Serial To Ethernet

[rvargas]

I want to connect a printer that has serial port to a ethernet switch.
I know there is converters but I want to do it myself.
If possible build the converter myself.
Thank you

[Ya_know]

[Stalemate]

I want to connect a printer that has serial port to a ethernet switch.
I know there is converters but I want to do it myself.
If possible build the converter myself.
Thank you

You must mean Parallel port on the printer, right?

Are you a masochist?

[rvargas]

You must mean Parallel port on the printer, right?

Are you a masochist?

No It's SERIAL
of course there is other ways much easier, but I just want to know if it is possible. I wan to try it this way

[NooNoo]

We tend to find drivers, give troubleshooting info here.

You are saying that you want to hook up a serial printer to a RJ45 network without using a network interface card?

[rvargas]

We tend to find drivers, give troubleshooting info here.

You are saying that you want to hook up a serial printer to a RJ45 network without using a network interface card?

I'm planing to use an Ethernet Switch, which is connected to a Server and 4 Workstations, The printer has a serial port, and it HAS to be connected in a separate room, I know i could use 2 50ft serial cables to bring it to the server, BUT I just thought MAYBE I could connected to the Ethernet Switch and access it from the server, then share it to the other workstations. I know there is a converter from serial to ethernet, I just need the sequence of the cables to make the cable myself. is it possible???

[noone]

I've never seen a serial connector meant for connecting to a dumb device and giving it network awareness. Generally, the serial to rj45 converters you see require a driver to be running on the computer. Since the printer doesn't have any way to install or run said drivers, you would have to do it in hardware, a smart NIC that knows what type of printer it is connected to and what type of Ethernet packet it's meant to decode. Programing some microprocessor, probably having to have the chip designed and fab'ed to your own specifications since the printer driver would have to be in there someplace, along with print server software.

In other words, no. The hardware you are talking about it meant for another purpose. If you have an computer or electrical engineering degree and want to take on a new pet project, then the answer is a definitive maybe. It could be done, I mean, you COULD connect a monitor to a PC via ethernet with enough decoding circuits in between. However, it's not as simple as you want it to be in this case, and probably not worth it.

[NooNoo]

If the printer has a network card slot, you could use that... what printer is it?

[Archer]

If not the simplest solution would be a printer server which ebay has several of on offer:

[NooNoo]

Archer, he said in his first post he wanted to do it the hard way!!

[Archer]

Well..........perhaps a ball of wet string and an abacus then

Or I should have said some sticky back plastic,cornflakes box [logo covered],toilet roll and paper mache

[NooNoo]

Here's one I made earlier....

[Archer]

Dont remember that bit from the Tracy Island build?

[rvargas]

OK, I Got it!!!!
PRINTER SERVER!!!
NO MORE HEADACHES
THANK YOU VERY MUCH