Linking my PC's Together w/o a Server?!? PLEASE HELP

[Brands Imaging]

i wasnt sure if this was proper thread to post for this forum but it looked good enough,

I have a mimaki jv-33 still in the box and 2 xp machines with 4 gigs of RAM each. all is well and the mimaki tech is coming tomorrow to help train and set up.

My question is how do i link my 2 pc machines together to transfer files? Fire Wire? MUST I haved a server for only 2 machines? and also what is the provided connection from my rip computer to my printer?

I know its best to get a server but for now I'd like to hardwire everything..is this possible?? Please help.

 

[Shovelhead]

You'll have to create a network.

"network setup wizard"

It's fairly routine.


http://www.google.com/search?q=netw...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

 

[D&Tgraphics]

You will need a router too if you don't have one already.

 

[SignBurst PCs]

Does your Mimaki use firewire to connect to your RIP PC?

Do both of your computers have Ethernet ports?

Do you want them to be connected to the Internet? If so, what type of Internet connection do you have and do you already have a router?

BTW, no need for a server.

 

[Brands Imaging]

i have a JV-33 - I'm not 100% sure what the hardline connect is but i have the capability to do firewire for all my equipment.

arent firewire and ethernet different?!? and yes, I have ethernet on all my equipment

I will have a basic comcast internet connection (philly area) and yes I'd like them both to be connected to the internet.

 

[TresL]

Buy a basic Linksys router and follow the link above for the basic networking/sharing.

 

[SignBurst PCs]

Yep Firewire and Ethernet are different.

Since you want Internet of them both of them, you will need a router. Otherwise, you could have just used a cross-over cable.

Linksys is a great way to go. Be sure to go through the router setup and change the default password.

It isn't really all that difficult.

 

[Capital Signs]

Now why is linkys better than netgear? I have almost all netgear routers. Are those plug and play, rather than having to go through the setup wizzard of netgear?

Thanks!

 

[Techman]

Lynksys is a better choice because it has a few more features that you may need in the future such as port forwarding and the ability to add in more than three other objects or wireless cards. Some may never need port forwarind and like features. But if you ever do need it you will find yourself buying a new router anyway.

Plus Linksys seems to have less problems over the long run. Plus you can get matching wireless cards that have no problems in the long run.

I have several of the different flavors of routers and wireless cards.
In the end every thing I use is now linksys products because all the other flavors either died or failed to live up to expectations.

So, spend just a few dollars more to get more in the beginning and spend a lot less in the long run.

 

[iSign]

I output jobs to my JV3 via firewire, although be forewarned you will not be able to go any great distance between the rip station & the printer, unless firewire length limitations have improved since I last looked.

Although I do have a server, I agree with the above that a simple router/switch & establishing some basic sharing permissions will get your two computers talking to each other, so you could initiate your designs on one machine & import those designs into the other for output.

 

[Goatboy]

15 feet is the limitation for firewire..less you can find a jump up like theyve come up with for USB. Router or even an ethernet hub will do what your looking for.

 

[SignBurst PCs]

15 feet is the limitation for firewire..less you can find a jump up like theyve come up with for USB. Router or even an ethernet hub will do what your looking for.

Don't even know where you would find a "hub" these days. But don't get one.

You need a router, not a hub, not a switch.

A router will be able to hand out IP addresses via DHCP and allow all of your Ethernet devices to "talk" to each other. Neither a hub, nor a switch will do this and you would have to set up everything manually with "static IP addresses". It can be done manually, but a router (DHCP) will do it for you.

 

[Capital Signs]

I have this camera system that I just got not too long ago, I"m still trying to set the damn thing up so I can see the cams at my house! Ugh, it sucks.

 

[Brands Imaging]

sooooo, is there an additional option for the RIP computer and the printer to talk?!? or is that it? firewire or usb??

 

[Capital Signs]

Ethernet.

 

[SignBurst PCs]

In your case, I would stick with the FireWire. It is a dedicated, direct connection to your RIP computer.

If your printer has an Ethernet print server, you can use that, but it is not ideal to connect it to the same router as your computers.

If you do have the ability to use an Ethernet (and decide to forgo the FireWire), it would be better to add a second Ethernet card to your RIP computer and connect the printer directly to the RIP computer via an Ethernet "cross-over" cable. This will eliminate many possible issues, including bandwidth anomalies.

 

[Capital Signs]

So in your opinion, Signburst PC, I can get a crossover cable, and run it directly to the printer? How would I get my files to the computer that is going already to the printer, 2 Nic cards?

 

[SignBurst PCs]

Chris,

PM sent.

 

[iSign]

sooooo, is there an additional option for the RIP computer and the printer to talk?!? or is that it? firewire or usb??

what are you trying to do now? Why ask for an additional option? Something about these options not working for you? Let us know what the problem is so folks can help you "solve" them. I don't think anyone ever said USB was an option, but if they did... I still don't think it is an option. My Mimaki has one other port by the firewire port, but I've never used it, so I don't recall if it was parallel, or serial. I'm more used to printers using parallel, so serial may not even be possible... I don't know... but firewire is great, why don't you want to use that? Distance?

 

[choucove]

We've had both Linksys and Netgear networking equipment (switches and routers) and had good luck with both, but in the end the Netgear was actually much more user-friendly, especially for beginners to networking. Their standard features all is up to what you are willing to spend.

Linksys was known as the dying brand a few years back because they were rather poorly made, but were the cheapest thing on the market. However, CISCO, renowned networking titan, bought out Linksys and helped inprove their quality but also increased their cost.

As has been stated, the best setup that can be done to connect two computers together to share files or share printers (the Mimaki JV3) over a network without a server is to just set up File & Printer Sharing in Windows and make sure that both computers are connected to the internet. You only need the RIP computer connected to the actual JV3 printer (via firewire cable) and the two computers will communicate with one another via ethernet.

A good simple network setup would have your internet coming in from the outside world via DSL or Cable, going to the DSL or Cable modem, and the modem would then connect to a router. A router allows you to hook up several computers to the internet at a time, and with File & Printer Sharing turned on in Windows, will allow the computers to communicate together in a network. If you already have a router in place, but need more ports to connect more computers or, better yet, want a faster network speed you can get a network switch as well to connect to the router which also allows multiple computers to connect to the internet and network communication between those computers. This is what we did, as the CICSO firewall in place (which also acts as a router) only is a 100 MBps network switch speed, but also got a 16-port 1000 MBps network switch to greatly increase the speed of file sharing within the network between computers.