The key to networking older Mac printers is figuring out HOW a specific printer communicates with the Mac. This is not as straightforward as it seems! The problem is that even though a printer has a Mac-compatible serial port, it may communicate with the computer in one of two different ways!

Most Epson inkjet printers, for example, are plain SERIAL devices. These printers are not really meant to be networked. They are designed to be directly connected to a single computer and to only communicate with that single computer.

Most Hewlett-Packard inkjet printers, on the other hand are APPLETALK printers. While they connect to the same serial port as serial printers, they understand the networking protocol built into the Mac OS -- AppleTalk. This gives them the ability to be networked to communicate with multiple computers. (To complicate matters further, most HP printers can be used as either AppleTalk or serial devices -- depending on which driver you use!)

To make matters even more confusing -- Apple StyleWriter inkjet printers may be EITHER serial-only or AppleTalk/serial depending on the model -- not all of them were capable of AppleTalk operation!

So, the first thing one needs to determine when networking an older Mac printer is not actually, "How can I connect this printer?" but rather, "Is this printer AppleTalk-capable or not?" You have to determine THAT before you can go a step further!

For SERIAL-ONLY printers your options are pretty much:

A. If the printer has multiple built-in ports, you can connect each computer to a different port. This will work with most printers -- check with the printer manufacturer. For example: If the printer has a Mac serial port and a parallel port, you could use something like InfoWave's PowerPrint serial-to-parallel or USB-to-parallel adapters (around $100) to connect one Mac to the parallel port, and connect another Mac via the serial port -- either directly if you have a Mac with serial ports, or via an USB-to-serial adapter if you have a newer USB-equipped Mac. Major disadvantage with this
method: You only have so many ports available! (Important note: Most USB-to-serial devices do NOT support AppleTalk -- so they are only useful for serial Mac printers! The exception to this is the so-called "stealth"-type serial adapters which usually connect to the Mac's internal modem slot.)

B. Use software to "share" a printer which is connected to a single Mac. This would include such previously-mentioned options as EpsonShare (only works with Epson printers), Apple's Printer Share (only works with Apple printers), and some AppleScript solutions such as PowerSPrint. The main disadvantages to all of these methods is that the host Mac will suffer a performance hit while others are printing -- possibly to the point of being unuseable for anything else! -- and they may be SLOW! (I've used Apple Printer Share over a corporate ethernet network with a StyleWriter. It was EXCRUCIATINGLY slow!)

C. Epson now has the Axis 1440, an Ethernet printer server which connects many of their printers to an Ethernet network. It sells for around $160. This is one of the best ways to network an Ethernet printer!

D. Bite the bullet and buy a printer for each Mac -- this is probably the easiest way to go! There are lots of low-cost inkjet printers available out there. You might even search eBay or garage sales for used printers.

For APPLETALK-CAPABLE printers you have these options:

A. Connect the printer to a Mac with a serial port, either built-in or of the "stealth" variety, and use Apple LocalTalk Bridge to share it. Again, the host computer may experience a performance hit while others are printing -- but I've found it's usually not too bad. Also this software is NOT supported by Apple, has not been updated in a long time, and is mildly buggy! You may find yourself making multiple trips to Chooser to re-connect to the printer, or restarting occasionally to get it working again! Also, as you have probably discovered by now, LocalTalk Bridge ONLY works with AppleTalk printers, not with serial-only printers

B. Somehow, get the printer connected to Ethernet. I recommend Asante's AsantePrint -- about $100 -- easy to setup, easy to use. Farallon also makes similar devices. You might also look for a used Dayna EtherPrint -- these originally sold for around $300, but were discontinued when Intel bought out Dayna to obtain their high-end networking products!

In conclusion, I'd have to say if at all possible, try to get your printer connected via Ethernet! It's really the best way to share a printer. In fact, here's a plea to all Mac printer manufacturers: Cool it with the USB printers for a while! There are PLENTY of them on the market now -- and they are great for use with a single Mac! But, PLEASE, someone introduce a low-cost ($150-250 price range) inkjet printer with Ethernet built-in -- that's what the Mac printer market is really lacking right now!

Jim Dickison has been working with Macs since 1987 and currently supports Macs in the Creative Division of Hallmark Cards, Inc.