Joy of Print Servers; USB success
John B
also have Internet capability, using a commodity-quality Linksys router
as a DHCP server, for most IP addresses. Our Netware server, however,
runs IPX exclusively.
I have read some of Peter Kuo's advisories that extol the virtues of lpr
(unix) printing, methods I have scarcely ever employed for any Netware
purposes. I suppose there is virtue in that, for interfacing to USB
printers. It's a point I should investigate.
However, I prefer to use "external print servers." I have done so for
years, satisfying the needs of both Netware printing and Windows
printing. This was always done by connecting said print servers to the
PARALLEL ports of various laser printers.
Meanwhile, I have long avoided the tactic of sharing printers attached
to workstations. I want my printers to work without that crutch.
My print server strategy has been threatened, however, by the
disappearance of parallel-printer-port-equipped printers from the
marketplace. USB is everywhere, at low cost. (Integrated internal
print servers are declined for cost reasons.)
I have used convenient, small StarTech.com print servers, which have
attached directly to the parallel connector inside the case of an HP 6
Laser printer; that's how small those print servers are. But the best
thing about this item is the software; PS Admin has worked reliably and
easily, unlike software I've used to get earlier Netware-compatible
external print servers to work. (Linksys had a bad example in its
EFSP42 print server.)
So I was delighted to happen upon a USB2.0-compatible print server,
available at NewEgg.com for less than $50USD, that used PS Admin for
configuration purposes. I installed the print server, connecting it to
my old NEC1400 Superscript printer, which probably only complies with
the early USB standard. It all works, both for Netware and Windows
printing.
For the first time, I have actually printed a conventional Netware print
job to a USB printer. This worked, despite the absence of provision in
NDS administration to configure the "printer" for USB. In fact, said
"configuration" seems to have been completely ignored, fortunately.
I am using conventional queue-based printing. PS Admin made it easy. I
even got to use my own names, for devices, queues, etc. And those same
names showed up in my NDS tree, upon later inspection.
I don't have the invoice in front of me right now, which reveals the
make and model of this print server. I'll post that later, when I
return to my business office.
Hopefully, this "USB success story" will help some other Netware
enthusiasts.
John B
> I don't have the invoice in front of me right now, which reveals the
> make and model of this print server. I'll post that later
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833147020
Barry Schnur
A note for you, if you are deploying new workstations, there is no (and
will not be) support for Vista in NW 4.x and under due to the lack of
an IPX stack.
--
Barry Schnur
Novell Support Connection Volunteer Sysop
Barry Schnur
newsgroups)
>>Thank you for this astute warning.
>>Isn't IPX optional with 4.11+sp9?
>>I mean, one might say that IP is optional, but then again, if IP can
>>do everything (That's a big IF...) that IPX can do, then I should be
>>able to dispense with IPX and SPX, altogether.
The answer here is no -- that is, you need *native* IP (Netware 5.0 and
up), which you *can't* get in NW 4.11/4.2. So with all prior versions
(4.2 and less), you must have IPX. With Vista, there is no IPX stack
to work with (Novell has used the Microsoft OS stacks with Windows NT
and up).
John B
Given Vista's antipathy for IPX, a sense of finiteness..., ensues.
Assuming there is a "desire" for Vista, is an upgrade from Netware 4.11+sp9
to 5, or 6, a remedy? I recall that 5 is "IP only."
Needless to say, if the existing system has *applications* that require IPX,
then we cannot dispense with this protocol, unless we replace those
applications. So, for this hypothetical case, let us assume no such
IPX-dependent applications exist.
Does queue-based printing still work in 5? I don't manage a large enough
network to justify NDPS.
--
Sent via OE by John, from MERCURY
"Barry Schnur" <BSc...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:MPG.2085b8ef6...@support-forums.novell.com...
Barry Schnur
accessing my 6.5 server using an IPX stack with the Novell client. (I
could access it with IP, but since I also have a 4.2 server in the mix,
I configured for IPX only).
Queue based printing would work -- though you might find moving to NW
6.5 (you can't purchase the interim versions) might encourage you to
look at NDPS/IPrint anyway.
Peter Kuo
> For the first time, I have actually printed a conventional Netware print
job to a USB printer. This worked, despite the absence of provision in
NDS administration to configure the "printer" for USB. In fact, said
"configuration" seems to have been completely ignored, fortunately.
It would be because you're really talking to the print server (which is
self-contained). The "configuration" you set in, say, PCONSOLE, is for the
print server software (pserver.nlm) but since you're using an external
print server, it becomes somewhat irrelavent, so to speak.
--
Peter
eDirectory Rules!
(ssAegis powering up to 65% ...)
Peter Kuo
> Does queue-based printing still work in 5?
It still even works in NetWare 6.5 ... although "depreciated", it still
works on all versions of NetWare (including 5).
Andrew Z Carpenter
> news:7KPSh.6856$1G3...@prv-forum2.provo.novell.com...
>
> For the first time, I have actually printed a conventional
> Netware print job to a USB printer.
The HP JetDirect en3700 has IPX and NW4 support. It's the
one I use if needed, although the cost of them is so high
it's almost cheaper to spend a bit more on a better printer,
one with a built-in JetDirect that supports IPX and NW4, or
one with a Parallel port.
--
AZC
Andrew Z Carpenter
>
> Can you comment on the approx price of the en3700?
> How long has the en3700 been available to consumers?
Froogle shows the prices starting at around 145 USD, more
if you want a reputable supplier you've actually heard of.
The en3700 has been around for several years now.
We try to stick with HP Printers/HP Print Servers here so
that they can all be managed centrally through HP Web Jet
Admin. The extra cost is worth it to be able to tell the
user on the phone what the problem is, rather than needing
a visit by a technician.
--
AZC
John B
HP en3700. For $40+s&h+tax, it is inexpensive, considering what it does.
Can you comment on the approx price of the en3700? I stopped looking at
those HP devices, years ago, considering their prices. And, truth be told,
I didn't know of a USB-interface, such as the en3700.
How long has the en3700 been available to consumers?
--
Sent via OE by John, from MERCURY
"Andrew Z Carpenter" <a...@cirencester.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:AJ0Th.7214$1G3....@prv-forum2.provo.novell.com...
Steve Urbach
Look at Brothers series of Network Printers.
BR Admin works well and even works with some of the newer HP JD boxes.
I even serviced a NW4.2 queue as well as TCP/IP printing.
My 2cents.