See also General FAQs for printer switches/auto switches
What benefits does 4Print2 offer for networked PCs?
- 4Print2 relieves network load to eliminate unnecessary data traffic.
- Because 4Print2 prints locally, faster speeds are usually achieved compared to network printing.
- For the same reason, reliability is markedly improved.
- Printing within the workgroup is possible even during network failure.
What are the advantages of 4Print2 compared to installing a network for printing?
- Installation and administration of 4Print2 are significantly cheaper and easier.
- The computers do not have to be opened for installation.
- In contrast to 4Print2, network print jobs can be managed (e.g. deleted) only by one computer functioning as print server. This computer must always be switched on and has to process print jobs from other sources. 4Print2 does not need a print server.
- Networks need a great deal of memory and hardware resources.
- The benefits are particularly noticeable for notebooks.
Can the computers run different operating systems?
Yes, every computer can operate under any one of the supported operating systems irrespective of those used on the other computers.
Does 4Print2 also work under OS/2 or UNIX?
In principle, 4Print2 can be used with any operating system, but in these cases the computer can only access printer 1.
How does 4Print2 work?
4Print2 is connected to just one parallel port per computer.
During installation, this single port (e.g. LPT1) is replaced with two new virtual ports, each with their own, special name. The virtual ports can then be treated as if they were normal physical ports, allowing each PC to access a second printer as if it was directly connected to it.
If I have several parallel ports. Can I use the remaining ones for other purposes?
Additional parallel ports (e.g. LPT2 and LPT3) remain available for other uses, unaffected by 4Print2. Under MS-DOS, only LPT2 remains available.
How do I install 4Print2?
Hardware installation is simply a case of connecting PC and printer to 4Print2 using standard printer cables and plugging the included power supply unit into the mains.
Under Windows XP, 2000, NT, ME, 98 and 95, the installation program automatically recognizes the operating system. All you have to do is specify the printer port to which 4Print2 is connected and the virtual port for accessing the second printer.
Finally, when both printers are connected, the ports are assigned to the respective printers.
How do I select a printer?
As usual under Windows, printers are selected from within the application using the previously specified name.
Does the printer have to be re-selected for each print job?
No, under Windows, the printer selection remains active until another printer is selected. There are no differences to normal printer selection under Windows.
What happens when two computers try to access two printers at the same time?
Both printers work simultaneously, as if they were connected directly to the respective PCs.
What happens when two computers try to access the same printer at the same time?
The print process that was started first continues. The print data from the second PC is spooled by the Print Manager so that the user can continue working without interruption. Once the first print job is finished, the second document is automatically sent to the printer.
What happens if one of the computer is switched off?
All other computers continue to work as normal.
Can 4Print2 be cascaded?
In principle yes, although printer selection is somewhat limited. Depending on the arrangement, some computers will only be able to access particular printers.
Can I access the printers connected to 4Print2 as network printers?
Yes, provided you have released the printers for network use.
Can I access more than two printers?
With 4Print2, every PC can access two printers at the same time. If your computer has more than one parallel port, you can connect a 4Print2 to each port. If your PC is networked, you can still access network printers; 4Print2 does not restrict access to these.
Troubleshooting
The 4Print2 LED at one PC port is not flashing and I can not print.
For some reason, some PCs apply only 3.3 at the parallel port instead of the specified 5 volts. This causes problems not only for our devices: many other peripherals suffer, too. Luckily, there is a solution: Open the BIOS setup and try another parallel port mode. The newer 4Print2 units (from about 2003) should no longer have this problem.
What does the message mean that appears when I install under Windows XP?
It means only that the driver has not been registered by Microsoft. Ignore it and continue with the installation.
