Connect USB Device Over Ethernet/LAN

[ericnix]

I have a Dymo postage scale that connects via USB. I would like to place this next to my printer. I have a printer and 2 Dymo LabelWriters connected to a switch (the LabelWriters are connected via Dymo print servers). The switch connects to my office switch.

I would like to place the scale near the printer/label makers.

Can someone point me in the best way to set this up? A USB cable would be too long and too thick to run under the baseboard. I could probably run a flat CAT5 cable underneath it and use a USB-CAT5 adapter, but honestly I would prefer to somehow figure out a way to connect it to the switch. Is anyone familiar with a way to do this?

 

[System Error Message]

ethernet is the best way as usb adds overhead and may not always work. In the past you could get usb print servers for this sort of thing.

You're much better off using ethernet.

 

[ericnix]

I need an adapter to use Ethernet. That's what I was curious who made them. I don't think a printserver would work with a scale. I could be wrong though.

 

[System Error Message]

if you're looking for usb ethernet NIC as the device doesnt have ethernet it is very unlikely to work. Just as you can plug usb ethernet NICs to android devices they dont work either unless you do some complicated stuff.

some routers are capable of sharing the usb device with a limitation that it can only be accessed by 1 client at a time. TP link did this though to gain performance for sharing a usb hard drive for instance.

 

[sfx2000]

Sounds like a nice little project for a Pi - connect the labelwriters to the USB on it, and then WiFi client it over to the AP...