laserjet 2300 procurve 5308xl and netware queue printing and ipx

[Ben Tran]

We recently added a new 5308xl to the network amd have setup 2 vlan (2 different subnet)

I have manage to get the routing and dhcp relay working but is stuck with configuring a laserjet 2300dn to a netware queue.

If I setup the printer as normal on a new queue and plug it into the main subnet (default_vlan) it works with no problem.

attached is a copy of the switch config

however when i move this printer onto the new subnet (a different vlan - same switch) it cannot communicate with the netware server (ipx filtering ?)

On the new vlan I get a
Status: 3A S ERR: UNABLE TO FIND TREE
on the laserjet 2300 config page

leaving the configuration exactly the same and pluging it back to the defaul_vlan work fine. this lead me to believe that the problem is with the switch not routing / forwarding ipx (or netware)

what else should i be forwarding on the 5308xl to enble the lj2300 to connect to the netware server on the other (default_vlan) subnet

[OLARU Dan]

From the attachment with the switch config I realize that your switch is also the inter-VLAN router in your network.

You have to enable IPX routing on the switch, just like you enabled ip routing. You will also need to assign IPX network numbers to your VLANs.

I don't know if version E.08.01 allows you to implement IPX (for Cisco routers nowadays you have to buy a specific version of IOS that can handle IPX).

BTW: your DEFAULT_VLAN is "Sydenham135"?

PS: PLEASE change the default SNMP community string in the switch and in your network monitoring software.

[Ben Tran]

Yes you are correct that this switch is also the routing for this network (a remote office)

Enabling ipx routing is where I am stuck at. I have upgraded to the latest firmware 08.07 but still not able to forward ipx.

I could not find any info in the manual regrading forwarding ipx. I found something about "filter protocol ipx forward" but is not 100% sure on it fuction (or if it what I need to enable ipx forward).

is there a way to forward all traffic from the sydenham135 vlan to the sydenham131 vlan (I know it not a good idea but I need the priter to work while I sort out this problem)

From the latest spec sheet of the 5300xl series I did not see any mention of ipx routing. is there an advance os (upgrade ?) that will enable it to route ipx (or it is already supported)

the comunity string was changed to public for posting purpose.

Thanks

[OLARU Dan · Accepted solution]

Ben,

I don't have an HP 5300XL series switch, but if you try "no filter protocol ipx forward" or "protocol ipx forward" commands you might solve your problem.

If there is no IPX manipulation command available on you switch, then your switch can't cope with IPX. So what you have to do is encapsulating IPX packets in IP packets so that your printer in one LAN segment can find and talk to IPX servers in another LAN segment.

There is no point in having your switch forward anything just for the IPX broadcasts to go from the client to the server. Forwarding everything defeats one of the purposes of a router: to create separate broadcast domains.

What I could find and I think it could help you is this:

1. IPX over IP is presented in RFC 1234:

http://community.roxen.com/developers/idocs/rfc/rfc1234.html


2. If you cope with Linux, there is a solution to your problem: ipxtunnel. Two cheap Linux machines, one in each IP network that encapsulate IPX packets in IP can get your problem solved.

http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/IPX-HOWTO-15.html

http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/IPX-HOWTO.html


3. You may want to sift a bit on the Novell site, of course:

http://search.novell.com/NSearch/SearchServlet?bbshow=true&bbindex=&theme=&encoding=iso-8859-1&noredirect=&query0=ipx+over+ip&collection=&operator0=0&date=&numhits=10&template=&Input.x=27&Input.y=4


4. More links:
http://www.nwfusion.com/news/1999/1018feat.html
http://www.kalamazoolinux.org/mailarchive/9903/msg00436.html
http://www.leg.uct.ac.za/Articles/novell.html

[Gonzo Granello]

yup, that switch only routes ip. either loose ipx or buy a router that can handle it.

GG

[Ben Tran]

Thanks guys

I think I may have to go with the ipxtunnel idea

[Ben Tran]

One more question

Which of HP range of procurve switch can route ipx?

thanks

[OLARU Dan]

Ben

The 9300 series switch family is HP's family of routing switches. You may have more luck with this - beware of the fact that you might need a specific firmware or routing software that can deal with IPX. But I think the price you would have to pay for this IPX-capable configuration is too high: you'd have to just dig more in the ipxtunnel direction.

The winner of the routable networking protocols' race is, undoubtedly, TCP/IP. Even Novell natively supports TCP/IP in their NOS, and this is the default for new software installs.

You'll have a very hard time in finding IPX support to networking vendors such as HP, Cisco, Extreme Networks, Foundry, Allied Telesyn and others - since this protocol is not being developed any further by its inventors at Novell.

Cheers,
Dan