Off topic print server

More small change on print servers.

The client S/W that lets a workstation directly communicate with a network
printers uses broadcast technology to find the printers.

This generates a lot of network traffic, and Progress is sensitive to this
network noise.

So I totally agree with Wayne that you should use an OS based print server.


Jerry Solobay

Ebco Aerospace
We are currently using a Linksys Fast Ethernet 3 port Print server with
the printer admin setup at the client level. We are experiencing client
lockup when multiple Autocad drawings are sent to the plotter. I would like
to setup a stand alone print server for my HP design jet plotter. I have
never tried this before. What is the easiest way to do this?
Can I add another PC to the network attach the plotter locally and set up
shares? What are the minimum machine requirements? Any help would be
appreciated.

Thanks
Dan Shallbetter
States Electric Mfg.
Dan,

It is very easy to install the printer on a local PC and then share it. I do
that here with a couple of printers
because it was a lot cheaper than buying a print server for a printer that
is near a PC.

Just install the printer on the PC it's attached to as a printer on LP1 or
as USB or whatever. It should ask
about sharing when you create it. Then just attach to it from you other
PCs. Just select Network Neighborhood,
navigate to that computer, select Printers or find the printer and then
right click on it and select install or attach.

Good Luck,

Dave Cole

Reeder & Kline

-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Shallbetter [mailto:dans@...]
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2000 4:33 PM
To: 'vantage@egroups.com'
Subject: [Vantage] off topic print server


We are currently using a Linksys Fast Ethernet 3 port Print server with
the printer admin setup at the client level. We are experiencing client
lockup when multiple Autocad drawings are sent to the plotter. I would like
to setup a stand alone print server for my HP design jet plotter. I have
never tried this before. What is the easiest way to do this?
Can I add another PC to the network attach the plotter locally and set up
shares? What are the minimum machine requirements? Any help would be
appreciated.

Thanks
Dan Shallbetter
States Electric Mfg.





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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
One method is build a NT server (or Win 2000) and have it connected
directly thru the parallel port.

For an NT 4.0 Server min acceptable hardware,
Pentium II or III (at least a 233 PII)
64 MB RAM
2 GB Hard Disk

For Win 2K Server min acceptable hardware,
Pentium III (at least 300 Mhz)
128 MB RAM
2-3 GB Hard Disk

Although you can connect to another user's PC, depending on
their hardware, it might slow down their local processes.

I guess you could also use a Win 9x machine, but I prefer NT
technology for robustness.

--------------------------------------
Ray Wilson
Beacon Medical Products
--------------------------------------


-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Shallbetter [mailto:dans@...]
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2000 4:33 PM
To: 'vantage@egroups.com'
Subject: [Vantage] off topic print server


We are currently using a Linksys Fast Ethernet 3 port Print server with
the printer admin setup at the client level. We are experiencing client
lockup when multiple Autocad drawings are sent to the plotter. I would like
to setup a stand alone print server for my HP design jet plotter. I have
never tried this before. What is the easiest way to do this?
Can I add another PC to the network attach the plotter locally and set up
shares? What are the minimum machine requirements? Any help would be
appreciated.

Thanks
Dan Shallbetter
States Electric Mfg.





We no longer allow attachments to files. To access/share Report Files,
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choose Vantage, then choose Files. If you save the password, the link above
will work the next time you try it.)
Does the printer support a Jet Direct card. If so, you can add it to the network without a computer attached. Note I have not done this myself, but have worked in environments where it has been done, and works very smoothly.

Dan Shallbetter wrote:

> We are currently using a Linksys Fast Ethernet 3 port Print server with
> the printer admin setup at the client level. We are experiencing client
> lockup when multiple Autocad drawings are sent to the plotter. I would like
> to setup a stand alone print server for my HP design jet plotter. I have
> never tried this before. What is the easiest way to do this?
> Can I add another PC to the network attach the plotter locally and set up
> shares? What are the minimum machine requirements? Any help would be
> appreciated.
>
> Thanks
> Dan Shallbetter
> States Electric Mfg.
>
>
>
> We no longer allow attachments to files. To access/share Report Files, please go to the following link: http://www.egroups.com/files/vantage/
> (Note: If this link does not work for you the first time you try it, go to www.egroups.com, login and be sure to save your password, choose My Groups, choose Vantage, then choose Files. If you save the password, the link above will work the next time you try it.)

