Laurent,
Boy! That's a good question. It's a little more complicated than that on a
network though. And difficult to explain clearly. As an example, if you
spool network printers using NT then the server can communicate with the
printer using any one of several protocols, TCP/IP, IPX, a wierd one called
DLC, or AppleTalk. It's called creating a 'Port'. This is more or less
independant from how the clients access the printers. They can connect to
the printers using whatever protocols the server is running. That may seem
obvious but it leads to the situation where, for example, the server may
communicate with a printer using TCP/IP but Macs may be able to access the
printer using Appletalk. As far as the name goes, Appletalk Printers can
have their name that you set with the Laserwriter utility or the like on a
Mac but there is also a provision in AppleTalk for a printer to be
'captured' by a printer spooler. When the printer is captured it's name is
hidden and the spooler advertises the name of the corresponding print queue
in place of it. This is what happens when you create an Appletalk port for
a printer under NT. If you choose to capture the printer then printer's
AppleTalk name is the same as the NT queue name. Change the queue name and
you change the AppleTalk name. If you don't capture the printer then it
will be visible on the network with it's own name AND the name of it's print
queue. It's probably similar for
Novell but this may not be relevant at all since you have all those
duplicates and you're on a PC network. Strange when I was doing printers I
went out of my way to turn off all the other protocols on our printers
except TCP/IP to avoid network chatter but to each admin his own. Sorry if
I think out loud while I get focused on the point.
It sounds like you have two options:
1) The printers are probably equipped with JetDirect Ethernet cards. Use a
Powerbook that does ethernet and a crossover ethernet cable. When no one is
looking disconnect the Printer from the network and connect it directly to
the Powerbook. Change the name to something usable using Laserwrite Utility
or the like.
2) More complicated. Go to HP's Web site and get the JetAdmin software for
Windows. Don't get webJetAdmin. This software allows you to connect to the
printer and change a lot of settings. I don't remember whether it allows
you to change the AppleTalk name but it allows you change just about
everything else so I'd think it would. You can run a self test from the
printer control panel - unless your admins have locked it down, but that's
rare - that will tell you the ethernet MAC address, IP address of the
machine and it's current AppleTalk name. JetAdmin should be able to
autodetect the printers on your network - but generally only on your
immediate network segment - but this information will help you to identify
which is yours. JetAdmin is fairly self-explanatory.
Let me know what happens or if you have any questions.
Jon.
-----Original Message-----
From: Laurent Daudelin [mailto:laurent_daudelin@fanniemae.com]
Sent: Mittwoch, 29. Dezember 1999 20:37
To: NewtonTalk
Subject: NTLK Printing to a LaserJet 5SI MX
Hi!
I've been trying to print at the office to our HP LaserJet 5SI mx
printer through Ethernet like I used to be able to do, but I'm no longer
able to do it. The problem is that I see 5 different network printers
named "LaserJet 5SI", and I tried to print on any of them, but never got
the job printed on our printer. The thing that you need to know is that
there are probably several hundreds printers here, at Fannie Mae, and
they're all configured basically to work with Novell and a print server.
However, the LaserJet 5si, at least, has the hability to receive
Postscript jobs right over Ethernet. Problem is, since the printers are
to be used from Windows, their Postscript configuration is not changed
since nobody cares here, and, as a result, they all end up with whatever
default name the default Postscript configuration has. I think there
might be a limit on the number of printers with the same name that the
chooser on the Newton will show you, because I see 2 printers named "HP
LaserJet 5Si" and others named "HP LaserJet 5Si1", "HP LaserJet 5Si2"
and "HP LaserJet 5Si3". So, I was wondering if anybody knows a way to
set a name for a Postscript printer from within NT. It's really easy
with my Mac at home using the tool that Apple provides, but on NT, I'm
stumped!
I know it works because I've been able some time ago to print using
Ethernet to our printer, but my worksite configuration doesn't work
anymore, even if I didn't modify it.
Also, I would like to know if anybody has been able to download news
using InkSpot by connecting to their ISP, from behind a firewall. I find
very frustrating to have a high speed connection and the hability to get
on the internet with my MP, but not being able to do anything else than
web browsing!
Any insights, suggestions or info gladly accepted!
Thanks in advance!
-Laurent.
=====================================================================
Laurent Daudelin
Developer, Object Factory, Substrate Fannie Mae
Phone: 703-833-4266 mailto:Laurent_Daudelin@fanniemae.com
Fax: 703-833-7555 Usual disclaimers apply
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