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

 

[Tightpants]

It sounds as though your network card has not be recognised correctly. Are you absolutely sure you selected the correct modules.lrp? Check on the following link for more details and to make sure your card is listed:

http://www.pigtail.net/LRP/swap.html

In the meantime have you tried setting up the DesignJet 800 as a networked printer? It would be a good test to see if your method of printer setup is working properly and to see if it gives your users any benefit - this was the starting point of this thread.

Once you get your linux print server working (and I am sure you will) the principle of setting up the networked printer is the same as for an HP JetDirect connection.

 

[Tightpants]

Did you get it working rocmills? And did you connect your DesignJet to the network. I would be interested to know.

 

[rocmills]

Tightpants,

Sorry for the silence.

The DesignJet is connected directly to the server via JetDirect card and has its own IP address. I gather it has been that way all along. My guess as to the slowness of processing print jobs is either network traffic or not enough memory in the DesignJet. I will investigate this further.

I cannot find a network card old enough to work on the print server and have temporarily put the project on hold. I would still like to try to make it work, on my own, simply for the experience and knowledge.

The owner of my company is considering buying a new server as our workload has increased dramatically in the past week. We've already had to purchase three new workstations for the new employees and the current server is seriously overloaded.

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

 

[dkediger]

Before your business plunks down some $$ on a new server, I would encourage you to review the rest of the network plant:

Look at an Ethernet Switch with a Gigabit uplink to the server. See a nice concise review at:

http://www.nwc.com/affordable_it

I guess in reviewing the thread, we never got a sense of how slow printing is?

Is it the time from when the user clicks Print to when their workstation becomes responsive again?

Is it the time it takes the printers to process the print job and begin printing?

Is it the time it takes to when a finished job comes rolling off the printer?

What is the source CAD program?

How does a moderately sized Word/Excel document print? Or a basic versus complex Acrobat document?

 

[Tightpants]

Thanks for the reply rocmills. The print server is one of those jobs to while away a winter's evening. Keep an eye out for an old branded NIC.

I fully agree with dkediger's comments and answers to the questions would help to pinpoint where you might be able to make improvements. For example, our old HP DesignJet 750C+ is simply just a slow plotter compared to our new DesignJet 4000ps. But the workstations free up within seconds, regardless of which printer you are printing to.

If you do buy a new server you will simplify printer management by setting up the printers as shared devices on your new server. I still can't get my head around your statement that your DesignJet is connected directly to the existing server. Normally it would be connected to the network switch or hub.

Good luck and happy printing!