--
/* ============================================================== */

William E. Colls Tel 613 591 0079
PROComputer Systems Fax 613 591 3924
67 Willow Glen Dr www.procomsys.com
Kanata Ontario Canada PEG Member 1998051404

Specialists in Progress Software development since 1985
I would ditto this. We have our Design Jet 750C+ set up on a jet direct
card and have never had a problem with it. Well, except for finding the
right drivers for the plotter, but that has nothing to do with the jet
direct card. The installation is straight forward and I am sure it is
cheaper than a PC built for and dedicated to the plotter. We even have
"non-standard" internal IP addresses and do not have problems after power
failures as I expected we might. If you would like any further info about
the specifics feel free to contact me on or off the list.
Good luck.

Aaron Hoyt
System Administrator
Design Standards Corp.
PO Box 1620
Charlestown, NH 03603
Tel 603-826-7744
<mailto:Aaron@...>


-----Original Message-----
From: William Colls [mailto:william@...]
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2000 5:06 PM
To: vantage@egroups.com
Subject: Re: [Vantage] off topic print server


Does the printer support a Jet Direct card. If so, you can add it to the
network without a computer attached. Note I have not done this myself, but
have worked in environments where it has been done, and works very smoothly.

Dan Shallbetter wrote:

> We are currently using a Linksys Fast Ethernet 3 port Print server with
> the printer admin setup at the client level. We are experiencing client
> lockup when multiple Autocad drawings are sent to the plotter. I would
like
> to setup a stand alone print server for my HP design jet plotter. I have
> never tried this before. What is the easiest way to do this?
> Can I add another PC to the network attach the plotter locally and set up
> shares? What are the minimum machine requirements? Any help would be
> appreciated.
>
> Thanks
> Dan Shallbetter
> States Electric Mfg.
>
We have an HP 450C Designjet Plotter which i put on a JetDirect 350c box, as
it does not have a slot for a jetdirect card. this has worked very well for
us. You have a lot more flexibility for locating your plotter as no PC is
required. Good luck.
-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Shallbetter [mailto:dans@...]
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2000 4:33 PM
To: 'vantage@egroups.com'
Subject: [Vantage] off topic print server


We are currently using a Linksys Fast Ethernet 3 port Print server with
the printer admin setup at the client level. We are experiencing client
lockup when multiple Autocad drawings are sent to the plotter. I would like
to setup a stand alone print server for my HP design jet plotter. I have
never tried this before. What is the easiest way to do this?
Can I add another PC to the network attach the plotter locally and set up
shares? What are the minimum machine requirements? Any help would be
appreciated.

Thanks
Dan Shallbetter
States Electric Mfg.




eGroups Sponsor


We no longer allow attachments to files. To access/share Report Files,
please go to the following link: http://www.egroups.com/files/vantage/
(Note: If this link does not work for you the first time you try it, go to
www.egroups.com, login and be sure to save your password, choose My Groups,
choose Vantage, then choose Files. If you save the password, the link above
will work the next time you try it.)



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
My concern with this method is additional network traffic. It is not
uncommon for engineering to spool up 10-30 D size drawings. My concern is
with slowing down the Vantage server. Dell 2300 dual 500 processors and
512meg of ram. Thanks guys for all the response on this question.

Dan Shallbetter
States Electric Mfg.



-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Thompson [mailto:mthompson@...]
Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2000 7:40 AM
To: vantage@egroups.com
Subject: RE: [Vantage] off topic print server


We have an HP 450C Designjet Plotter which i put on a JetDirect 350c box, as
it does not have a slot for a jetdirect card. this has worked very well for
us. You have a lot more flexibility for locating your plotter as no PC is
required. Good luck.
-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Shallbetter [mailto:dans@...]
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2000 4:33 PM
To: 'vantage@egroups.com'
Subject: [Vantage] off topic print server


We are currently using a Linksys Fast Ethernet 3 port Print server with
the printer admin setup at the client level. We are experiencing client
lockup when multiple Autocad drawings are sent to the plotter. I would like
to setup a stand alone print server for my HP design jet plotter. I have
never tried this before. What is the easiest way to do this?
Can I add another PC to the network attach the plotter locally and set up
shares? What are the minimum machine requirements? Any help would be
appreciated.

Thanks
Dan Shallbetter
States Electric Mfg.





