POE Print Server?

[STiCory]

I have a couple older Zebra industrial printers, thermal, label etc. that are non-networked. I want to get some print servers so that I can put them on the LAN, thing is, I have a POE switch so I want to have POE servers, makes sense, right? Wrong. So far I have not been able to find a single one, they all require an external power supply, can't imagine why no-one has done this before!
FWIW I am looking for one of these, but POE. Is anyone aware of such a thing?

[dlink377]

I had success using this for connecting PoE to Non PoE device but still having power delivered using PoE standards:

 

https://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-POE10R-Gigabit-Splitter-compliant/dp/B003CFATQK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1466627825&sr=8-3&keywords=poe+splitter

 

https://www.amazon.com/ELEGIANT-Ethernet-Splitter-Adapter-Cameras/dp/B0146LFMZG/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1466627825&sr=8-7&keywords=poe+splitter

 

https://www.amazon.com/iCreatin-ethernet-Splitter-Adapter-Compliant/dp/B00SM196AE/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1466627825&sr=8-8&keywords=poe+splitter

 

Just take note of the voltage and required amp. The voltage should be same and the amp should be same or higher than your Print Server. If the connector is different, you can always cut it and solder it back together, just watch the polarity.

 

Anyway your Printer should be connected to the power, there are no reason to waste power on PoE and money if you have power ready nearby.

[Naeaes]

8 minutes ago, dlink377 said:

-snip-

What he said.The TP-link LPT server looks to take 3.3VDC@2A. You can use an adjustable buck converter to regulate the 12VDC you get out of the POE splitter down to the 3.3.VDC. 

 

I'm also kind of curious. Won't you need AC power for the printer itself anyway? Or is it powered by the LPT connector? It's before my time in the field so I don't know if that's a thing.

[STiCory]

26 minutes ago, dlink377 said:

I had success using this for connecting PoE to Non PoE device but still having power delivered using PoE standards:

 

https://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-POE10R-Gigabit-Splitter-compliant/dp/B003CFATQK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1466627825&sr=8-3&keywords=poe+splitter

 

https://www.amazon.com/ELEGIANT-Ethernet-Splitter-Adapter-Cameras/dp/B0146LFMZG/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1466627825&sr=8-7&keywords=poe+splitter

 

https://www.amazon.com/iCreatin-ethernet-Splitter-Adapter-Compliant/dp/B00SM196AE/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1466627825&sr=8-8&keywords=poe+splitter

 

Just take note of the voltage and required amp. The voltage should be same and the amp should be same or higher than your Print Server. If the connector is different, you can always cut it and solder it back together, just watch the polarity.

 

Anyway your Printer should be connected to the power, there are no reason to waste power on PoE and money if you have power ready nearby.

That TP-link splitter might work actually, I just have to find the print server I like and then I could probably source one of those. Yes true the printer does need its own power, but if I can find a cheap way to eliminate running another power brick, I will!

POE all the things!

14 minutes ago, Naeaes said:

What he said.The TP-link LPT server looks to take 3.3VDC@2A. You can use an adjustable buck converter to regulate the 12VDC you get out of the POE splitter down to the 3.3.VDC. 

 

I'm also kind of curious. Won't you need AC power for the printer itself anyway? Or is it powered by the LPT connector? It's before my time in the field so I don't know if that's a thing.

Yeah depending on what the voltage is of the print server will deem what method I go. The printer does need eternal power yes, but if I can cut another power adapter from the wall by cheaply adding a POE splitter or something at the locations where these would be installed, I would happily do that!

[dlink377]

I bought few of those LPT printer server and I have limited success with it though, some apps just doesn't play nice with it, especially quite legacy one that needs good connection to the printer, since I believe those kind of apps the data is not pooled, it is sent to the printer line by line as the program process the output. My printer is quite new EPSON dot matrix printer, although nowadays I just use USB and don't use the legacy apps more.

 

If your print server uses 3.3V you can just buy those cheap DC Buck power down from ebay for few dollars, usually used on Arduino or Raspberry Pi project. Most of them will supply up to 1A to 2A of 3.3V from 12V or 5V.