Using a Raspberry Pi 3B+ as a print server is feasible but requires setup and configuration.
Using a Raspberry Pi 3B+ as a print server is feasible but requires setup and configuration.
So, back story... Printers are a pain in my ass when it comes to my setup. Personally I don't need them as I work outside of my home right now, but my wife is currently working 100% from home as she works for a non-profit with people who are extremely high risk for COVID. We had a single wireless all-in-one, but the printing side of it massively shit the bed. Like trying to clean the print heads and get it to print consistently in black and white literally seemed to burn through a whole new ink cartridge in an afternoon and wasn't even successful. I took the opportunity to upgrade to a laser printer which is great, but my wife still needs to scan, so we have two printers. The AIO is wireless so I could put that anywhere, but the laser printer is not, so it has to stay tethered at the moment to my gaming PC and takes up a bunch of desk space. My router isn't an option for a print server due to location, so my next thought would be to set up an old Raspberry Pi 3B+ I have lying around without a dedicated project to offload the responsibility. So what I'm looking for is a recommended guide or set of software so that I could directly wire the laser printer to the Pi, and preferably have it attached to a dedicated email address so that my wife could just email documents to it and have them print automatically so that it can remain headless. Any thoughts?
The instructions include steps for configuring the WLAN connection first. Assign a fixed LAN IP address to the Pi on the network, separate from your router’s DHCP pool, to prevent random IP changes and avoid disconnections. You can link the Pi’s MAC address to this static IP at the router, simplifying configuration. Printing via email isn’t supported, but these guides let you use any network printer as if it were local.
There are USB printer servers available on eBay starting around $10. One used Belkin model is listed for $15 and includes wireless capability (2.4GHz only), though you might prefer Ethernet for stability. Another option is the TrendNet TE100-PS1U, offering 10/100MBPS speed with USB connectivity. For more choices, consider the IOGEA Multi-Function USB printer or the Airlink 1-Port model. Each has its own features and compatibility notes.
These are extra tools you'd need to buy. I'm thinking about using a Pi since I already own one that isn't being used, making the whole project cost-free.
You bought a Pi but using it as a print server means you lose that device. For any future projects you’ll need another one or pay extra. Also, your effort might cost more than a few dollars per hour—if setup and testing take 3 to 5 hours, you’re working for under five dollars an hour.
I've owned this Pi for at least two to three years, but it's never performed reliably. I've attempted it for different projects and consistently faced issues. For instance, using it as a Plex server didn't handle high-definition content with subtitles that weren't permanently embedded. This might be the first stable experience I've had since buying it. Regarding setup, deviating from the instructions would likely require abandoning my IT role entirely if it took me three to five hours.