Terminal Services Network Printing 1

[c1utch]

I am trying to test, propose and convince my company to switch our remote offices to Term. Services. I'm still in the test phase and am struggling with the printer redirection. I've had no trouble with redirecting printers that are connected locally to the clients LPT ports. However, each remote office has a network printer that connects via ethernet to the LAN of that office. I've tried installing these network printers several different ways to the clients (via IP address, NetBios name, printer software). Of course the server doesn't autocreate these printers (locally attached printers are created fine), so I try to manually create them. However, the redirection of print jobs still is not happening. I noticed that the server creates printer ports labeled TS0xx (where xx is some number) for the client's ports (lpt, com1, com2). I thought maybe if I could create one of these and point it to the IP port on the client I would be set. But it doesn't look like that's possible. Does anyone have any insight on this or am I missing the big picture and TS is just doesn't have the ability to print to networked printers.

Chris

 

[Zelandakh]

TS will print to networked printers if the remote client is XP. I think IP networked printers work under 2000 but it may be HP Jet Direct printers.

 

[c1utch]

Well, needless to say after a week's worth of researching this problem, I got it to work...and on Win2k machines with a Netgear print server (add on card similar to a HP Jet Direct card) and a HP Deskjet printer. Should work with any other print servers that can be configured to accept an IP address. Shoot me a post on here if you're interested on how it is setup. (Got the answer from Micro$oft...sort of.) Thanks again Zelandakh.

Chris

 

[johnsiddle]

I am up for an explananation please.
TS networked printers and non networked printers are my biggest headache at present
Thanks John Siddle

 

[victorv]

hi,
I don't undertstand your problem.
what do you mean network-ed printer ?
Printer with a network card, or, Windows called network
printer, the opposit of local, ie the printer attached
locally (parallel or net!) to a computer ?

I explain what I do. I use a printer server ( not the
box whit a network port an 2-3 parallel port ) : a computer.

Suppose a Windows 2k Server different from the TS machine.

In this Printer Server I install the network printer :
Add Printer \ Local Printer \ Create a new port Standard TCP/IP Port \ ip of the printer \ Generic network card (or other ) \ appropriate Printer type \ share as
PRIDIP01

Then, in the TS, go in the printer page and no Add printer
but go in menu File \ Server Properties \ Drivers \ Add
and repeat the driver installation.

Well, when the user login, he has the capability to
Add Printer \ Network \ and browse your printer server
and the wanted printer. You can also map to him printers
using user-script using the con2prt utility (resource kit
or googling)

bye

 

[c1utch]

Well, first things first. I work for a cellular phone company and my stores connect serial cables to the PC to read the data off the cell phones. So, in trying to get this to work in Term. Services, I downloaded a trial copy of Windows 2003 server (180 day trial), which is where my testing of this and printer redirection has been taking place. In other words there is a possibility that my success has in part come from the fact I'm using this instead of Windows 2k server.

Here is the link I found on Microsoft's website saying that network printing can't be done and isn't supported in Terminal Services.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;264039

With the combination of this tech note and another post I found here in Tek-tips, I came up with the solution. Also take note that I haven't tried this on any "odd ball" printers that don't show up in the list of windows 2000 supported printers. So far, just HP printers. In other words, I didn't add the printer drivers from a disk, I only have, so far, used default printers that come packaged with windows 2k. In addition, I've read that if your printer does not show up as one of the default windows 2k printers when you go through the printer set up, DO NOT install its 3rd party printer drivers for it. Rather use HP Laserjet 4 drivers for any laserjet printer, regardless of the manufacturer. And for inkjet printers, use the HP Deskjet 550C drivers for your inkjet.
Now, to get the network printers working, I attached a netgear ps101 print server to a HP deskjet 670c via its parallel port, then plugged it on the other end, into the LAN. I used the negear print server configuration utility that came with the print server to give it an IP address, gateway and subnet mask. This setup, even though it sounds specific to netgear, was not. It was a typical setup similar to what you see in HP jetdirect cards and other network printers. I then started the add printer wizard on the client pc. I set the printer up as a local printer. When it got to the point of asking me which port the printer was attached, I select "create port" and choose TCP/IP. Then the TCP/IP port wizard starts. Enter the IP address of the printer, but then delete the port name that it autocreates. The following is the KEY!! Enter LPTx (where x is any number other than 1) as the port name. Continue with the add printer wizard until you are finished. What that port name does is create another LPT port, which Term. Services understands and installs just fine. Now, try a test print from the client to make sure you can print locally. Next, start up TS on the client PC. Log in and it should autocreate your printer on one of the TSxx ports. Its really weird how this works, but it seems to work like a champ. Now, if this doesn't work, you can manually install the printer on the Term. Server. When you get to the port, you should be able to select the port that looks similar to this: TSxx: PRN1 (where xx is an arbitrary number Term. Services assigns) The PRN1 port is the LPTx port you created locally on the PC. If you don't get to this point or can't get it to work, it might be a driver conflict, and again I haven't played around with that issue at all and can't elaborate on it. Sorry. Let me know how you did or if you have any questions!!!

