Topic: real issues with printing and win-XP in a LAN

[steel]

Hi guys/gals,
For a second time now, when I have introduced windows clients onto customer LANS I have had *enormous* problems with printers (that have worked perfectly) suddenly start to stop/start intermittently.

Scenario:
The printer is a fuji-xerox (multi-function)
It is linked to the smithy 6.0 via the IP address, eg e-smith points to 10.0.0.250 as te printer and all the data is RAW. This has been working with no issues until XP was introduced into the LAN.

Note: I have redhat machines with other customers that do NOT show these printing issues with XP on the LAN and similar setups, eg printing to an IP address/machine.

On the first occasion when I had problems, the customer did not like XP and went back to win2k and that fixed the problem, but I did not get the issue resolved. (there are posts from about 8months ago in this forum re this issue)

I have to this point ensured that XP is not a domain controller, edited the reg so that XP did not keep host name mapping and have increased samba to 99 in elections (just in case)

Frankly, I have run out of ideas.
This only happens with e-smith boxes and I'm sure its a winXP issue, but with the amount if troubleshooting time I have already spent on it, I'm on the verge of just putting in a Clark Connect box or just a redhat 9 with patches from Progeny.

Any one have any clues as to what is going on
PS there are other links on google that have people complaining about the same issue but no answers that I can find.

Apologies for slight rant but things like this make for stressful jobs.

TIA

Steel

[Anonymous]

apply the win xp samba reg hack.

[steel]

I have not applied the XP reg as I thought it was only for Domains, however, I shall patch and see if there is an improvment.

Thnx

Steel

[ldkeen]

Is the e-smith server acting as a domain controller? Do you have the XP box logging on to the domain or just locally? Is the printer connected to the e-smith box using a parallel cable and the e-smith server's IP is 10.0.0.250 or does the printer have a network interface that is statically set to 10.0.0.250? I'm just having a bit of trouble comprehending how plugging an XP box into the LAN could affect a printer.

[steel]

Ok, I'll try to clarify, the e-smith box is not running as a domain. The printer is a network printer. The e-smith box points to the printer IP address. The IP of the printer is static.
An you not the only one who's having a hard time trying to figure out why, when XP machines are put onto a LAN (with this config) everything goes to buggery.

Please note I have had the same issues in the past with the same type of setup, eg Multi finction printer/copier/static IP address on a LAN. With the server pointing to it and all workstation printing to the server which then spools the data to the printer.

Hope this helps make it clear.

TIA

Steel

[ldkeen]

Can you bypass the server and just have the clients print directly to the printer. I know with HP Network Printers you just run the HP Network Printer Install Wizard and this sets up the port and the clients print directly to the printer. I understood that the reason for having a network printer was so you didn't have to use a PC to spool the jobs  Have you tried setting the printer to use DHCP? The only time I've ever used the e-smith box as a print server was when the printer was directly connected to the server.

[steel]

Hi,
thnx for comments.
I have connected directly to the /fuji/fuji-ip

Would you belive this works for a bit of the time and thenloses its connection with a message saying network printer is no loger availabel "please contact your administration"

I can then usually change the default printer back to the e-smith printer which then seems to work fine.

When the e-smith printer dies ( a day or two later with the same message above), I can usually change the printer back over to the /fuji/fuji-ip directly.

So its a see-saw battle to see which printer is actually able to connect today...

Most frustring, and I have disabled all of XP reg settings to stop it wanting to control the network.

I know I am not alone in this, other people have had similar issues, but I can't find a fix.

TIA

Steel

[MSmith]

The first thing I always do when having trouble with printers is get an updated driver, especially in networked situations.  My second thought is that you might try installing CUPS instead of LPRng on your SME server.  I'm preparing to do just that in hopes that it will fix a persistent problem my wife has when printing from her iMac (namely that about half the time the job doesn't come out until MUCH later).

[bushinc]

> suddenly start to stop/start intermittently

I'd like to start out by saying that I support several SME servers that use a mixed environment of Win9x, Win2k, WinXP with networked printers and I don't have a problem with printers disappearing from the network.

Now for a possible solution:
Setup the server as a domain controller and either change the workgroup of the PC's to match the SME domain name or have them join the domain.
Make sure you use the SME server as a DHCP server?  If not, add the IP address of the SME to the dns and wins of the PC's  Make sure you turn off any other DHCP server on the network.

Since you have this problem at more than one location, I'm assuming that your network hub/switch isn't the source of the problem, nor are your IP addresses conflicting.

Good luck with your problem.

Steve

[ldkeen]

I have connected directly to the /fuji/fuji-ip
Would you belive this works for a bit of the time and then loses its connection with a message saying network printer is no loger available "please contact your administration"

This would seem to indicate that the problem is with the printer, not the network or the server. I agree with bushinc - setup the server as a domain controller and use DHCP for the printer and the clients. You could also try to connect the XP box directly to the printer using a crossover cable for a few days and see what happens.

[steel]

Many thanx to everyone who made suggestions, it has made me consider other options. I will work on this over the weekend and let eveyone know the outcome, good or bad.

Once again thanx all for input.

Steel

[aussie]

Many thanx to everyone who made suggestions, it has made me consider other options. I will work on this over the weekend and let eveyone know the outcome, good or bad.

Once again thanx all for input.

Steel

I agree with the suggestion of using CUPS - it took me an hour to get to grips with it but WOO HOO!
I was trying to get a postscipt laser to work with both raw and text by filtering the text through mpage.
I wasted hours with no result - CUPS I just setup a raw printer and a text printer to the same port, and now I know it a bit better Im sure I only needed to setup one and it will 'wrap' text into the postscript as that is the printer type.
(I also wanted to put a second laser on COM2, and could not figure out how to with SME6.0 - CUPS gives a list of all parallel, serial, USB, network  ports to choose from !)
Ive seen others RAVE about CUPS in these forums - Im now a convert too !
  Rob

[ryan]

steel,

I use lpr printing from XP to the SME server..works great.

Look up 'ryan' author in postings.  I wrote several long postings regarding this many months ago.  

good luck

ryan