Print server

A print server, or printer server, is a computer or device that is connected to one or more printers and to a network. It accepts print jobs from client computers, then prints the jobs on the requested printer.

The term can refer to:

1. A computer running any of the printing servers software; implementing any of the network printing protocols.
2. A dedicated device that connects one or more printers to a local area network (LAN). It typically has a single LAN connector, such as an RJ-45 socket or a wireless connection,and one or more physical ports (e.g. serial, parallel or Universal Serial Bus (USB) ) to provide connections to printers. Such dedicated device converts network printing protocols from what was sent by client computers to what the printers can understand.

Notes

• The term print server usually refers to (1) above, while print server device or print server appliance usually refers to (2).
• Some printers have built-in print server's capabilities and can connect direct to the network.