dgsmith Posted June 23, 2008 Posted June 23, 2008 We have some really old classrooms with just 1 port in each room (most used for computers), although we have wireless coverage for this area, and routing new networks cables would be costly and indeed not very easy. We have 2 laptop trolleys each with a printer on, and wish for students to be able to print to these printers using their wireless laptops, but for the jobs to be spooled through the main server (ie: traffic sent through the wireless network to the servers). We have looked at print servers on the likes of dabs etc, but these only seem to allow sending print jobs directly to the wireless print server (with no other traffic being routed through the wireless network). We wish for a print server which will allow the printers to connect to it, but then for the print server itself to communicate with our waps (so effectively, act as a bridge where a network cable would normally be). We tried using a normal wap for this, however noticed we need 2 waps, each set to bridge mode, but then the 2nd would need plugging in to its own socket, which defeats the object of using wireless! Any advice from those who have expertise here or indeed been in a similar situation would be greatly appreciated!
Michael Posted June 23, 2008 Posted June 23, 2008 I understand that you wish to use your server as the print server (which is good practice), however I'm failing to understand why you cannot allocate the printer an IP, share it out on your print server and push the printer out to your workstations. What makes you think you cannot do this?
plexer Posted June 23, 2008 Posted June 23, 2008 Are the printers wireless as well? How are they currently being used? Do the access points have single sockets themselves or do they contain a four port switch? What make/model are the access points? You need to give the access point and the printer wired ethernet connectivity either by using the access point if it has a built in switch or another small 8 port switch, both the access point and printer would plug into this and then the switch would plug into the network socket on the wall. You then share the printer on your print server and publish that to the clients. Ben
riedquat Posted June 23, 2008 Posted June 23, 2008 This is certainly possible as we used to do exactly the same thing here. We used a D-Link DP-313 print server (only 802.11b i'm afraid but at the time, it was the only speed available). Configure the print server as an LPR target and then create a local TCP/IP printer on your server pointing to the LPR address. Share the printer and allocate to your clients. 1
flashsnaps Posted June 23, 2008 Posted June 23, 2008 (edited) As mentioned above, install the printers on to the server and then share them out, we do that for most classroom/office printers. Edited June 23, 2008 by flashsnaps
dgsmith Posted June 23, 2008 Author Posted June 23, 2008 Sorry, maybe I wasn't entirely clear, as some of you think we are struggling to actually configure the printers on the server.. plexer, the printers aren't wireless, they are just your average printer (HP 2600n to be precise.. oh yes.. the dreaded 2600n!) Literally, instead of plugging the printer in to the wall, we just want to replace that with a wireless connection (thus, bridge the connection wirelessly). The access points are just your average WAP (1 ethernet port for the network connection), and most of them are.. PLANET! (a few dlink 2100s kicking around too), so not a great combination. DOMAIN CONTROLLER (PRINT SERVER HOST) | NORMAL SWITCH | NORMAL WAP | |<-- (this connection) | SOME SPECIAL WIRELESS PRINTER SERVER | 2600n PRINTER Between NORMAL SWITCH and the PRINTER is usually where you would have your network cable from the printer to the wall socket, however due to our lack of these, we wish to literally just do this wirelessly! Sorry if I didn't explain clearly before. riedquat, I think you may have understood me more, but unfortunately I didn't fully understand what you were explaining, so I don't fully know if you did or not!
HodgeHi Posted June 23, 2008 Posted June 23, 2008 Can you not get a network socket splitter if the problem is RJ45 sockets? I would rather go that way than mess about with the hell that is wireless connectivity, especially if you are looking to use the 2100 aps
riedquat Posted June 23, 2008 Posted June 23, 2008 Ok, let me see if I can explain myself more clearly. We configured a wireless print server (DP-313) with our wireless access settings so that it could wirelessly connect to our LAN (we set a static IP for the print server). LPT1 on the print server was then configured to be an LPR print queue. On the Domain Controler, we setup a new standard TCP/IP printer port and pointed it to the address of the print server and entered the LPR port settings where required. This printer was then shared to the client laptops.