Chris

 

[c1utch]

victorv-

I don't want to use computers at these off sites as print servers. I already am using netgear print servers that plug into the printer directly and attach that printer to the lan via an ethernet cable (cat5). The print server is configured with a static IP address, and then I perform the above (see previous post) process to install the printer. Works like a champ. I understand your point, and could easily see how it works...but some of my printers do not have parallel or usb ports, rather only network interface cards. The printers I've mentioned here and in the previous posts do have parallel ports, obviously...but I want all my printers to be configured the same way, attaching directly to the LAN via ethernet. Not a mixed pot of some being locally attached to PC's and some being directly attached to the network. This allows me and my co-workers to manage them a little easier and we won't have to stop and think "now...how is this off site setup to print?". Thanks though.


Chris

 

[victorv]

if your printer have network card, you have a problem
of less. In a big company, the printers, have to stay
under a unic printer server ( the computer ) and
clients + TS server have to print mapping network
printer ( in terms of Add Printer \ Network Printer )
to avoid that many clients, (or TS Server) acess
together to the printer: you need a single spool
to manage jobs, cancel stalled jobs and so on.

I work with Citrix and TS from 2-3 years, but with
printers shared between tenth of users (Windows + Unix)
from more than 10; and be sure that a printer that does
not print "sometime" is a common problem.

Before a in a Windows printer only 2 or 3 user printed,
while for large use printer there was Unix or MainFrame or AS400 printer.

Now that you use Windows at company level (not a single office) or better with TS, you have to think as a mainframe
not a desktop computer.

You cannot access a printer with a nic from 10 or 20 or 50
different computers directly from their network card: you
have to centralize the resource, in a server: a printer
server. This can be the same machine of file server and
if this become very important use a specific machine or
use MSCS (Microsoft Cluster Services) to serve files & printers.

When I worked with cad, I found installation of 30-40
work station that printed directly on network port
of plotter, and customer was not satisfied: queue went
down, and the user had to replot drawings. The right
method was to use a machine that using jetdirect, points
to plotter; the other 40-40 ws, had remote queue to this machine.

bye

 

[victorv]

hi,

probably there is a confusion of terms:

when I say computer "Printer Server" I dont want you
attach a parallel print to it, but you use a printer
whit nic or a printer with parallel port attached to a
netgear box ( I don' use printer server term )
and in the computer "Printer Server" add a TCP/IP port,
then you share the printer whit a simple NETBIOS name
8 char as PRI-Dep Name Acronim+Progressive. Put
a label on print with the same name of shared printer
and leave the user map it in its add "network" printers.

bye

 

[c1utch]

Victorv-

To clarify, I have 12 off site locations that each have a printer. Lets call them Office A, Office B, Office C....etc. Office A, B, C, etc. has no more than 4 pc's and one printer. Only Office A prints to that printer. This is by design. We do not want or need offices printing to anywhere but onsite. So, a print server (pc) at all 12 locations, for me is overkill when I can simply setup these simple print servers in place and have them redirected via their IP address. Esentially, this little print server is doing what your PC based print server is doing, but at a much smaller scale. It has an IP address...has a print que...but doesn't get tasked as much as what you're referring to.

Chris

 

[victorv]

hi

seen your organization, you have other 2 solution:

Add these lan-printers locally to the TS Server
(as you do in a client) the problem is that
all users see this 12 printers: but using right
names and default printer for users and Group
security, you cam minimize printer confusion for users.


The other is to use a PC for office, as computer printer server (if it has almost Windows 2K Professional)
and the users, when map their printers (you can do
automatically by script using con2prt) when they are
connected in TS, can browse their "office" server and
found the unic shared printer.

bye

 

[c1utch]

The server at the main office (where the TS is located) can't see the remote LAN devices. These remote offices connect via VPN over a consumer broadband internet connection that allow the remote offices to see the corporate office. Since this is a simple broadband connection, and the VPN appliance is a very simple device, it cannot doing routing on the return network path coming from the corp. office. So I can't map these printers to the TS since the server can't really see their IP address or NetBios name.

The other solution is what I don't want to do. I don't want to place a print sever (pc) at each location. One of my remote locations only has 2 PC's and a printer. I don't think its financially feasable to implement a 3rd PC for printing when I can use the current setup (redirecting the printer IP to a virtual LPT port) as a cheaper and more managable solution.

Chris

 

[victorv]

hi,

I had understood you had problem to see these printers
from TS and I gave you some suggestions as alternative.
If you see printer using your solution, follow it.


When I sayd "a pc as printer server each office",
was not in my mind to ADD another PC,
but use one of the existent as Printer server.

bye

 

[c1utch]

No...one of my earlier post's I talk about how I fixed my problem.

Also, to use one of the exsisting PC's would mean that one PC would be mapped directely to the printer...while the other on site PC's would be mapped to that one PC, wouldn't it? I want every PC in this case to be setup the same. That's why I don't want to use that alternative.

Chris