|
NetPort® Manager Configuration
You have the option of using the NetPort Manager or arp and telnet to configure the NetportExpress™ PRO print server. These instructions assume you will use the NetPort Manager software.
- If using the internal model of the NetportExpress™ PRO print server, install the card in the printer. Plug the network cable into a known good network drop and then power on the printer.
If using the external model, plug your NetportExpress™ PRO print server into a known good network drop. Plug in the power cable and the printer.
- Use the diagnostics button on the NetportExpress™ print server to verify communications between the NetportExpress print server, the printer and the network.
NOTE: The diagnostics page will only print to printers attached to LPT1 at this time.
- If you have not already done so, install the NetPort Manager software onto a Windows* workstation. You must use NetPort Manager release 4.x to configure any of the NetportExpress™ PRO print server models. You must also run the software on a Windows workstation which is running NetBEUI as the default protocol.
- Start the NetPort Manager program. The NetportExpress™ print server will be displayed in the left column.
- Highlight the NetportExpress™ print server which needs to be configured, and then press the Configure Hardware button. Assign an alias name if you would like. The alias name is a name to use instead of the PRxxxxxx identifier.
- Use the lower half of the screen to set appropriate printer settings for each printer. Set the centronics speeds as outlined below. Do not enable bi-directional communications unless the printer is capable of using this setting.
- For any dot matrix parallel printers, for laser printers at or below the level of an HP III and for inkjet printers, select the Low speed setting.
- For most other printers, select the Medium speed setting.
- For high speed printers, select the High speed setting.
- For any dot matrix printers, be sure there is no checkmark in the Autolinefeed box. This will prevent the printer from double line-feeding your text.
- If you will be attaching a serial printer to your NetportExpress™ print server, make any necessary changes to the Serial Port settings area. Each serial setting must exactly match the settings on the printer.
- Press the Save button.
- Press the Configure Print Services button. Select UNIX & SNMP and press the Configure button.
- The Location and Contact fields are optional reference fields.
- If you wish to manually assign an IP address to your NetportExpress™ print server, place a checkmark in Manually Assign IP Address in the IP Resolution Options area on the right side of the screen. If this option is not available, remove the checkmarks from other items in this area first. You can then enter the address in the NetPort server IP entry area. Modify the Subnet Mask and Default Gateway as appropriate for your network.
- Most installations can disregard the SNMP Communities and SNMP Traps tabs. If your environment requires specific settings, use these screens as necessary.
- Press the Save button to exit the UNIX and SNMP screen.
- Press the Close button to exit the Configure Print Services screen.
- Wait 1 to 2 minutes for the NetportExpress™ print server to save the configuration.
- Use the Status button from the Main Menu of the NetPort Manager software to verify the information you have configured is correct.
NOTE: The status screen will always display several hardware settings as "Not configured." This is normal. These are other possible ways in which the print server may be configured. Your status screen may also display NetBIOS: Running. This is also normal.
Configure the AIX host
NOTE: Depending on your version of AIX, you may see slightly different wording in the AIX fields below.
- Make sure you can PING (confirm IP communication between the host and the NetportExpress PRO print server). To do this, at the prompt type: ping <IP address>
If you cannot PING, check the gateway setup, subnet numbers, and IP addresses in the NetPort Manager software.
- At your AIX command prompt type:smit spooler
- Select the option to Add a Print Queue.
- When prompted for ATTACHMENT TYPE, select REMOTE.
- Complete the fields for remote printing as follows:
NAME OF QUEUE = The name of the queue you wish to create on your AIX host
HOSTNAME OF REMOTE SERVER = IP address of the NetportExpress print server
NAME OF QUEUE ON REMOTE SERVER = one of the following:
- LPT1_PASSTHRU for most print jobs with the printer attached to parallel port 1 of the external model or for the internal model
- LPT2_PASSTHRU for most print jobs with the printer attached to parallel port 2
- COM1_PASSTHRU for most print jobs with the printer attached to the serial port of the external model
- LPT1_TEXT for print jobs that need to have a CR added to LF's with the printer attached to parallel port 1 of the external model or for the internal model
- LPT2_TEXT for print jobs that need to have a CR added to LF's with the printer attached to parallel port 2 of the external model
- COM1_TEXT for print jobs that need to have a CR added to LF's with the printer attached to the serial port of the external model
TYPE OF PRINT SPOOLER = BSD (Press LIST button and choose BSD)
- Click OK and wait for the OUTPUT screen to display "Added Queue."
- Exit SMIT. Test your configuration by using the lp command to send a job to the print queue.
Possible Issue:
If a job is submitted to the AIX queue and the port on the NetportExpress™ print server is not available (busy with another job, or printer offline/not connected), the AIX host will try to start the job for about 20 seconds and will DOWN the queue if it is unsuccessful. You must use SMIT to re-enable the queue.
This applies to:
| 
