you can also set up Samba to share your printer and therefore set up Windows to print to it, too.

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It's completely possible, however I don't think the IP part is, but I'm no expert. You should be able to do a similar sharing setup that you've been doing on your Windows machine.

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Hey guys.

Been a while since I been on here. I guess I been spending my time at most of the Mac-based forum sites since I converted.

Anyways, I have a question for you today.

I have a Brother printer connected via USB to the family room Windoze XP machine.

I also have a file server sitting in the corner serving files right next to this Windoze PC. It's running Ubuntu.

Is there any way that I can connect the printer to the Ubuntu machine, and then bridge the USB to Ethernet so it gets it's own IP address, thus relieving the need for me to have to turn the Windoze PC on all the time to print from my Mac?

Cheers.

-Ben.

AirportExtreme - http://www.apple.com/airportextreme/features/printing.html

There are other routers that do have wireless printing, though I cannot recall which ones those are

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Yep you can do as David suggested; I have that setup here; a USB printer plugged into a Linux server, and it works just fine.

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To be honest, I don't know; but from the sound of it, sharing your printer using Samba with CUPS should be enough; is there a reason you'd rather have the printer on its own network interface?

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