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Dan:
Detach the plotter from any computer and use a jet direct device. Then you
can configure the plotter to any networked computer and it will see the
plotter as a local attachment. I have two plotters in a pool plus a laser
attached to a 3-port jet direct card. Thus if one plotter is busy, the
other one automatically takes the job. Works slick for me.

Terry L. Williams I.S. Manager Chipsco, Inc. 993 Liberty St. Ext.
Meadville, PA 16335 814-333-6331 x236 fax: 814-337-2548 tlw@...
www.chipsco.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Shallbetter [mailto:dans@...]
Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2000 8:51 AM
To: 'vantage@egroups.com'
Subject: RE: [Vantage] off topic print server

My concern with this method is additional network traffic. It is not
uncommon for engineering to spool up 10-30 D size drawings. My concern is
with slowing down the Vantage server. Dell 2300 dual 500 processors and
512meg of ram. Thanks guys for all the response on this question.

Dan Shallbetter
States Electric Mfg.



-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Thompson [mailto:mthompson@...]
Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2000 7:40 AM
To: vantage@egroups.com
Subject: RE: [Vantage] off topic print server


We have an HP 450C Designjet Plotter which i put on a JetDirect 350c box, as
it does not have a slot for a jetdirect card. this has worked very well for
us. You have a lot more flexibility for locating your plotter as no PC is
required. Good luck.
-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Shallbetter [mailto:dans@...]
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2000 4:33 PM
To: 'vantage@egroups.com'
Subject: [Vantage] off topic print server


We are currently using a Linksys Fast Ethernet 3 port Print server with
the printer admin setup at the client level. We are experiencing client
lockup when multiple Autocad drawings are sent to the plotter. I would like
to setup a stand alone print server for my HP design jet plotter. I have
never tried this before. What is the easiest way to do this?
Can I add another PC to the network attach the plotter locally and set up
shares? What are the minimum machine requirements? Any help would be
appreciated.

Thanks
Dan Shallbetter
States Electric Mfg.





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



We no longer allow attachments to files. To access/share Report Files,
please go to the following link: http://www.egroups.com/files/vantage/
(Note: If this link does not work for you the first time you try it, go to
www.egroups.com, login and be sure to save your password, choose My Groups,
choose Vantage, then choose Files. If you save the password, the link above
will work the next time you try it.)
Dan-

We have a jet direct for our HP750 plotter as well. My network has 35
users, dual 450 processors and 512 RAM, and three of those users are on
(shudder!) MACS, which also spool to the plotter. We don't have the volume
of 10-30 drawings waiting at a time, but haven't had any traffic problems so
far.

Lydia


-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Shallbetter [mailto:dans@...]
Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2000 5:51 AM
To: 'vantage@egroups.com'
Subject: RE: [Vantage] off topic print server

My concern with this method is additional network traffic. It is not
uncommon for engineering to spool up 10-30 D size drawings. My concern is
with slowing down the Vantage server. Dell 2300 dual 500 processors and
512meg of ram. Thanks guys for all the response on this question.

Dan Shallbetter
States Electric Mfg.



-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Thompson [mailto:mthompson@...]
Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2000 7:40 AM
To: vantage@egroups.com
Subject: RE: [Vantage] off topic print server


We have an HP 450C Designjet Plotter which i put on a JetDirect 350c box, as
it does not have a slot for a jetdirect card. this has worked very well for
us. You have a lot more flexibility for locating your plotter as no PC is
required. Good luck.
-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Shallbetter [mailto:dans@...]
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2000 4:33 PM
To: 'vantage@egroups.com'
Subject: [Vantage] off topic print server


We are currently using a Linksys Fast Ethernet 3 port Print server with
the printer admin setup at the client level. We are experiencing client
lockup when multiple Autocad drawings are sent to the plotter. I would like
to setup a stand alone print server for my HP design jet plotter. I have
never tried this before. What is the easiest way to do this?
Can I add another PC to the network attach the plotter locally and set up
shares? What are the minimum machine requirements? Any help would be
appreciated.

Thanks
Dan Shallbetter
States Electric Mfg.





