automatic data switch

[crabby117]

I'm looking for a recommendation. I need an automatic data switch that will let me hook up 4 PC's to one printer. I bought one from the store that claimed to be automatic, but it does not seem to function as it claims. Essentially it cycles (flashes at each port) for a few seconds and is supposed to "allow" a print job from any PC requesting the printer. When the job is done, it's supposed to resume cycling all ports until another PC makes a request. It doesn't quite work. The device will cycle for a short while (seconds) and then even if no device is performing a print job, it lands on a port and stops there. Moreover, if it lands on a port that actually IS requesting a print job, when the job is done, it doesn't let go of that port and resume cycling.

Can anyone recommend such a data switch that is truly automatic? Thanks.

 

[kippy13]

Can u tell us the make and model number of the one you are currently using as there may be issues with it which have fixes.


"Sometimes I do not know but I try hard"- R.F. Haughty 1923

 

[crabby117]

I believe the one I got was an Aten A26022R 4-port. I originally got a 2-port and I noticed that it had a single toggle switch on it labeled 2-1 and 1-2 (2 PC's to 1 printer, and 1 PC to 2 printers) and also labels for 15 second and 45 second delay. On the 4-port device, however, no such toggle. Instead it had 4 separate dip switches labeled 1-4 and nothing in the manual said what each dip switch controls. The only mention of any dip switch in the 1-page fold out manual is that to reset the swtich, toggle dip 1, and NEVER toggle dip 3 while the device is powered on.

 

[kippy13]

There seems to be no reference to this on the web, have u tried contacting the maker?

"Sometimes I do not know but I try hard"- R.F. Haughty 1923

 

[crabby117]

I've been to their web site aten-usa.com. (I might have gotten the model number wrong; what shows up on their web site is different.) But their site is as crappy as their manual. It would have been so easy to put a simple chart showing the positions of the dip switches for those of us who actually do RTFM! It's just a poor product (for one that should be so basic in its function) and I'd rather spend my money elsewhere.

 

[kippy13]

I've been doing a little research into the company in the last hour and they have a very bad rep for support.
Have u though about getting a hub(cheap) and networking the machines?


"Sometimes I do not know but I try hard"- R.F. Haughty 1923

 

[crabby117]

They're not networked, nor does the customer want them to be. Actually that's inaccurate. 2 of the 3 machines are on a network and they perform pretty much day-to-day office functions. I could share/map between these two. But the third machine is very stand-alone and function-specific. I think it's an XP machine, and it's tightly locked down with even the most common tools, like the control panels and the Run... menu option, inaccessible through what I can only imagine to be registry tweaks. I just want a simple switch that will automatically do its job. Know of any? Thanks for the research.

 

[kippy13]

Hi,
Sorry but dont know of any decent switches.


"Sometimes I do not know but I try hard"- R.F. Haughty 1923