XP Pro printer share limit?

[cjohnsonuk]

We've got a suite of 10 PCs with a pair of USB connected printers connected to the back of one of them. We also have another suite of 7 PCs that connect to these printer shares and a couple of offices.

 

Before the summer I'm told it all worked fine but now many of the PCs don't get a printer connection on logging in.

 

We add printer connections at login using Kixcript

eg:

CASE $room="DTO"
		ADDPRINTERCONNECTION("\\LOW-DTO-XP01\LOW-DTO-COLOUR")
		ADDPRINTERCONNECTION("\\LOW-MMS-PC10\LOW-MMS-BLACK")            
		ADDPRINTERCONNECTION("\\LOW-MMS-PC10\LOW-MMS-COLOUR")
		SETDEFAULTPRINTER("\\LOW-DTO-XP01\LOW-DTO-COLOUR")

 

Where the $case variable is a value extracted from the formatted PC name.

 

Is there a limit with XP Pro to the number of PCs it can share a printer with? I've found that there is a limit of 10 connections but I'm not sure if that is just for file sharing.

 

With nearly 20 PCs trying to share these printers I'm wondering if that is my problem.

 

ChrisJ

[matt40k]

XP SP2 introducted a limit on the number of con-current connections. You'll need to either get Windows 2003. A hardware printer server. Or the free version, is to mod your DLL to support more connections. There are free tools to do this. Believe it or not, which are not hacks, full of spyware etc etc etc

[OutToLunch]

Printer share connections do count as one of those 10 connections - we used to have a room of 12 PCs 2 with printers on and this was a royal pain. Hardware print servers are cheap and reliable - or if you have old PCs kicking around you can knock together a Linux based one.

 

XP SP2 introducted a limit on the number of con-current connections. You'll need to either get Windows 2003. A hardware printer server. Or the free version, is to mod your DLL to support more connections. There are free tools to do this. Believe it or not, which are not hacks, full of spyware etc etc etc

 

You're mixing up the outgoing concurrent connections limit (supposed to slow the spread of network worms etc) and incoming which has been present since Windows 2000.

[matt40k]

I though it also stopped you having multiple connections open full stop, thus stops you sharing anything with more then 10 people. Worth a try, I mean it takes 10mins to change your DLL over setting up a linux print server plus the extra power and hardware costs.

[Geoff]

It also makes your license go up in smoke as you are breaking the EULA.

[OutToLunch]

I though it also stopped you having multiple connections open full stop, thus stops you sharing anything with more then 10 people.

 

Outbound is a limit on incomplete connection TCP attempts. Inbound is a totally different limit - both clearly documented. Why would you invalidate all your schools licenses because "it's worth a try"?

[dhicks]

Is there a limit with XP Pro to the number of PCs it can share a printer with?

 

Yep, 10. Quiockest solution is going to be buy a copy of Windows Server 2008 - around £100 at educational prices.

 

--

David Hicks

[cjohnsonuk]

anyone know of a "ready built" cups linux distro to save me starting from scratch with samba printer sharing?

[TechSupp]

Ah!! ( light comes on above head!) now that answers a problem that has cropped up since we created a new small suite in an empty classroom. Funny how the solution is right in front of your face and you can't see it! Best get a print server to solve that one. Cheers guys!

[FN-GM]

We had the same thing. It was originally a room with 6 computers, then added 4 more and an office next door. Its easy how the numbers grow without you noticing.