Posts tagged home networking

Cloud Computing: Past, Present and Future

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With cloud computing, computer resources are delivered over a network instead of a single computer. The network can be a set of servers accessed via the internet or through shared computers on a business intranet. The concept of cloud computing has been around for decades but this technology has recently been more broadly embraced by the business community. This infographic gives an overview presentation of cloud computing and many of its most important advantages.

This cloud computing infographic presents historical statistics, current figures, and future projections. This includes financial information and market share data. Central to this infographic is a detailed easy to read timeline graphic starting with the origins of cloud computing in the 1960s and then following the evolution of this important technology platform. The results of a survey conducted with two-hundred fifty companies to name the key features that attracted them to cloud computing are also presented. Efficiency was the number one reason given for incorporating cloud computing into their business operations. Cloud computing can also greatly decrease the costs a business incurs, in fact more so than most other technologies. As the infographic presents, cloud computing can save a company forty percent of their operating costs!

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Adding Network Printer to Windows 7 Computer

This one has been particularly frustrating for me. There is not many computer problems that I walk away from, and this was one of them. In this particular instance, I had a client that used Fed-Ex Shipping Manager and needed the printer (Model Zebra ZP500 ZPL) to work over the network on a work-station machine that was running Windows 7. These printers aren’t cheap, so this is the most cost effective way of making it happen.

When going through the “Add Printer” Wizard on the Windows 7 machine, the printer was discovered on the network, but no matter what, it would not install, citing incompatible drivers as the reason. Even after trying to install the drivers I downloaded from Fed-Ex’s website, I was still getting an error. It appeared that the Windows XP machine was only supplying the Windows XP drivers to my Windows 7 machine, which obviously won’t work and the Windows 7 printer wizard wasn’t giving me a chance to browse and provide it with my own printer drivers.

I was stumped!

When I tried to install this printer when I connected it directly via a USB cable, it worked with no problems, first try.

Hmmmm….

I knew what needed to be done! I was going to install the printer on the Windows 7 workstation by plugging it in via USB and changing the port that it used to a network port.

Through the ‘Devices and Printer” folder, find the printer you are working with, right click on it and go to ‘Printer Properties”
Click on the ‘Ports Tab’ and then click on the button that says “Add Port” and it will bring up the following menu
Click on “New Port..” Make sure you click that as opposed to “New Port Type..)
You will be presented with this screen. Here is where you will put the network location of the printer. In this example, the network PC is called ‘officepc’ and the printer that is shared on that computer is called ‘zebraprinter’.
If the following error is displayed, it means you typed in the shared computer name and/or printer name incorrect. Make sure you are connected to the network, and the network PC is accessible.