USB & Ethernet Adaptors

PDD

Hi Folks,

I have a PC on one side of the room and a printer on the other side of the room (its the only way they in the room/on furniture etc). Thankfully its a networked printer so printing is no issue however when I need to scan something it has to be connected via USB. I have seen adaptors for USB to Ethernet and vice versa, Im just wondering if its possible to use a set of these adaptors and an ethernet cable to connect the Printer to the PC and have the PC think its connected to the printer via a normal USB cable.

Strange question I know but a USB cable long enough will set me back 35E and I have a roll of Cat5 lying around so I thought why not use that instead. Any and all feedback would be appreciated.

Dave

swampgas

PDD wrote: »

Hi Folks,

I have a PC on one side of the room and a printer on the other side of the room (its the only way they in the room/on furniture etc). Thankfully its a networked printer so printing is no issue however when I need to scan something it has to be connected via USB. I have seen adaptors for USB to Ethernet and vice versa, Im just wondering if its possible to use a set of these adaptors and an ethernet cable to connect the Printer to the PC and have the PC think its connected to the printer via a normal USB cable.

Strange question I know but a USB cable long enough will set me back 35E and I have a roll of Cat5 lying around so I thought why not use that instead. Any and all feedback would be appreciated.

Dave

It's been a few years since I messed around with USB to ethernet adapters, my experience with them was mixed - a lot depended on the USB device.

Also, IIRC, USB/ethernet adapters weren't that cheap either - you might find it cheaper to get the long USB cable after all.

Which adapters were you looking at?

BaconZombie

Linksys and DLink still do USB-to-Ether but it will not work for what you want since a driver need to be loaded onto the system.

How far a way is the MFU ?

USB will go 5M , but you can get "Active Extenders " for USB with IIRC will give you 15M { but I would not try over 10M}.

PDD

Hi Folks,

Cheers for the replies, it would seem from the experience ye guys had its not exactly the best option. I was just thinking in terms of using the cabling I had but it looks like I'll have to shell out for the cable.

@BaconZombie - The printers less than 5M away from the PC if I just put the cable directly across the floor which is what I think I'll do.

Its relatively rare that I need to scan stuff but as I can't put them closer together in the room and theres no chance of me lifting and moving the printer any time I want to scan its going to have to be a long cable. Cheers for the help guys, much appreciated.

Dave

BostonB

Might be cheaper and just easier to buy a cheap wireless all in one printer/scanner with

PDD

@ Boston - Somehow I don't think that is the cheaper option for me. The printer/scanner I have is a very good one so to get something similar with wireless capability you would be looking around the 400-600E price range besides why spend more money on a second printer/scanner when I already have a perfectly good working one?

For anyone who has followed this thread the two viable options I have discovered are either getting a wireless USB Print Server or to simply find a very long USB cable which I did in the end. Found a 15M USB Cable on eBay for 10E incl. postage. Will see if it works when it gets here.

BostonB

I'm surprised something that expensive requires USB for the scanner tbh.

axer

IIRC you should only have a usb 2 cable 5 meters long before the signal needs to be regenerated and I think you can only have 5 repeaters in a row so look to be able to get 25m length in total.
e.g.
http://www.lindy.ie/5m-usb-2-slimline-active-extension-cable/42817.html

Then there is also these two options:
http://www.lindy.ie/usb-extension-cat5-usb-extender-up-to-50m/42805.html
http://www.lindy.ie/usb-extension-cat5-usb-extender-premium-up-to-50m/42801.html
but I am not 100% sure if the latter two need drivers (dont look like they do) but it will only work as usb1.1.

PDD

Scanning via network is not the norm and is typically reserved for very high end office printers where they can afford to pay the big bucks. The printer I have is geared toward an SME so a very different price point. Plus I think the one I bought was an older model and I bought i after the newer one had come out.

@ axer- All of those USB extension devices require drivers running on a PC and seeing as I doubt many of them have Linux drivers they are a no go.

BostonB

A quick google suggests HP AIO can use webscan for network scanning. Even the cheaper ones. Perhaps theres something similar for your AIO.

PDD

I don't know what to say apart from it must be something fairly recent. My printer (HP 1522n MFP) is about 4 years old and scanning over the network is not supported and never will be at least according to the HP person I had to duke it out with to get a straight answer.

BostonB

Would it be worth trying Webscan?

axer

PDD wrote: »

@ axer- All of those USB extension devices require drivers running on a PC and seeing as I doubt many of them have Linux drivers they are a no go.

The usb extensions that do not use Cat5 etc do not need drivers e.g. http://www.lindy.ie/5m-usb-2-slimline-active-extension-cable/42817.html
The only problem is you might need a few depending on the distance you have to go.

swampgas

Having read through this thread again - are you *really* sure you couldn't just rearrange the furniture?