Share USB printer from teacher PC, through server 2008 R2, to 27 workstations

[adamchapman]

Hi Guys,

 

I've got a suite of 27 PC's that I want to share a USB printer to thats attached to the teacher PC.

I can't share directly with the workstations as Win 7 has the 10 user session limit on networking.

 

Previously in the XP & 2003 Days, I have simply shared the printer on the Teacher PC, Added the shared printer to the server (2003) and Re-shared to the workstations.

This worked without any problems...

 

So in windows 7 and 2008 R2 I've done the same process and added the x64 and x86 drivers to the teacher PC, and Server.

 

I can send jobs from the server to the teacher pc - and it works.

I can send jobs from a workstation to the server - and they appear on the queue on the server, giving the error "the document failed to print" - "error printing"

 

If I connect a workstation directly to the teacher PC share, it works fine too.

 

Only when I go from Workstation ---> Server ------> Teacher PC ---> Printer it fails with the "error printing"

 

Anyone got any ideas...?? I wondered if it could be a x86 to x64 to x86 problem. So I tried our old 2003 x86 server too and get the same result

 

Thanks

[DaveyPitch]

Are the PC's in the same OU in Active Directory? If so, you can share it really easily by deploying it through Group Policy, by creating a policy for that OU alone and then using Print Management to add the Teacher PC as a print server, and then deploying the printer to the policy for that room. I've done it here in a few rooms and it works a treat.

[sted]

how are you adding it to the server? just double clicking it from explorer or add new printer using a port of the pcs ip (and id give the pc a fixed/reserved ip)

[adamchapman]

how are you adding it to the server? just double clicking it from explorer or add new printer using a port of the pcs ip (and id give the pc a fixed/reserved ip)

Adding to the server by "Add Printer" then setting local port to \\room74-teacher\Room74-BW machine hasn't got fixed IP, but its probably worth doing. Server does resolve to correct IP though.

[adamchapman]

Are the PC's in the same OU in Active Directory? If so, you can share it really easily by deploying it through Group Policy, by creating a policy for that OU alone and then using Print Management to add the Teacher PC as a print server, and then deploying the printer to the policy for that room. I've done it here in a few rooms and it works a treat.

Thanks - does this work though with more than 10 workstations in the room? They are all in same OU

 

I deploy all the printers through GP and Print Management console. Might be worth a shot...

[DaveyPitch]

Thanks - does this work though with more than 10 workstations in the room? They are all in same OU

 

I deploy all the printers through GP and Print Management console. Might be worth a shot...

 

Yeah, it should do it fine. I've not deployed a shared printer to more than 10 machines in this way (only networked ones), but I can't see why it wouldn't work. As you say, worth a shot.

[adamchapman]

Yeah, it should do it fine. I've not deployed a shared printer to more than 10 machines in this way (only networked ones), but I can't see why it wouldn't work. As you say, worth a shot.

Currently deployed directly connected to the teacher PC. We'll see if the 10 connection limit will cause any problems. It did in the XP days.

 

Might have to give up and buy a USB print server.