Network Print Servers 1

[rocmills]

One of our drafters just asked me an interesting question... Is it possible to turn a workstation desktop into a print server to avoid having to route print jobs through the slow network server?

If so, how?

The workstations are all XP Pro service pack 2 machines, with 1 gig of memory. The server runs Windows 2000 Server Edition.

--Roc
"Whatever one man can dream, another can accomplish" - Jules Verne

 

[anawrocki]

Yes, it is exactly like setting up a print server and behaves exactly the same way.

 

[rocmills]

Thanks, anawrocki!

Now my next question is: How? That is, I've never set up a print server before... where should I go to find instructions/directions?



--Roc
"Whatever one man can dream, another can accomplish" - Jules Verne

 

[bcastner]

. Understand there is a limit of 10 simultaneous connections to a workstation;

. right-click My Computer, Advanced, Performance - Settings, Advanced, and set to optomize performance for background processes

. Start, Printers and FAXes, Add Printer
Use the Add printer wizard to create new network printer shares.

 

[rocmills]

Bill (it is Bill, isn't it?),

Great advice, as usual... but I'm a bit network ignorant. I pick my print server machine, optimize for background processes (this i know how to do), but it's the new network shares and how they apply to the other workstations that has me confused.

I add all printers to the new Print Server (even if they are not all local to that machine?), then go to each workstation and re-map/add the printers as routed through the new Print Server? First removing all existing printer shares, local or otherwise?

We wont ever have ten people trying to print at the same time, so that isn't an issue. And obviously I want to choose the buffest, faster workstation to act as the print server... is this correct?

Thank you once again for all your wonderful help and advice!



--Roc
"Whatever one man can dream, another can accomplish" - Jules Verne

 

[bcastner]

Your description of the process is fine.

This might help for the local workstations: thread779-581142

Best,
Bill Castner

 

[dkediger]

Are you completely sure its the server that's the printing bottleneck? Be sure the printers are up to snuff to handle CAD drawings - printer memory, NIC BIOS, etc.

 

[rocmills]

dkediger,

"Completely sure" - of course not. Anything that has the word "server" in it automatically makes me uncertain. However, I *can* say for certain that the server is several years old, running Windows Server 2000, at 1.8 ghz Celeron, with 1 meg of ram, and a bus speed of 100 mhz.

The workstations, on the other hand, are less than two months old, running XP Pro, P4 3.0 Ghz, with one meg of ram, and front side bus speeds of 800 mhz.

In addition, there is *very* little free space on the server hard drives, while the workstation I have in mind to make into a print server has roughly 60 gig of free hard drive space (if that makes any difference???).

I am uncertain what kind of memory the printers have, but I know they were all purchased "off the shelf" with no extra modifications. The plotter should have enough memory, but it may be that the 11x17 color HP doesn't.



--Roc
"Whatever one man can dream, another can accomplish" - Jules Verne

 

[LloydSev]

Why don't you take one of the new P4 workstation systems, and install Windows Server 2000 on it to be the server?? It would make more sense, just to upgrade the server, than to move the server to a limited operating system.

Computer/Network Technician
CCNA

 

[dkediger]

Just for some more information:

Are all the printers connected through network cards, or are some direct connected through parallel/serial/USB connections?

What kind of printing/plotting is being done? 11x17 line work? Color Shading? Larger Format?

In the past I've supported 3 HP 8000's running 11x17 linework continuosly as well as a 48" HP DesignJet running maybe 33% of the time doing color linework. All off of the same Win2000 server that was also DC/Exchange and a half dozen other business printers. Dual P3-500's with 1 GB Ram.

The server disk space would be an issue. It's also easy to remedy if you have the space to add another drive. Do you know what type of drive is in the server? - ATA, ATA100, ATA133, SCSI/2/3, UltraSCSI? A processor upgrade away from the Celeron would help as well - although it might be difficult to locate a CPU in that socket config now.

Also important with continuous printing would be the network cabling between the server and the printers. I had the best success running the printers in their own segment through a dedicated server NIC and Switch.

 

[rocmills]

Lloyd,

Because the drafters would kill me if I took away one of their machines! Add to that the fact that our one and only licensed copy of Server 2000 was stolen along with the rest of the contents of our fireproof safe about a month ago. As the licenses were also in the safe, we have no way of acquiring another copy without spending the big bucks - which the owner does not want to do.

dkediger,

The plotter (DesignJet 800) is connected, via parallel port, directly to the existing network server. All the other printers are directly connected to their respective computers through either the parallel port or a usb port.

As for what sort of things we are printing... everything from simple line art architectural plans, to poster-size color photographs. The plotter is used for final plan printing, all other printers are for proofs and general use.

As for what kind of hard drives are on the server... there are two. A small "C" drive and an 80 gig "D" drive which is where all the network files are located. It does use Promise RAID Control, if that tells you anything.

