[Tfug] ethernet to USB?

[Michael Salivar]

I work at a small print shop down here in Green Valley, and being the only geek working there, it's
probably my duty to bring it to the owner's attention that doubling a Win2k graphics workstation as
a print and file server does not an efficient network make.

I haven't worked much with Linux and print spooling yet, so I'm not sure if we'll be able to run
Linux yet.  Do you need to have a printer driver to spool for it, or can the server just pass jobs
on without understanding them?

Anyway, the real thing that's holding me back right now is USB and distances.  The server would
optimally be with the switches and DSL modem on one side of the building, while there are a bunch
of USB printers, plotters, scanners, and plate makers in graphics.  Does anyone know of a network
device which will act as a USB hub, and make devices function as a normal USB device to other
clients on the network? Or is there something else that will get me past this? Seperate USB 1.1 and
2.0 channels would be ideal, IEEE1394 would be a huge bonus for our new Graphtec 42" scanner.

Thanks everyone
Michael Salivar