Printing Issues

[ChuckG]

We have a windows 2003 server here in the US, running 12G of RAM and Quad 3.2Ghz Duel Core processors.

I've got several printers setup on this server. Pretty basic setup, Standard TCPIP ports, pointing to the IP address of a DLINK DP-300U print servers using LPR.

Now the trick is, these print servers are in Amsterdam, and the two sites are connected by a firewall to firewall VPN.

The only thing that's being printed by this are labels (on Sato CL408e Printers) so pretty small packets of data.

In talking with the folks in Amsterdam, most of the time printing is quick (within 2-3 seconds) but every once in a while (it may be a day, it may be 2-3 days before it does it) printing gets bogged down to the point where it may take 3-5 minutes to get the label.

Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how I might be eliminate (or at least drasticly reduce) these periods of bogged down printing?

Thanks
ChuckG

 

[rphips]

ChuckG
The question you have to ask yourself is what else is using the VPN and then chart your bandwidth - If you find out it occurs during peak usage or does it occur when something else utilized the bandwdth.

This will give you an idea on what to ajust either bandwidth usage or time usage.

bob

"ZOINKS !!!!!"

Shaggy

 

[ChuckG]

Well this is a brand new VPN, the only traffic on it is

a) about 5-10 PC's running Citrix Presentation Server 4
b) about 8 Print servers all running LPR printing.

I've had our corporate folks check the VPN out and they say that the max usage has been 6-9% for the past two weeks. So I'm having a hard time imagining it being a bandwidth issue. It may be some issue with the Internet and routing, but there's nothing we can do about that.

 

[rphips]

ChuckG

When it occurs again send a trace route and you should be able to track the problem - either a outside router or outside DNS slow down

Then you have information to either switch DNS provider or just to prove to your boss it is out of your control.

bob

"ZOINKS !!!!!"

Shaggy

 

[rphips]

ChuckG

Oh by the way I had the same problem - found out it was a router on the internet that belonged to the company that provided us our T1 line - and proceeded to beat my boss up that there wasn't much I can do - he will have to deal with the offending router. With the ammo given to him they finally admitted it was a router issue and replaced the router with a more verbose router. Everything work great now.

bob

"ZOINKS !!!!!"

Shaggy