Finally, when you say "running the printers in their own segment through a dedicated server NIC and Switch." The switch part I understand... does NIC stand for Network Interface Card? Are you saying I should create a new connection that leads directly to a network switch and then plug all the printers into the switch? Don't they need a computer to run off of? And what about or parallel printers?



--Roc
"Whatever one man can dream, another can accomplish" - Jules Verne

 

[rocmills]

Lloyd,

More seriously on the "why not make a buff workstation into a server" - the reasons I gave before are all valid, but I should add that the two fastest drafting computers are also used for 3-D rendering, a process which can tie up a computer for 6-12 hours. Some of them are so large that they have to be rendered overnight... and that's on the new, faster machines!



--Roc
"Whatever one man can dream, another can accomplish" - Jules Verne

 

[dkediger]

Your printer connections are putting a drag on the hosts. Normally in an intensive network printing situation, you want printers with installed network cards or external network connection boxes - both of which are termed print servers - as opposed to a host computer directly connected to a printer called a print server.

Most medium to upper level printers have at least slots for network cards if not the interface itself already on board.

In this way, your server can "host" the printer shares, but it knows from the printer setup to route the job to the network address of the printer itself, rather than an intermediate PC host.

You'll need to have the cabling setup and switch ports available to support this, as well as network cards for the printers (if they don't already have them). This will mean some investment that would equal the price of good host PC, but in the long run will be a more appropriate print environment.

Actually, in my last configuration of that network as it was expanding, we had Cisco gigabit switch with a single connection to the server and network segments (switches) dropped off of the ports on the GB switch.

 

[Tightpants]

Your server sounds a bit lightweight for printing as well as file serving. And a workstation WILL have a limit of ten connections.

If you have less than ten users then you might be better off printing directly to the printers if they are directly connected to the network. For example, your DesignJet 800 will take an internal JetDirect card if it doesn't have one already. Alternatively you could buy an external HP JetDirect box. If you want to do it for free, and you have an old computer lying around, then make your own print server using the instructions at

http://pigtail.net/LRP/printsrv/.

This works exactly like a JetDirect box and can serve up to three printers. It takes about an hour to assemble.

Once the printers are on the network (rather than connected to workstation USB or parallel port) you can then print from any workstation to a Standard TCP/IP Port, which will be the IP address of the print server.

The only downside is that each workstation will need to have each printer installed locally which is a pain when it comes to updating drivers.

 

[rocmills]

Okay, here's what we have...

The DesignJet 800 is connected to the server via a network cable and built-in card, that JetDirect thing you mentioned. The DeskJet 9300 does not appear to have a network card, nor can I find a *place* for a network card. The third printer we would be sharing is a Samsung ML-1430 black and white laser printer... I also don't find a network slot on that machine.

There will never be more than 10 users trying to print or access the print server at one time. We only have 8 drafters, after all. ;-)

As for old computers lying around... THAT we have plenty of. I've got 5 old units in various states of workingness - I could easily frankenstein one together to act as a print server. I don't have to worry about the dedicated machine being too slow or not having enough memory? What OS would you recommend I put on the frankenstein print server?

I will check out that link, thanks Tightpants!




--Roc
"Whatever one man can dream, another can accomplish" - Jules Verne

 

[dkediger]

HP External JetDirect Network Interfaces for your DJ9300 and the Samsung:

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF05a/18972-236253-64302-34214-64302-27317.html

About $140 from various sources.

 

[rocmills]

Okay, here's what I'm planning to try, unless I'm way off the mark and one of you stops me....

We have an old W95 machine that appears to be in full working order, so this is the machine I'd like to turn into the print server.

I can hook the plotter to the 95 via the network card. Hook the color HP up via LPT1 port, add in an extra card for LPT2 and connect the Samsung there. Now my 95 machine has three local printers, right?

Do I need two network cards? One to connect the plotter to the print server and one to connect the print server to the file server?



--Roc
"Whatever one man can dream, another can accomplish" - Jules Verne

 

[bcastner]

Just one network card.

Remember to reset that box every morning.

 

[rocmills]

Bill,

Eh what?

Reboot PS1 (Print Server 1) every morning? Okay, I can do that.

To go over my plan one more time... turn 95 box into PS1.

Install all three printers as local devices on PS1.

Connect PS1 to File Server (otherwise, how will users access PS1 and File Server at the same time?)

Unintstall all existing printers from Work Stations

For all Work Stations - add "new" printers as found on PS1

So PS1 will have to be added as a new computer to the File Server, right?

I was hoping to do all of this today, but I may have to do it over the weekend or Monday after all. I'd rather do it when I have no other distractions, but, sigh, such is life.

Thanks again to you guys for your wonderful help!



--Roc
"Whatever one man can dream, another can accomplish" - Jules Verne

 

[bcastner]

I just do not trust Win9x to run 24/7 without problems.
If you used Win98SE I could see rebooting every couple of days, but not Win95.

You should also consider Linux for this application.