Shared Printer Problem RM CC3

[lebowskii_98]

We have a CC3 network in our school and are experiencing some problems with a shared printer in a room of 15 computers. The printer is an Epson Stylus 1400 and is attached to a station via a USB cable. The printer has been shared and then allocated to the other stations in the room using the RM Management Console. The problem we have is that it seems to be a complete lottery as to whether or not users pick up the printer. For instance, a user logs and does not get the printer, I log onto the same machine as a test user and get the printer, I log on as another test user and do not get the printer! We have other rooms in the school where we have shared printers exactly the same way and have had no problems.
The same issue was occurring last November but we eventually got it working by finding a different driver. Since then the printer has developed a fault and was returned a few weeks back. We are now experiencing the same problem with the replacement printer (exactly the same model/make) even though we have continued using the same driver. (I have also tried the other driver)
We have tried sharing the printer on a different station all together and using a different network port in the room.
We have added another shared printer (different make/model) to the station to test if users can see one but not the other. We have then allocated this printer and a printer from a neighbouring room to the stations. I find that some users get all three printers, some get none, some get the neighbouring printer, some just get the test printer……..a real mixture!
It doesn’t seem to be user specific either. For instance, a user might log onto one pc and not get any printers but log onto another and get printers. Then again, it doesn’t seem to be station specific, as a user can log out, someone else log in and get the printers.
One thing to note is that I don’t recall ever logging on as an administrator and not getting the printer.
I thought I could set up the printer manually on every station in the room, to get around RM Management Console allocating the printing every time a user logs on. The problem is, it seems only the person who installed the printer gets the printer when logged on i.e. Installed as systemadmin, log in as systemadmin2 and no printers installed! I have asked RM if it is possible to set up the printer for each station so that whoever logs on gets the printer. They have said I need to set up the users as “privileged” users which basically means they can do whatever they like on the computer when logged in. This is not an option! I was hoping someone out there might have some ideas about how I could do this or have any suggestions as to what I could try next?

[AngryTechnician]

I have asked RM if it is possible to set up the printer for each station so that whoever logs on gets the printer. They have said I need to set up the users as “privileged” users which basically means they can do whatever they like on the computer when logged in. This is not an option!

This is unfortunately typical of RM's 'solutions'. I've had my own run-ins with them regarding printer allocation problems and their eventual suggestion was that I just uninstall all the local printers if I wanted network printers to work properly.

Network printers are actually almost never installed on a per-machine basis. As you may already know, when you allocate a printer to a 'workstation' in the RMMC, it doesn't actually allocate it to the workstation. All it does is make a note to add the printer to the user account when they log in to that machine, and removes it when they log off.

However, it is actually possible in XP* to add a network printer to the entire machine. You can do this using some hidden functionality in printui.dll.

If you type this into the Run box:

rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /?

you will be presented with a dialog containing a whole host of command-line options you can issue to control printers. One of these options is adding per machine printer connections. For example:

rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /ga /n \\computername.domain\MyPrinterName /u

will add a per machine printer connection to the MyPrinterName printer shared on computername.domain. This will be visible to anyone who logs in. Note that the first time you run it, you'll need to either log off and back on, or restart the spooler service, to see the results.

To remove it, use:

rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /gd /n \\computername.domain\MyPrinterName

Try that and see if it helps.

* It's supposed to work in Vista and Windows 7 too, but I've had some weird problems with it so don't rely on it.

[Quackers]

I take it's being shared from the PC ? Will it have anything to do with the 10 concurrent connection limit in the "workstation" version of MS Windows? 15 Machines, 10 connection limit...........

[AngryTechnician]

That is an excellent point and one that I had completely forgotten about. The connection limit could definitely be a factor here.

[lebowskii_98]

Thanks Angrytechnician & Quackers. I was informed about the concurrent connection limit on another website but didn’t believe it because we have a room with 25 pc’s which all connect to a shared printer without problems!
The dos command has been a great help in testing if the concurrent connection limit is causing the problem. I set up every station with a printer using the command then began logging onto each machine as a different test user. I found that none of the computers after the 8th station were showing the printer as “Ready”, instead showing something along the lines of “no connection”. If I logged off from one of the stations that could connect to the printer, then logged into one of the ones that previously couldn’t make a connection, they were able to connect. So, it does seem that the concurrent connection limit is the cause of the problem but instead the limit in my case is 8.
I still find it strange that the whole room could connect with the previous printer and that we have other rooms which have 20+ stations connecting, but this does seem to be the cause. I guess I will have to look into buying a USB print server for the room. Thanks for your help.