plexer Posted June 23, 2008 Posted June 23, 2008 Nothing too special about it but you need something like this: Wireless Print Server - WGPS606 Ben
dgsmith Posted June 23, 2008 Author Posted June 23, 2008 Can you not get a network socket splitter if the problem is RJ45 sockets? I would rather go that way than mess about with the hell that is wireless connectivity, especially if you are looking to use the 2100 aps We have 1 or 2 fixed printers around here that use the spliters (or economisers), however we found that the interference with printers sometimes causes random junk to print off (until paper empty or powered down). We could use a standard 5 port switch, but many rooms have a computer in with a mass of cables, and we figured if staff felt they had to mess around, they would be reluctant to use the printers (we're kind like that.. making things easy!) Ok, let me see if I can explain myself more clearly. We configured a wireless print server (DP-313) with our wireless access settings so that it could wirelessly connect to our LAN (we set a static IP for the print server). LPT1 on the print server was then configured to be an LPR print queue. On the Domain Controler, we setup a new standard TCP/IP printer port and pointed it to the address of the print server and entered the LPR port settings where required. This printer was then shared to the client laptops. This does seem very similar, if not exactly what we wish to do, especially when you say the print server could communicate with your wireless lan and pickup the print queue from elsewhere. Looking at images of it, I can't see any which have antennas coming from them, even though you mentioned that you use it for wireless purposes (unless I am overseeing something simple)! Nothing too special about it but you need something like this: Wireless Print Server - WGPS606 Ben I've looked at that, although I am not sure if that only allows the computer to connect directly to that, as opposed to running through our central print server (the domain controller). We need a print server that can communicate with our domain controller to get the spooled print jobs that the clients have sent to it, and this product gives me the impression it's direct printing only (although i can't be sure of that).
srochford Posted June 23, 2008 Posted June 23, 2008 Nothing too special about it but you need something like this: Wireless Print Server - WGPS606 Ben We've got this setup exactly as you're describing - Aruba wireless network points and then this print server connects wirelessly to the Aruba point and back into the network. Done like this because someone wanted a printer in an area where no-one was ever going to need to print and there's a big concrete floor with no ducts in it :-)
maniac Posted June 23, 2008 Posted June 23, 2008 If you have the 'n' model priters, then you can connect them to your wireless network using a device like this Buffalo Turbo G High Power Wireless Ethernet Conve - Misco.co.uk Essentially it acts like a wireless extension to your network, you can plug devices into it, and it uplinks to the nearest wireless access point. To the device and the network it appears as if the devices are connected to the network by a cable as they should be. Mike. 1
dgsmith Posted June 23, 2008 Author Posted June 23, 2008 That seems promising maniac (the description seems exact), although I am favouring the linksys model as I trust their brand , but yes both seem to do exactly as I was asking originally (and the Buffalo can take both printers)! Cheers for the responses guys, certainly got me on the right track!
HodgeHi Posted June 23, 2008 Posted June 23, 2008 After reading a couple of the posts i think i understand what you wish to do. I did something similar using a Jet Direct box to create the Ip address and then used a wireless device that was transparent to the connection. What i mean by that is that you connected straight to the ip on the jet direct rather than through the ip of the wireless device. It was a US Robotics device. But i think whatever wireless method you use, you will need to ensure that it is solid. Why? Because coupling Printing issues (which are a nightmare on their own) with the perils of wireless could result in a serious headache. But thats my opinion based on past experiences with wireless and printers combined.
dgsmith Posted June 28, 2008 Author Posted June 28, 2008 Well we eventually settled for 2 of the linksys model bridges that I mentioned in my previous post, which after configuring, works exactly as we wish. Sorry for any confusion caused by my lack of precise initial explanation! Of course, we do anticipate a few problems every now and then; afterall, we're wirelessly printing on a HP 2600n with Planet and D-Link 2100 WAPs
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