Home and Business LANs 
(Local Area Networks)

Networking several PCs and sharing printers and files should make sense to everybody.

Printer Sharing:

You only need one printer.  (Although the need for an emergency backup printer is inevitable). Invest in one quality multi-purpose printer and your business will be that much better.  By providing quality printouts, fax and scanning capabilities, a good quality printer can enhance your business offerings. 

Printer Myths:

Please be aware that although printers can be shared,  in every case I have ever witnessed, the scanning and faxing must be done from the PC connected directly to the printer.  This PC would also be known as the "print server".   There are Fax sharing and Scanner sharing solutions, but the cost and functionality are not worth the trouble.

Disk Space Sharing:

As newer PCs arrive with larger hard drives, you can easily share a drive and move files off the overloaded machines to the newer larger hard drive.

Remember:  Sharing software is NOT as easy. Most Windows software must be INSTALLED on each PC, not COPIED to each machine. Usually, licensing issues will come into play.  Do not risk your business by pirating software.  Buy one copy for each PC.

File Backup:

Backup devices are failing miserably at keeping up with hard drives.    CDRs and tape provide poor solutions.  But sharing a hard drive, AND establishing a backup procedure is easy with across your network.

CD Writers