Allowing two computers to use 1 printer/scanner

[onlinesource]

I just joined the forum and feel pretty silly asking this question, but I can get a straight answer anywhere. So, currently me and my wife shared a home office together. Both of our desks are in between a printer and scanner that we both use. The printer is a thermal printer (Zebra 505) that connects from the B jack on the back of it to an open USB port on my desktop tower. Once it's up and running, I can share it with her across the network and she can send jobs to it. The Epson scanner (GT 1500) is also connected to my PC but I can not share the scanner like I can share a printer.

My question is, if I unplug either USB cord from the back of my computer into her desktop, her computer immediately recognizes each new device and attempts to download drivers and enable it. It's as simple as "plug 'n play".

That being said, do they make a special printer cable (like a Y cable) with 2 male USB extensions that would allow me to plug one of the USB extended cables into the back of my desktop and the other extended USB cable into hers? The other end, would be a B jack that goes directly into the device. If the printer can communicate with both desktops, then both PCs would use the printer even if my desktop isn't on and unable to share the device.

This seems like a very simple request and I have looked everywhere with no answer.

 

[getochkn]

It wouldn't work with allowing 2 pc's connected at once. Best case would be like a USB switchbox, they used to make them back in the day but I think they did cause issues if both PC's were connected as I haven't seen one in years and years.

Better option, get an all in one printer/scanner machine that is either network or wifi capable and thus able to be on independant of a PC and always on your network.

Sharing a home office, write it off. lol.

 

[bigpinkdragon286]

Autosharing USB printer switch

Probably not going to work for a scanner, but you can always use a manually activated USB switch in that case.

Of course, getochkn's resolution seems the most reliable solution. Get a printer designed for the task at hand.

 

[onlinesource]

I can always sell the scanner and get one that allows me to connect it to the network. Stinks that I am out the $200+ I spent on the old scanner. Oh well. The other issue is the thermal printer is provided by FedEx and only allows for a USB connection, so I am limited there.