>>>>>If you have a network printer connected to a router then, I suppose, you can print to this printer from any computer on the network. If two computers try to print at the same time what controls the spooling (since there is no printer server)?
>>>>
>>>>More precisely, typically a standalone network printer is connected to a switch rather than a router. Many consumer-grade routers contain a built-in switch with 4 or more LAN ports, which may be what you're using in this case.
>>>>
>>>>Network printers do contain built-in print servers. They usually run an embedded OS (often Linux-based) which offers a print server/spooler, print processor, and these days usually an embedded web server for administration and configuration. Some higher-end models have lots of RAM and may even have an internal hard drive for spooling large print jobs, holding document templates etc. They are basically computers with a print engine.
>>>
>>>Thank you very much for the explanation. I am in the process of shopping for a network printer and a router. So I will look for a router with LAN ports and a printer with RAM and more advanced features.
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>>What do you need a router for? My understanding is that routers are usually used (a) to connect a LAN to a WAN technology, or otherwise connect different networks, and (b) to divide larger networks into subnets, among other things for administrative purposes.
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>I currently use a cable company modem with a router built-in. This router has 4 ports where I connected computers in my office. So it allows me to have all computers (connected to the router) to be on the same network. So I can share drivers, printers, etc. I may need more that 4 ports (if I buy a network printer, for example). So I would need to buy another router with, say, 4 ports. Then by connecting the second router to the first one (the cable-modem router) I will increase number of devices I can connect to the network. Does it make sense?


If you buy a switch - buy one with a least 8 ports -
You have to use a port from your router to connect to the switch

The ports of the switch
(1) connects to the router
(2) the PC that was connected to the router

So, 2 ports (out of 8 ) already used