Ok... isn't it always fun to do your research AFTER you've started your project?!
I'm in almost the same boat. I am trying to install a USB Canon i550 printer through a print server hardwired to a Netgear wireless router to an XP box and an iBook. And guess what? I too have been able to set it up on the XP with no problem and TONS of issues with the iBook. Go fig.
The printer server is actually the Iomega StorCenter 160GB ethernet/USB2 external HDD, which also acts as a print server. It turns out that it requires OSX 10.3+ to use the print server feature and I had 10.2.8.
So... I upgrade to 10.4.3 and then find out that "Windows Printing" through the Printer Setup Utility doesn't support the Canon i-line of printers and discover this new thing called GIMP for which there are only a handful of drivers.
I looked on PrintFab and saw that it allegedly supports i550, but like to confirm before dropping $60 more dollars. I saw this thread and how the poster was successful even though it SEEMS like his native driver also is not supported.
What exactly is GIMP? Why isn't something as simple as a Canon i550 printer not supported for use with a print server on a Mac when it can be for an XP box. M$ figuered something out that Apple hasn't... blasphemy!
My Canon i550 isn't supported on the SourceForge Web site.
http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/p_..._Printers.php3