How Can i monitor a remote TCP/IP printer?

[kellygirl01]

Hi All,

How could i monitor who's printing to a TCP/IP printer?

I looked around for some software but i can't seem to find anything.

Any ideas?

 

[jlong515]

What kind of printer and how is it configured, HP Jet Direct or some other print server? Or is it hanging directly off of a Win2K server? You can typically monitor print jobs from the server controlling the printer. Hope this helps, and if it doesn't please post the exact printer and configuration and I'm sure I or someone else will be able to provide a solution.

Jeff

MCSE,CCNA,ASE
"The nice thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from."

 

[Granvillew]

The IP printers I have used; Lexmark, Canon and HP; can be accessed using IE but typing the IP address in the explorer's address line and clicking the "Go" button.

Hope this helps.

 

[bierhunter]

Like mentioned above, many networked printers these days have built-in http, ftp, and telnet. Comes in very handy.

For security, the first thing I would do is change your admin passwords and snmp community strings to prevent "curious" users from going in and messing with your printer configurations.

Also, disable any protocols you don't use. It helps secure it and cut down the resource overhead.

 

[tomte]

Most printers these days support snmp. Depending upon the printer they should have some utility that lets you monitor the printer. JetAdmin, NetSpot, http, etc.

 

[Syty]

If they don't support SNMP or worse, you don't run it. You can't tell my user ID, but if you're feeling "techy" you can put any sniffer in the same broadcast segment with the printer and filter the packets for it's IP, then cross reference the source IP Address to the machine, match the time to the user login....pain in the neck, but depending on your infrastructure, or the lack thereof......how badly do you want to know?

if you have zerox, high end type printers, print a menu map from the console of the printer and find the submenu that will print what you want to know. This can be cleared by anyone that has access to the printer, but they have to know it's there, and truly not want you to know what they've printed.

Good Luck.