Member Avatar for Blue Storm

Alright so all of the computers in my house are all Laptops. Well the issue is when my main laptop is with me at work no one else can print with out unpluggin the USB cable from the back of my docking station. So its kind of a pain. Now I also want to get an external HD for backup. Now is are there any external hard drives out there that will let me plug in my printer so the other laptops can print when im gone?

I know the new Apple Time Capsule will do just this... but we don't have any Mac's that need to be backed up, so it might be useless to get it. But im willing to be convinced other wise. :)

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A short, practical summary tied to the thread: the core problem described (a USB printer attached to a single laptop) can be solved three sensible ways — a network-capable printer, a small network device that shares both a drive and a printer, or a low-power always‑on box that runs a print server and backup service. The Apple AirPort/Time Capsule historically combined an internal disk with a USB port for a printer or external drive (good for a Mac-centric household). (support.apple.com)

Cheapest / simplest: many consumer routers with a USB port can act as a basic print server and expose an attached drive for sharing. That typically requires a vendor utility or per‑PC driver (router USB print utilities like TP‑Link’s are common), and transfer speeds are modest — fine for occasional or overnight backups but not a replacement for a real NAS. ’s router suggestion fits this category. (tp-link.com)

NAS / old‑PC tradeoffs: a repurposed PC or a SOHO NAS gives more flexibility (scheduled backups, better drive handling, apps), which is what suggested — but printer support varies by vendor and model. Synology and others historically supported USB printers, but newer OS releases changed USB peripheral support, so printer sharing on a NAS is not guaranteed without workarounds (CUPS in a container, USB-to-Ethernet adapters, or buying a network printer). Check the NAS vendor’s compatibility notes before relying on it as a print server. (synology.com)

Most energy‑efficient / flexible: a small single‑board computer (Raspberry Pi) running CUPS for printing plus Samba/rsync for backups is low‑power, inexpensive, and customizable — the best middle ground between an “always‑on” PC and limited router USB sharing (this addresses ’s energy point). Example quick setup (Raspbian / Raspberry Pi OS): 

sudo apt update
sudo apt install cups samba
sudo usermod -a -G lpadmin pi
sudo cupsctl --remote-any

Guides for the Pi + CUPS approach and measurements showing low Pi power draw vs typical desktop consumption are available. (tomshardware.com)

Bottom line: for zero administration, a network (Wi‑Fi/Ethernet) printer is the most reliable; for low cost + dual-purpose (printer + simple backup) a router with USB can work; for reliable backups plus shared printing on the LAN, a Pi or a proper NAS is the more robust long‑term choice.

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Member Avatar for mechbas

So the USB cable is plugged into what other than your docking station?
Do you intend to backup data or system files?
There's a lot of new stuff on the market, but I would think that any HD that you might buy for the printer is gonna need a server of some type to operate it.
What kind of network are you running?

Member Avatar for DimaYasny

imo the best thing to do is to set up an old PC as a home server.
another option would be to get a SOHO NAS box, and a wired (or even wireless) enabled printer

Member Avatar for Blue Storm

I was thinking about setting up another old PC to host the printer. But I thought it was such a waste since thats all it will be doing. And there i need to really setup some sort of a backup plan that I have been putting off for a while. Thats why I thought a external HD would be good. Kill two birds with one stone. The Apple Time Capsule sparked my attention because we are thinking about replacing one of the laptops with a Mac book or a Mac Book Pro.

Member Avatar for DimaYasny

well, and old PC with lots of disk space and a printer attached is the easiest to implement. it is also probably the cheapest and the customizable solution

Member Avatar for hyper6

Guys - please think in terms of energy efficiency as well .. an old pc with just printing capability or network storage solution is a sheer waste of energy. You better get Iomega IConnect or something similar - there are many options available.

Member Avatar for mah300274

I am not 100% sure on the problem but kinda sounds to something I do at my house. Look at this product; http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833320062&Tpk=rt%20n56u, it is the RT-N56U router. It has 2 USB ports. One USB can be used for printing (I use to with it before my completely wireless printer) but it made my printer "wireless" too. Then the other USB can be used for an external drive. The drive is slower at about 5-10MB/s but might do job for overnight backup. But it is great in windows environment as a home media server too. Tell me what you think! ..Or if it completely off to what your doing...

Member Avatar for crunchie

Please check the post dates :).

Member Avatar for mah300274

Makes sense ;) but u never know....may help from someone asking questions later on...

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