Difference Between Local Printer vs Network Printer

I'm going to be setting up a few printers to share in a medium sized office,
on several XP-Pro machines. (The printers have their own network card).

But I've never been really clear on the difference between:

local printer vs network printer.

To add to the confusion I even hear some people say "I connected a network
printer, locally" !

Now correct me if I am wrong, but this is what I understand thus far:

A "local printer" can connect to WIN-XP in 1 of 3 ways:

1) USB port
2) standard printer port
3) through the network lines (using TCP/IP protocol)

So... if I can connect the printer "locally" to the PC's using method 3
(network lines) what then is a network printer?!

Which method should I use (local printer or network printer)?

It's a hosting verses "Sharing" issue. A IP enabled printer can exist on
a LAN without it being hosted by a computer. A hosted printer must
be physically connected to PC and then can be shared on the LAN.
So the difference is how the printer interfaces to the network - on it's
own IP address or as a shared resource from a computer.

"Tau_Ceti_2" <Tau_Ceti_2@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:FDB91BE5-804B-43E8-B07A-C4193BEFF1E6@microsoft.com...
> I'm going to be setting up a few printers to share in a medium sized
> office,
> on several XP-Pro machines. (The printers have their own network card).
>
> But I've never been really clear on the difference between:
>
> local printer vs network printer.
>
> To add to the confusion I even hear some people say "I connected a network
> printer, locally" !
>
> Now correct me if I am wrong, but this is what I understand thus far:
>
> A "local printer" can connect to WIN-XP in 1 of 3 ways:
>
> 1) USB port
> 2) standard printer port
> 3) through the network lines (using TCP/IP protocol)
>
> So... if I can connect the printer "locally" to the PC's using method 3
> (network lines) what then is a network printer?!
>
> Which method should I use (local printer or network printer)?
>

Tau_Ceti_2 wrote:
> I'm going to be setting up a few printers to share in a medium sized office,
> on several XP-Pro machines. (The printers have their own network card).
>
> But I've never been really clear on the difference between:
>
> local printer vs network printer.
>
> To add to the confusion I even hear some people say "I connected a network
> printer, locally" !
>
> Now correct me if I am wrong, but this is what I understand thus far:
>
> A "local printer" can connect to WIN-XP in 1 of 3 ways:
>
> 1) USB port
> 2) standard printer port
> 3) through the network lines (using TCP/IP protocol)
>
> So... if I can connect the printer "locally" to the PC's using method 3
> (network lines) what then is a network printer?!
>
> Which method should I use (local printer or network printer)?
>

Basically, a workstation that has a printer connected directly to it
(either by USB or parallel port) has a Local printer. Other machines on
the network may be able to print to that printer, if it is shared, and
in that case,it then becomes a "network" printer to those machines.
However, they will only be able to print to that printer if the machine
to which it is connected is switched on.

A true "network" printer is one that is connected via an Ethernet card
or a print server directly into the network via a switch, and usually
uses tcp/ip printing. Any machine on the network can then print to these
printers, which are entirely independent of any workstations.

Hope that's obscure enough!

Tau_Ceti_2 wrote:

> I'm going to be setting up a few printers to share in a medium sized office,
> on several XP-Pro machines. (The printers have their own network card).
>
> But I've never been really clear on the difference between:
>
> local printer vs network printer.
>
> To add to the confusion I even hear some people say "I connected a network
> printer, locally" !
>
> Now correct me if I am wrong, but this is what I understand thus far:
>
> A "local printer" can connect to WIN-XP in 1 of 3 ways:
>
> 1) USB port
> 2) standard printer port
> 3) through the network lines (using TCP/IP protocol)
>
> So... if I can connect the printer "locally" to the PC's using method 3
> (network lines) what then is a network printer?!
>
> Which method should I use (local printer or network printer)?
>

Is there a server that provides the "queue" for the printers? If so then
NETWORK, if it is just attached to the network, do Local.

The date and time was 2/26/2008 1:13 PM, and on a whim, Tau_Ceti_2
pounded out on the keyboard:

> I'm going to be setting up a few printers to share in a medium sized office,
> on several XP-Pro machines. (The printers have their own network card).
>
> But I've never been really clear on the difference between:
>
> local printer vs network printer.
>
> To add to the confusion I even hear some people say "I connected a network
> printer, locally" !
>
> Now correct me if I am wrong, but this is what I understand thus far:
>
> A "local printer" can connect to WIN-XP in 1 of 3 ways:
>
> 1) USB port
> 2) standard printer port
> 3) through the network lines (using TCP/IP protocol)
>
> So... if I can connect the printer "locally" to the PC's using method 3
> (network lines) what then is a network printer?!
>
> Which method should I use (local printer or network printer)?
>

Hi Tau,

A network printer is not called a local printer. "I connected a network
printer, locally" isn't correct. Local is connected to a port on a
workstation (parallel, serial, USB, etc). If one workstation connects
to another workstation printer (that is connected locally), that would
be called a networked printer also, through a shared resource.

--
Terry R.

***Reply Note***
Anti-spam measures are included in my email address.
Delete NOSPAM from the email address after clicking Reply.

> A "local printer" can connect to WIN-XP in 1 of 3 ways:
>
> 1) USB port
> 2) standard printer port
> 3) through the network lines (using TCP/IP protocol)

Close but Option 3) would be regarded as a "network" printer.

Local = physically connected (USB or parallel port) to the computer you are
working on.

Network
1) "True networkable printer" = standalone printer on a network (with its
own IP address) - doesn't rely on any computer on that network being
switched on for the printer to be available
2) "Shared printer" = physically connected to another computer on the
network and shared on that network so you can "see" it from your computer.
Downside is that the computer that it's physically connected to must be
switched on for the printer to be available.

--
Regards

John Waller

Thank you kindly to everyone for your great and detailed responses.

I read them all carefully and I now have a much better understanding of what
a true "Network Printer" is.

The last lingering doubt I have is in relation to the printer-setup-wizard
GUI.

When using that GUI I have to select "Local Printer" in order to specify a
TCP/IP address to the network printer.

Wouldn't it make more sense if the TCP/IP were under the "Network Printer"
heading inside the GUI?

Or is there something I am perhaps still misunderstanding?

Yes, that is one of the weird aspects of this. A TCP/IP (or LPR) printer is
regarded as 'local' inasmuch as the driver prints to a TCP/IP port, which
then sends the data to the specified IP address.

I would in any case recommend this method as it 1: Avoids dependency on
other computers, and 2: Works for all logged-on users (Whether workgroup or
domain) and is not adversely affected by password-changes.

"Tau_Ceti_2" wrote:

> The last lingering doubt I have is in relation to the printer-setup-wizard
> GUI.
>
> When using that GUI I have to select "Local Printer" in order to specify a
> TCP/IP address to the network printer.
>
> Wouldn't it make more sense if the TCP/IP were under the "Network Printer"
> heading inside the GUI?

Anteaus wrote:
> Yes, that is one of the weird aspects of this. A TCP/IP (or LPR) printer is
> regarded as 'local' inasmuch as the driver prints to a TCP/IP port, which
> then sends the data to the specified IP address.

yes it is weird, isn't it? On Linux/Unix, you actually select a Network
Printer when installing a Network Printer.....

A Linux feature which is _logical_ ... ?!?

Well, I never. <g>

"Gordon" wrote:

> yes it is weird, isn't it? On Linux/Unix, you actually select a Network
> Printer when installing a Network Printer.....