1 PC printing at 2 printers at the same time ?!

[Higg]

Hi all... I need your professionel help:

I need one PC printing at two (could be equivalent) printers at the same time the same thing.

First of all, I don't know a tool that supports this.
Second: that must work without affecting the PC's software, as this is a third-party PC (security-company), but we want to have the loggings too....

So is there perhaps a kind of hardware-tool, that doubles the printing ports and functions appropriate (or any other suggestion)?

<PRE>
|---|LPT1a: |--------|
|B B|=========|PrinterA|
---- LPT1: |l o| |--------|
|PC|==========|a x|
---- |c |LPT1b: |--------|
|k |=========|PrinterB|
|---| |--------|
</PRE>

Don't hesitate to reply other ideas of setup

thanks Higg

[Triumph]

There is a switch that lets 2 PC's print to 1 printer but in order to have 1 pc print ot 2 printers, you will need to install a second print port card (LPT2). I suppose you might be able to find a manual switch to let you switch between printers but for all the grief, the second printer port is money well spent, about 30.00 dollars or about 50 marks or so.

[CobraTekMax]

Well, if you don't want it to affect the PC's software, then a 2nd parallel port isn't the answer, since you'd have to adjust some settings to make it print to LPT2. I'd suggest find a manual LPT switch box, which would more closely accomodate the LPT1a and LPT1b diagram you provided.

[Higg]

Well Cobra, you're right - a second LPT isn't the answer... but it should *really* fit the problem of printing *parallel*... that means both printers have to print the same thing at the same time - a switchbox is too dumb to realize that

[Sorry_I_Win]

Why do both printers need to print the same thing? Please explain exactly what u are trying to do so we can help you out. Do the prinouts need to be simultaneous, or could it print one page at one printer, then print that same page on the other printer? Are these going to doing a continuous printout all day? What's the point of this? Why not just print two copies from one printer. If you will be using a switchbox, the printers can't be that far apart (due to cable signal strenght limitations), so I can't see why you want to do this. We need a lot more info to help ya out.

If you want, you could try a 2-port auto-switch, but to print to both printers, u would need to add whatever u are printing too both printer queues. If you do this, it will print the same thing on both, but not simultaneously. It'll print on one printer, then as soon as it completes, it'll print on the other machine.

The best way would be to network two machines together, connect a printer to each machine directly via lpt port. Then run the same software that is generating the reports (or whatever it is u are printing) on both machines and have it print to its own printer.

Hope this helps out a little.

[Archer]

Just a thought - couldnt you set up a bat file to print to instead of a standard printer and give the bat file the job of sending data to the two printers.

[Higg]

the easy answer first: Andi, yes, it would be an easy job... but I'm not permitted to access/change software of the PC as it belongs to our third-party-security and if something goes wrong with the PC (even if it obviously has nothing to do with that) they will blame my company and they will reject responsibility!

Well and that's in fact the point, why we (my boss) want to set up a secondary printout as copy for us... that copy should be printed out in another room (10-50m away from the other)
It is not necessary to have the copy exactly parallel, but in timescale of minutes. It could save us time and money to find security-holes as the purpose of the printer is to log all security activities that concern door-lock-mechanisms, security-card-misuses, alarms,... etc...

And I'm Sorry_You_Win that you're right... yes... the parallel port is a bad point, as it only works at short distances... if we could set up a com-port to do the same job it could be much better (but again the doubling of the signal may not be by software at the PC!!)

What can you do with networking? If you want to do it over the net, I'm sure we have to add some software for using the right printer-box and again that will not be allowed (even if I'm interested in that... and again the printing-signal has to be doubled by the box at the far end)

Not an easy question...

[scutterboy]

If you had win2000 server you could setup a printer pool. It's intended function is to use multiple devices to help manage print queues. The client would see one printer not several physical devices. I belive with a pool you'd also be able to use 2 printers simultaneously.

[cyberhh]

Why not set it up as a network printer with a server set to print 2 copies by default? I do not really know of a way to do what you are asking. You would need some kind of multiplexer for the lpt port...let me check black box...

YES!!!! Parallel Data Broadcast/Fallback Unit #PI070A $305.00

[cyberhh]

YES!!!! Parallel Data Broadcast/Fallback Unit #PI070A $305.00

From Black Box - 877-877-2269 or blackbox.com

[Higg]

GREAT! That www.blackbox.com is an AWFUL site full of what-you-needs!

Well you *really* got that point... hope it works as it is described to do - printing at distances up to 5 miles with additional equipment...

THX a lot cyberhh! (what does the hh stands for?... your initials?)

Higg

[Sorry_I_Win]

wow... $300 for a multiplexer. damn. Oh well, if it works then hey why not.

[CobraTekMax]

Originally posted by Higg:
Well Cobra, you're right - a second LPT isn't the answer... but it should *really* fit the problem of printing *parallel*... that means both printers have to print the same thing at the same time - a switchbox is too dumb to realize that

D'oh! Oh well, it was early in the morning, and I misread the question. I'm an illiterate jackass, and now I look like a moron to boot.

Could be worse though.