IOPRINT+ Print Servers: General Questions

Issue:
IOPRINT+ Print Servers: General Questions

Solution:
A 1. What is the Print Server?
The Print Server is designed to provide simple and efficient printer sharing. All users on the LAN, regardless of operating system or network protocol, will be able to use the printer(s) connected to the Print Servers. By reconnecting your printers to a Print Server instead of a file server or workstation, you will reduce system loading and increase printing performance and allow different network protocols to be used simultaneously.

A 2. What Kinds of network environment does the Print Server support?
Print Server supports IPX/SPX, TCP/IP, NetBeui, and Appletalk simultaneously. That means network users can print jobs to Print Server from heterogeneous network at the same time. (for example : from Netware, Unix, Windows or MAC environment). Depending on the model, you can use 10base2, 10 baseT, or 100 baseT LAN connections.

A 3. How many printers can be attached to print server?
Perle IOPRINT+ can support up to 3 parallel printers..

A 4. What is Internet Printing?

Internet Printing

Perle Internet Printing allows remote users to print jobs to the desired company site through Internet E-mail.


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How: The remote user can submit documents in two ways:
a. Use the driver and setup the remote printer and then print to this printer from any application.
b. Use e-mail application. and send a PRN file to the Perle IOPRINT+ e-mail address. Perle IOPRINT+ will access the Mail Server periodically and then retrieve and print the file.

Questions:
You can imagine the following cases:
1.You want to ask your remote site- factory to print paper to your office.
2. Perhaps, you will say "What's the difference with e-mail? E-mail can make it.". The difference is, you get a hardcopy automatically, without downloading your e-mail and missing with file attachments.
3. You have some branch offices. You use faxes a lot to communicate with them, but you are concerned about the resolution on fax pages.
4.There are many jobs you have to do. So you do them overtime at home. And next day you should present them at early in the morning. Before presenting, you must give each attendee copy but a copy is over 30 pages. Thus, you ask by yourself "who can help me?" If you could print one good copy, the office staff could photocopy it.
5.You made some good documents using your software. Your customers want them. Thus you always send them hardcopy by Federal Express. But sometimes you don't think Federal Express is express.

Perle provides a prefect solution to these questions.


Benefits:
a. Save money - You don't need to setup a remote network through a leased line to print a file from a remote site. The printing destination doesn't need any extra application to print the file. They don't need to have the same software as the sender. The remote users don't need a printer or an expensive printer. For example, laser printer of color printer.
b. Save Time - You don't need to read e-mail and then print it out. Your client can get it at once. You can print your file from home and then collect it at work.
c. Higher resolution, much better than a fax. The quality is the same as printing directly to your printer.


A 5. What is Web Admin and can standard Internet Browsers manage Print Server?
Web Administration provides users to manage IOPRINT+ through Web browsers like Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. We strongly believe that the Internet is the big trend. Right now, we need to install the Web admin utility on a Windows NT server with IIS2.0 (or above) you can then use a standard internet browser on any LAN PC what configuration methods are available to manage Print Server.

A 6. How do I upgrade my Print Server with new Firmware code?
The IOPRINT+ Print Server can only be upgraded using a Windows 95 PC or a Windows
NT 4.0 machine. We provide a download utility that you can install Perle_dl.zip.
After you install the download utility on your Perle_dl platform, you can use this utility to browse the network, select the regarding Print Server and download the appropriate firmware update

A 7. Do I need to shutdown File server( Netware, Unix, or Windows NT..) when I install Print Server on my network ?
No. You do not need to shutdown file server when you install Print Server. What you need to do is to install Print Server's management utility, configure the Print Server , configure the File Server or client PCs, and start printing.

A 8. Does Print Server support DHCP?
DHCP stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. It allows a computer to obtain its own IP address automatically rather than having it entered manually. Thus, Perle's print servers can get its IP address from a DHCP server if the DHCP parameter of the print server is set to YES.

A 9. Does Print Server support Direct Socket Interface printing?
This function works for VAX machines. It uses socket number 4010, 4020, and 4030 to print users jobs. It provides another printing method for VAX machines.

A 10. Why is an external Print Server better than an internal Print Server?
There are so many advantages to use external Print Server than to use internal Print Server.
For example:
1. Usage for any kind of Printers: Most internal print servers support only a single model of printer. If you change your current printer in the future, you cannot this internal print server any more. You are forced to purchase a new Print Server. External Print Server can support any kind of printers. You do not have to replace new print server when you replace printer.
2. Easy to install: With external Print Server, you do not have to power off Printer, look for screw driver to open up printer, insert internal print server, power on printer, ....

A 11. What is different between 10Mbps Print Server and 10/100Mbps Print Server?
10Mbps Print Server can only support 10Mbps wiring.10/100Mbps Print Server can support 10Mbps or 100Mbps wiring. If you have plan to increase bandwidth up to 100Mbps in the future, you can purchase 10/100Mbps Print Server which can work 10Mbps now, and you do not need to change Print Server's setting after you increase bandwidth up to 100Mbps.

A 12. Do I need to install any software from/to file server when I install Print Server?
No. You do not have to. Print Server will service printing job automatically after you install print server completely.
(Except you configure Print Server as remote printer mode under NetWare environment).

A 13. Does Print Server support http embedded and can users use standard web browser to manage Print Server?
Print Server does not support http embedded right now. You cannot use standard web browser to manage Print Server if you do not install Web Admin utility in Windows NT Server 4.0 with IIS2.0.

A 14. What bi-directional information is available with Print Server?
Print Server can get bi-directional information from printer if the printer supports PJL. The Print Server can automatically detect whether the printer supports PJL and presents that information when requested in WindowsNT/95 based management utility. The Print Server can detect the following information: page count, dpi, paper size...

A 15. Can the Perle 10/100Mbps Print Server work with a 10/100Mbps Dual Hub or Switch Hub?
10/100Mbps Dual Hub: When connecting to a dual-speed Hub, the Print Server connects at 100Mbps. PCs connecting at 10Mbps will then be unable to connect to the Print Server. This is a limitation of the Hub, not the Print Server. You can use the DIP switch setting on the Print Server to force the Print Server to run at 10Mbps.
10/100Mbps Switch Hub: With a 10/100Mbps Switch Hub, 10Mbsp and 100Mbps are the same channel. Therefore a 10/100Mbps Print Server can serve both. The Print Server itself use 100Mbps, the Switch Hub translates speeds at required.


Article ID:
163
Published:
2/3/2003 9:24:02 AM
Last Modified:
2/3/2003 9:24:02 AM
Issue Type:
FAQ