How do I secure a printer.

[Rickster]

Quick story, my aunt is an Estate Agent and she has a black and white laser printer at work, she was told if she wants to print in colour she must bring her own, fair enough she has an unsed one at home.

How to I set the printer up so it cant be used by her co workers?

Thanks.

 

[LCBXX]

Have her take the USB and power cable home every day. You can pop one of the cartridges out as well but that will result in unnecessary wear.

 

[Rickster]

Have her take the USB and power cable home every day. You can pop one of the cartridges out as well but that will result in unnecessary wear.

I was thinking more of a software solution, at my college, in order to print we must enter our student code on our workstations then our password on the printer.

 

[LCBXX]

I was thinking more of a software solution, at my college, in order to print we must enter our student code on our workstations then our password on the printer.

Just to secure one individual desktop printer for 1 person? The solution would be cool but the effort unwarranted. "Die kool is nie die sous werd nie"

 

[Kano]

Disable File/Print sharing on her computer, and do not connect the printer to the network.

Other options can include if she has a lock up office then she can keep it locked at all times, or her fellow colleagues can contribute to the print cost or cost of buying a color printer for the office?

 

[Rickster]

Just to secure one individual desktop printer for 1 person? The solution would be cool but the effort unwarranted. "Die kool is nie die sous werd nie"

I think it has wi-fi functionality, that will work if it has it, and about the cable thing, you will always have one smart arse that will plug in his own cable.

 

[Rickster]

Disable File/Print sharing on her computer, and do not connect the printer to the network. -Im worried about a physical connection not a logical one.

Other options can include if she has a lock up office then she can keep it locked at all times, or her fellow colleagues can contribute to the print cost or cost of buying a color printer for the office? -Its open plan, only the boss has an office.

But thanks anyway.

 

[DrJohnZoidberg]

 

[AstroTurf]

Print in black and white.

 

[rorz0r]

Not much you can do if everyone has physical access...

 

[ichigo]

I think it has wi-fi functionality, that will work if it has it, and about the cable thing, you will always have one smart arse that will plug in his own cable.

You can disable DHCP then a cable won't help them unless they can guess what IP address it uses.

 

[Bar0n]

You can disable DHCP then a cable won't help them unless they can guess what IP address it uses.

Over a USB cable? :wtf:

 

[ichigo]

Over a USB cable? :wtf:

no if they plug in a network cable into the printer and you can change it via wifi using the browser and if it has wifi it sometimes has lan.

 

[Bar0n]

no if they plug in a network cable into the printer and you can change it via wifi using the browser and if it has wifi it sometimes has lan.

I would just plug in a USB cable.

 

[LazyLion]

I managed to secure a printer at Makro.

 

[supersunbird]

Printer made and model number please.

Otherwise removal of power cord and USB cable (if it doesn't use a standard PC cord, even better)

 

[ichigo]

I would just plug in a USB cable.

Not sure how the usb kensington locks work but wonder if there is one for a printer.

Can always just cut the usb power off

 

[kidcolt]

This thread reminds me of the difference between embracing technology and hugging the living $h1t out of it...

IMHO... Its not worth the effort of setting up a print server to secure one printer... Where it would be easier for her to just ask her colleagues not to use her printer. Or simply lock the printer in a cupboard where only she could get the print outs if she really does not trust her colleagues.

If you really have more time that you know what to do with... buy a Raspberry Pi, setup samba + cups, lock down the RPi OS. connect the print and the RPi via a USB cable... epoxy the cable in place and epoxy the network port... disable any wifi

 

[furpile]

Much simpler to just remove the colour cartridge for physical prevention. It depends how often she would want to print in colour. And unless it's a really fancy printer that you can set up I don't think anything will prevent someone from plugging the printer into their PC and printing what they want.

 

[Venomous]

I think it has wi-fi functionality, that will work if it has it, and about the cable thing, you will always have one smart arse that will plug in his own cable.

buying a psu just to print, when the cable costs almost the same as the printer?