Jetadmin

[Scott D. Allen]

I've setup plenty of lpr and lp printers, but haven't worked much with Jetadmin, so forgive my stupidity.
I have an HP printer on a remote network that I'm trying to setup on my HP9000 local spooler. When I go into Jetadmin to add it to the local spool, it won't do it because it can't contact the printer. This shouldn't matter, should it? I know what the IP address is and what type of a printer is, it's just offline (being in Hong Kong). Can I do this while the printer is offline? How do I do it? Please advise. Thanks.

--Scott

[Denver Osborn]

So the netowrk printer is connected to the network via JetDirect interface? Are you able to ping or resolve the hostname of the printer?

I also think the routers have to allow for a certain protocol to pass, think ists SNMP but cant remember.

[Scott D. Allen]

Yes. The printer has a jetdirect interface. It is offline currently, so the jetadmin utility can't ping it and won't add it to the spool, even though I know that it is a legal printer and the model etc. Should I just use lpadmin to add it manually?

[Rick Garland]

jetadmin will allow to to add the printer even though it cannot ping it. But it creates other issues in that it doesn't know what kind of model script to be using. You can do this through the copy command as long as you know what kind of printer and model script to use.

You may want to add by hand if you have the knowledge about the printer.

[Scott D. Allen]

I'll just add it manually then, but Jetadmin WOULD NOT allow me to add it without being able to connect, FYI. Is that standard? When I add it, I'll use lpadmin. Will that make the printer manageable later with Jetadmin?

[CHRIS_ANORUO]

Have you tried using SAM to remotely add the printer to your server?

[Mark Mitchell]

Jetadmin and Jetdirect programs do more than just a simple print spooler, thats why you run into this. Jetadmin has to be able to communicate with the printer or have it be pingable. Not only will it read what type of printer it is, there are some settings that you can adjust to control some aspects of the remote printer.

[Scott D. Allen]

I'm going to use sam. Thanks to all who responded. Jetadmin isn't that great.

[Patrick Wallek]

Going through SAM to add the printer will not get you any further. If you go into SAM and use it to add a network based printer it will just invoke jetadmin, so you will run into your same problem again.

I have just gone through a short test with jetadmin and it did allow me to go through the steps of adding a printer even though it couldn't contact it via the network. It will warn you that the queue main be inoperative if you continue adding the printer. My version of JetAdmin gave me a list of printers to choose from to define the printer type (ie. get the appropriate model script) and then asked how it was connected (what type of jetdirect interface) and then continued on to the point where it allows you further customization of the print queue.

I am running JetAdmin version D.06.21 on a 10.20 box. JetAdmin is a good utility. Give it a chance and you'll like it.

[Scott D. Allen]

Patrick, That's the same versions (Jetadmin & HP) that I'm running. What are the exact steps that you're doing and do you have any special settings in Jetadmin? Thanks.
--Scott

[Tim Malnati]

JetAdmin attempts to determine the model of the printer at the other end. If it's an HP printer it will automatically select the appropriate model script, etc. If it's a multiport JetDirect device it will also look at the configuration of the available ports and display additional menu choices in this case.

You mention that the printer is offline. Is this the case, or is the printer powered down? JetAdmin will usually still see the JetDirect interface card if the printer is powered up. When you mentioned the location, it makes me wonder if you are using some sort of VPN or if you have a dedicated connection instead. JetAdmin uses SNMP to perform JetDirect configuration and for its diagnostic use.

JetAdmin will usually allow you to force the issue, but your better off having the printer recognized by the software instead.

[Scott D. Allen]

Tim, The printer is powered down. It's just a remote network, no VPN. When I use Jetadmin and try to add a printer to local spool, it gives an error about not being able to contact the printer and brings me back to the config menu.

[Patrick Wallek]

OK, Tim I now see what you mean. What I had done earlier was to enter a bogus name when jetadmin asked for the name of the printer. It couldn't resolve the name from DNS or anything, so it let me go on and configure it. Just now I tried powering off one of our printers, and putting in that name so it would be able to resolve the IP address but not the name and it did exhibit the behaviour that you are getting frustrated with. I don't understand why HP made it behave differently in the two cases, that's a topic for another thread.

Anyway, what you might try if you can:

1) Remove your printer from the hosts file or DNS or whatever so that jetadmin is not able to resolve the name to an IP address
2) Invoke jetadmin and go through the setup steps. It should warn you that it can't contact the printer, etc., but you can at least take a stab at getting the queue set up and can then try it once the printer is back on-line.

Good luck.

[Patrick Wallek]

Sorry Scott, got confused on the name in my last post. Tim's name stuck with me from his response I guess. :(

[Denver Osborn]

Scott,

You arent going to be able to add the printer using the JetAdmin Menus if it is unable to contact the printer and establish a connection.

Why would you want to setup a printer that won't be printing jobs? Even if you manage to set up the down printer and it's enabled and accepts jobs, you've only managed to allow your file system to potentially fill up.

Why not wait until you can communicate with the printer before adding it? This should be the solution to consider.