Using a Print Server

As discussed in Article 12, one of the most appealing ways of making one or more printers available on your network is to add a print server to the network. Having a print server means that you don’t need to keep the computer sharing the printer running in order for any of the computers connected to the network to be able to print. It also means that you can locate the print server and its printers anywhere on your network that has access to a network cable or a wireless connection rather than having to attach the printer directly to your computer. Once you’ve bought and unpacked your print server, connect the printer or printers to it, and then connect it to the network and to its power supply if it needs one. For some print servers, you may need to install TCP/IP redirection software that captures the print jobs and directs them to the print server. So far, so easy. You then have to decide how to use the print server. If part of your motivation for getting the print server was to free up the computer that previously managed the printer or printers from its print-management duties, install the print software on all the computers that will need to print to the printers. That way, each can print independently, and each will be able to man- age all print jobs on the printer. Alternatively, you can install the printer on one computer and share it from there, so that this computer will be able to manage all print jobs on the printer while other computers will be able to manage only their own print jobs- but the computer sharing the printer will need to be running all the time for the other computers to be able to print.

Connecting to an LPR Printer

Some printers are designed to be connected directly to a network rather than to a computer or to a print server and print using LPR/LPD, the Line Printer Remote/Line Printer Daemon printing protocol originally developed for Unix. Windows can print to LPR printers as long as you install LPR support, which isn’t installed by default.

Installing LPR Support

To install LPR support, take the following steps:

1. Choose Start Control Panel. Windows opens a Control Panel window.

2. In Control Panel Home view, click the Programs link. Windows displays a Programs window.

3. Under the Programs and Features heading, click the Turn Windows Features On or Off link, and then authenticate yourself to User Account Control. Windows displays the Windows Features window.

4. Expand the Print Services item, and then select the LPR Port Monitor check box. Don’t select the LPD Print Service item; this service makes printers attached to your computer appear to be LPD printers, so that Unix computers can print to them.

5. Click the OK button. Windows closes the Windows Features window and installs the LPR Port Monitor feature.

Adding an LPR Printer

Once you’ve installed LPR support, you can add an LPR printer by running the Add Printer Wizard and making the following choices:

1. On the Choose a Local or Network Printer page of the wizard, click the Add a Local Printer button. The wizard displays the Choose a Printer Port page.

2. Select the Create a New Port option button, and then choose the LPR Port item in the Type of Port drop-down list.

3. Click the Next button. Windows displays the Add LPR Compatible Printer dialog box, as shown here.

4. In the Name or of Server Providing LPD text box, enter the host name or IP address of the server.

5. In the Name of Printer or Print Queue on that Server text box, enter the name of the printer or the print queue.

6. Click the OK button. The wizard displays the Printer Driver page. Choose the printer manufacturer and printer model, and then follow through the rest of the wizard to complete the installation.

Working with Networks, Network Connections, and Networking Components

Windows Vista automates as much network setup, configuration, and maintenance as possible. Even so, sometimes you’ll find that a network connection has stopped working; if so, you’ll need to diagnose the problem and repair it if possible. You may also need to map drives from the command line; install, remove, or configure networking components; and bridge or merge networks so that all your computers can see each other.

Diagnosing and Repairing a Network Connection

If a network connection seems not to be working or seems to be malfunctioning, you may need to repair it. To do so, take the following steps:

1. Click the Start button, right-click Network, and then choose Properties from the context menu. Windows displays a Network and Sharing Center window.

2. In the left pane, click the Manage Network Connections link. Windows displays a Network Connections window.

3. Right-click the connection that’s giving problems, and then choose Diagnose from the shortcut menu. Alternatively, click the Connection, and then click the Diagnose this Connection button on the toolbar. Windows attempts to diagnose the problem, and then displays a Windows Network Diagnostics dialog box showing actions you can take.

4. Click the appropriate button. For example, click the Enable button to enable a connection that has been disabled, or click the Reset button to reset a connection with which Windows can’t find a specific problem.

Expert Knowledge: Mapping Drives from the Command Line via the netuse Command

You can map a drive quickly from the command line by using the net use command. Choose Start All Programs Accessories Command Prompt to open a Command Prompt window, and then follow the instructions in this sidebar.

The basic syntax for the net use command is as follows:

net use drive path

Here, drive is the drive letter that you want to use to access the shared folder, and path is the path to the folder. For example, the following command connects the shared folder \\TBC\users as drive F:

net use f: \\TBC\users

If Windows is able to assign the share, it reports “The command completed successfully.” If Windows isn’t able to assign the share because it can’t find the network drive, it returns a system error 53 and tells you “The network path was not found.”

To make the mapping persistent use the /persistent parameter with the argument “yes”. For example, the following command connects the shared folder \\TBC\users as drive F and will reconnect at each subsequent logon:

net use f: \\TBC\users /persistent:yes

If you want net use to use the next available drive letter for the share, enter an asterisk in the command instead of specifying the drive letter. For example,

net use * \\TBC\users

If you need to supply an account name and a password for the drive you’re connecting to, specify them in this format:

net use drive path password /user:domain\username

Here, password is the password, and domain\username is the domain or workgroup name, a backslash, and the username. For example, the following command connects drive Z to the shared folder \\TBC\users using the password 1llumin8! and the username Jaq in the workgroup MSHome:

net use z: \\TBC\users 1llumin8! /user:MSHome\Jaq

You can also use the server’s IP address instead of its name. This can be especially useful if you’re connecting to the server across the Internet.

If you see the message “The credentials supplied conflict with an existing set of credentials,” usually accompanied by a system error 1219, it can mean either of two things. First, that you already have a connection to this share using a different username and valid password, and that net use doesn’t approve of your trying to connect with another username or password. Or second, that the computer to which you’re trying to connect has decided, on the basis of a failed connection attempt you’ve made, that you aren’t authorized to access this connection.

In either case, use the net use drive: /d command to disconnect from the server, then try to connect again:

net use Z: /

If you’re in doubt as to which folders are connected to which drive, type net use at the command prompt without any arguments and press the Enter key. Windows displays a list of the local drives, the remote folders, and their status.

To see the status of a network drive, type net use drive:, where drive is the drive letter. You’ll see a printout something like the following, giving the name of the remote folder, the resource type, the status, the number of files open, and the number of connections.

C:\>net use  q: 
   Local name Q: 
   Remote name \\Donner\SharedDocs\Fun 
   Resource type Disk 
   Status OK 
   # Opens 3 
   # Connections 1 
   The command  completed successfully.