Topic: Multifunction Printer/Scanner/Copier/Fax networked through a

[Maggard]

My own skill set is geared towards large corporate networks however I've been helping out a small nonprofit with their technology while taking time off and getting a kick out of it. Got them all networked, online, updated, standardized office software, running Win98SE, put them all on a SME 5.12 server (old Compaq box I got donated - has a nice RAID array) and it's working well in spite of only 64MB RAM.

However now comes the next step - taking advantage of the infrastructure and pointing them to a nice central printer to replace the 4 decrepit desktop printers they've been nursing along. Along with it I'd like to get them off of the overkill mondo-fax machine & large photocopier they’re leasing. They’ve also two aging flatbed scanners they own that are circling the drain. Aside from the monthly leases they've neither the space or as importantly the electricity for these (they blow fuses regularly.) A nice multifunction device should fit the bill, consolidate all of their paper needs into one box (set of inks, drivers, etc.)

My concern is networking the device. My guess is that anything from HP/Lexmark/Canon/etc. will attach to the SME server fine. The server box hasn’t USB but does have a free parallel & serial port so that won’t be an issue. However getting the non-printing functions to work is worrisome: Anyone doing it? Scanning over the network? Perhaps sending fax jobs from workstation clients? I know the devices do this (I’ve done it) but it’s always been to multifunctions with built-in print servers, not a Linux box playing server.

HP claims that many of their unspecified “extended functions” don’t work with other then their own branded print-servers, high-end JetDirects which are usuriously priced. Other manufacturer’s online sales materials & documentation are pretty silent on the whole matter beyond noting their printers can be shared by Wintel boxes; they just don’t detail how extensively shared.

So - Doing it? Seen it done? Scanning? Faxing from client workstations? Got any recommendations? Warnings? I’m guessing US$600 should be the top-price for anything they buy (they’re scrambling as it is) with a reasonable cost-per-page, US$400 would be better.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Details: Currently SME 5.12 as server-only (soon to be 5.5.) Not particularly enthused at the idea of going Hylafax or the like route. Any solution should be maintainable by non-technical folks once in place.

[David Helmuth]

I just have a suggestion and an experience.  

If you check out the following,

http://e-smith.org/bboard/read.php?f=3&i=4723&t=4723

I have used an little printserver that attaches to the back of any printer using the paralell port.  It then gives the printer and IP address and you can address it from the SME server manager and make the printer available from the printer panel.

FYI - Here is the print server itself

http://www.hawkingtech.com/products/pn7117.htm

There are many other option, I just found this one to work pretty well.

They generally sell for about $60-$70 apiece (on top of the printer) but, at least that way you could change printers if the need arises.  Also, you could take virtually any printer as a donation and then network it.

Just a thought.

[Maggard]

Thanks Dave -

My major concern isn't the printing itself but the other services - getting the scanning, faxing, etc. to work properly from other networked desktop clients. These require bi-directional communication of a sort not used in a print queue and so I doubt a general purpose print server, even one as nice as the one you listed (& it's successor), would do this properly.

This wouldn't be standard Windows shared printer, or Netware Print Queue, or even an independent IPP device. It'd be accepting phone numbers for outbound faxes along with their contents and sending *back* binary files from scans. These aren't traditional print-queue function but rather specialized ones from a relatively new breed of device.

It's my expectation that each vendor has their own unique client using doubtless proprietary codes to communicate with their multifunction products to scan, fax, etc. At least in HP's case they note that only some of their print-server models (the newest high-end ones) can successfully interact between their multifunction devices and their workstation client applications. With that caveat from HP regarding their own print-servers I doubt generics will fare much better.

The solution I envision as possible is if someone (a vendor, a clever coder reverse-engineering one of these printer's protocols, etc.) has written a Linux driver that could be used to support these additional non-print functions. *Or* if any of these devices under US$500 are able to do so on their own, directly over the network. Many say they work on a Windows network but fail to indicate if they require being attached to a Windows host (running their drivers in host-mode) to do so.

Have you ever seen or heard of such being done? Not just printing but sending faxes and getting back scans from one of the low-cost multifunction printer/scanner/copier/fax devices when networked to a non-Windows server (SME) ? I've been doing online searches and reading vendor documentation but have yet to come up with any good information for generic Linux situations much less an SME-specific one.

[David Helmuth]

Michael,

Sorry, I wish I could help you out better.

I do not know of a way to accomplish what you lay out.

However, I would suggest that from an ease of maintenance/reliability perspective it might be better to seperate the functions.  That way if an issue does arise with say the the scanner, it can be resolved without causing problems with the other users trying to print or send faxes.  Just thought :->

Also, you might check out:

http://www.mostang.com/sane/

It does have some information about networking scanner devices, however I don't know about the other functions you are looking for.

Keep us up to date on what you find, I think that others might be interested as well.

-Dave

[David Helmuth]

Also, I just dup a little deeper off the SANE homepage and found this:

http://hpoj.sourceforge.net/download.shtml

It is "This is an HP-sponsored project to develop Linux support for most Hewlett-Packard OfficeJet, PSC, LaserJet, and PhotoSmart printer all-in-one peripherals (also known as Multi-Function Peripherals or MFPs), which depending on the model can print, scan, copy, fax, and/or access digital camera memory cards."

-Dave

[Jeff Coleman]

One of the solutions that we have working in a few offices is the HP OfficeJet G95.

This box comes with its' own print server and is designed to use the scan/fax/copy services from a network.  We simply fire it up on the net, install the client software on each of the WinX machines and all users have access to all functions.

If you choose to integrate this into an SME server, all it takes is to specify network printer, IP address, and raw printing.  All other functions are done from the client over the network

-jeff

[Ed Form]

David Helmuth wrote:
>
> I just have a suggestion and an experience.  
>
> If you check out the following,
>
> http://e-smith.org/bboard/read.php?f=3&i=4723&t=4723
>
> I have used an little printserver that attaches to the back
> of any printer using the paralell port.  It then gives the
> printer and IP address and you can address it from the SME
> server manager and make the printer available from the
> printer panel.

One small caveat to this suggestion. Almost all of these objects are configured using a web browser and they are absolute beggars for dialing home. If you are using a pay-per-call dial-up connection watch the setup like a hawk or you could finish up with a monster phone bill.

Ed Form

[Puter]

Hi'
I have e SME-server v. 5 at home. I also have a HP G85 printer, and although I have very little experience with Unix/Linux/SME... I tried to install HPIJS, (see http://hpinkjet.sourceforge.net/install.php#download).
But the installations fails due til dependencies: Ighostscript is needed by hpijs-1.0.2-8

Installations of ghostscript fails due to dependencies: Ighostscript-fonts is needed by ghostscript-6.52-9.4

And Installation of  Ighostscript-fonts fail due to dependencies : Ighostscript is needed by ghostscript-fonts-5.50-3

So I'm quite stok, and I would appreciate a little help.

Puter

FUI: I have installed, and are using: "devinfo-mitel-update-system-0.0.1-12.noarch.rpm" from: http://www.dungog.net/sme/howto/install.html . I have also installed Putty, and have learned to use mc.