Can NET USE conect me to a network-IP printer? 1

[dbMark]

I just bought my first network printer, HP 4300n in the HP 4000 family. All I had to do was plug it into the switch and Windows prints to it just fine. Of course I have a real problem with DOS. I didn't realize how much until I tried to actually connect to it.

Until now I've always used the NET USE command to connect to a shared printer and those printers were always connected to a parallel port of others' computers. This printer of course directly connects to the network. The printer does have a host name and also gets its IP address from the DHCP server.

The question is how can I print to it. In the past I've always used NET USE for shared printers:

NET USE LPT2 \\aComputer\printerShareName

Since I'm not running a print server, I want to print directly to this printer. But I haven't been able to get any syntax combinations to create a NET USE to this new TCP/IP network printer.

Failed combinations:
NET USE LPT2 \\172.16.2.2
NET USE LPT2 \\prHostName
NET USE LPT2 \\172.16.2.2\prHostName
NET USE LPT2 \\myDomainName\prHostName

Any suggestions? - dbMark

thread182-718345 example of the way I print DOS to shared printers

 

[DSummZZZ]

We have an HP LJ 4100 series printer installed on our network. The friendly name is HPLJ4100 and as an example, it is browsed on the network as 'printer_name'.

The following worked for me:
NET USE LPT1: \\FileServerName\printer_name

That also worked for LPT2:.
You may want to add the /PERSISTENT:YES switch too.




-Dave Summers-

Even more Fox stuff at:

http://www.davesummers.net/foxprolinks.htm

 

[TheRambler]

I have a HP 1100 laser printer and a Trendnet print server, it is not the same as yours but maybe you can try the following:

install the printer driver in your machine
create a standar TCP/IP port using LPR protocol
share the printer
and use this syntax:
net use lpt2 \\yourMachine\printerShareName

hope it helps.

 

[dbMark]

TheRambler, thanks, I had also asked this question in thread697-836711. Until getting this JetDirect ethernet-enabled printer we had always shared printers but they had to sit next to a computer with a parallel connection. With this expensive card I had hoped it could be a total standalone installation independent of anyone's computer, but I guess that's just not possible from DOS. The only workaround is that I install the printer on every computer running the DOS program. Since I had built a printer selection menu into the database program using NET USE pointing to one computer per printer, there's no point to do that.

So apparently the answer is that I still have to share this printer on someone's computer (so it always has to be on) but at least I do get to put the printer anywhere I want.

 

[TheRambler]

Thanks to you dbMark (for the star).
Somewhere in this building there is a HP4050n printer, which stands alone and independent of anyone's computer because it has (like yours) an internal print server.
Whoever wants to use it must have its driver installed on his/her computer. If they want to use it from a DOS application then the printer must be set as a shared resource also, in each computer where the application runs (it must be shared for the NET USE command to work, as bluegroper noted in the thread above mentioned).
It doesn't have to be physically connected to anyone's computer to be shared. I hope I am making sense to you.