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



We no longer allow attachments to files. To access/share Report Files,
please go to the following link: http://www.egroups.com/files/vantage/
(Note: If this link does not work for you the first time you try it, go to
www.egroups.com, login and be sure to save your password, choose My Groups,
choose Vantage, then choose Files. If you save the password, the link above
will work the next time you try it.)
At 05:06 PM 11/13/2000 , you wrote:
> > Can I add another PC to the network attach the plotter locally and set up
> > shares? What are the minimum machine requirements? Any help would be

My 0.02 on printer sharing & serving: Using server modules and plugging
the printer or plotter directly onto your network is the way to go. Axis
makes great and inexpensive units for this (~ $100) though we also have
some Jet-directs and Ricoh ones here, too.

Most the server units have some "peer to peer" software option, that lets
each user's PC send jobs directly to the printer. Most these also Do Not
Work Very Well. The server modules usually have limited memory, so the PC
that generated the output has to "dribble" the data over the network for
the duration of the print job. Any other PC trying to print is told to sit
back and wait till it's free. Often the drivers do not handle the wait
well, and the user's PC may appear to lock up, or run slowly while it's
waiting or printing. HP's seem particularly bad this way. Must have been
written by the same group that did their ink jet drivers ;)

Best solution is to have a PC or other server box act as a "relay" between
the client PCs, and the network printer modules. The client PC shoots the
print job to the server and is promptly free of it. The user gets back to
what he was doing with the least visible interruption. Meanwhile, the
server can easily spool many print jobs from many users' PCs. It doesn't
mind dribbling the data out to all the printers. And the simplistic
printer modules are happier only getting data streams from one source at a
time. Administration is also simpler, since you only have native windows
components on the client PCs. Drivers specific to your printer interface
units are only on the server.

What to use as a server? NT does it, but I hear it can take a dedicated
server. Still, an old Pentium would probably handle it. Don't know
personally. If you're really low budget, and want to keep it simple you
can use a stripped down Win 95 PC. But expect some glitches. You're cheap
and more techo, throw FreeBSD or Linux on any old clunker PC, and run
Samba. Our Pre-Vantage box is an IBM RS/6000 with a blazing 20MHz
processor & 56MB. It's pretty happy running the old MRP app, while serving
10 or so printers via Samba, along with all our POP, SMTP, DNS and other
SMB services.

Troublesome printers will have your co-workers ticked off in a hurry, and
waste a bunch of their time and your's. So a reliable (possibly dedicated)
server can be a good investment.

-Wayne Cox
Dan:

We have an HP Designjet plotter with many plots per day with no
appreciable drag on the system. Using the Jetdirect card (or standalone
unit as needed) makes for a nice smooth system. You'll dig it!

Rick
MIS
Osco

Dan Shallbetter wrote:
>
> My concern with this method is additional network traffic. It is not
> uncommon for engineering to spool up 10-30 D size drawings. My concern
> is
> with slowing down the Vantage server. Dell 2300 dual 500 processors
> and
> 512meg of ram. Thanks guys for all the response on this question.
>
> Dan Shallbetter
> States Electric Mfg.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mike Thompson [mailto:mthompson@...]
> Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2000 7:40 AM
> To: vantage@egroups.com
> Subject: RE: [Vantage] off topic print server
>
> We have an HP 450C Designjet Plotter which i put on a JetDirect 350c
> box, as
> it does not have a slot for a jetdirect card. this has worked very
> well for
> us. You have a lot more flexibility for locating your plotter as no
> PC is
> required. Good luck.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dan Shallbetter [mailto:dans@...]
> Sent: Monday, November 13, 2000 4:33 PM
> To: 'vantage@egroups.com'
> Subject: [Vantage] off topic print server
>
> We are currently using a Linksys Fast Ethernet 3 port Print server
> with
> the printer admin setup at the client level. We are experiencing
> client
> lockup when multiple Autocad drawings are sent to the plotter. I would
> like
> to setup a stand alone print server for my HP design jet plotter. I
> have
> never tried this before. What is the easiest way to do this?
> Can I add another PC to the network attach the plotter locally and set
> up
> shares? What are the minimum machine requirements? Any help would be
> appreciated.
>
> Thanks
> Dan Shallbetter
> States Electric Mfg.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> eGroups Sponsor
>
>
> We no longer allow attachments to files. To access/share Report
> Files, please go to the following link:
> http://www.egroups.com/files/vantage/
> (Note: If this link does not work for you the first time you try it,
> go to www.egroups.com, login and be sure to save your password, choose
> My Groups, choose Vantage, then choose Files. If you save the
> password, the link above will work the next time you try it.)