Hardware-Based Print ServersPrint Server Appliances

You no longer have to dedicate a network host to act as a print server, either dedicated or otherwise, because it's inexpensive to connect a printer directly to the network using a small hardware-based print server device. These devices range from a size that fits in your hand to larger boxes that look like hubs or routers. In some advertisements, you'll see these referred to as printer appliances, or just print servers. Regardless, the function is the same: to consolidate a number of printers to a single network connection. The device buffers data as it passes between the network and the printer and keeps track of which print jobs are destined for ports attached to the device.

Think about how you will locate printers in relation to users when making purchase plans. How many printers will be located in a single place? For example, if you have a central print room where you keep multiple printers, copiers, and other similar equipment, it might be economical to purchase a more expensive model that supports several printers. If you are placing only one or two printers at strategic locations throughout the enterprise, it might be more economical to buy the small palmsized devices that can support one or two printers. You should also consider the following:

• Price Especially consider the price per port. However, as these appliances have become more common, price is becoming much less of a factor.

• Number and kind of printer ports You might want to plan for expansion and buy devices that leave an extra port available for future use.

• Network connection type Some models support one connector type, such as RJ-41 or BNC. Some have several types.

• Management software and supported operating systems This is an often-overlooked feature. Does the appliance support the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) or Remote Monitoring (RMON)? Does it use a proprietary management command interface? Do you have to be physically located at the device to manage it via a port, or can you use Telnet to establish a session with the device to execute commands?

• Upgrade path Don't lock yourself in to a print server that can't be upgraded, unless it is inexpensive and will perform the tasks you need for a while to come.

Price might not be an important factor unless you are purchasing a lot of equipment. Take into consideration the number of printer ports that each device makes available. Some devices offer both serial and parallel ports, so be sure to check that the ports are compatible with the kind of printers you have or plan to purchase. Another useful feature for a serial port is the capability to attach a local console terminal for management functions. Although it's preferable to remotely manage the print server from a workstation elsewhere on the network, the capability to attach a local console terminal is helpful when troubleshooting, especially when troubleshooting problems with network connectivity. Troubleshooting printer problems is common, as most network administrators will tell you.

Check to be sure that all ports on a model that offers multiple ports can be used at once. Hard as it might be to believe, some models offer two ports, but only one can be active at any time.

The type of network connection supported by the device is very important. Is it a standard 10Mbps Ethernet connection, a 100Mbps connection, or a Token-Ring adapter?

Note

The IPP is likely to be a major player in the future of network printing. Although the standard drafts for the next version of IPP, as proposed at this time, do not provide a full-featured set of functions that can be used to manage all aspects of the printing process, some print servers do implement some or all of the functions as they currently stand. Don't let buzzwords such as IPP determine your decision when trying to select a print server at this time. Wait until the standard has been more completely defined before using it as a major purchase criterion. Instead, if this feature is important for you now, be sure that the print server has the capability to download new firmware when it becomes available from the manufacturer. Otherwise, use a Windows 2000 server that understands IPP to connect to the printer using another protocol (such as TCP/IP), and use the IPP capabilities of Windows 2000 or Windows 2003 servers IIS to manage the printer device.

Management software is another important factor you should carefully scrutinize when making a purchasing decision. Some print servers have only basic software that runs on a Windows platform. Newer models have the capability to present Web pages on the network so that you can manage them from any workstation that has a browser loaded on it. The information that the management software provides can vary widely from one product to another. The typical status information includes paper-out conditions and whether the printer is online or offline. More advanced management packages tell you whether the toner is low in a laser printer.

Another useful feature for any device on the network, much less a print server, is the capability to be updated with new functionality as technology develops. A print server that uses some kind of rewritable memory (for example, flash memory) that can be updated by downloading new software might save you money in the long run because you won't have to purchase a new device when your needs change.

If you browse the Internet, you'll find a large number of inexpensive print server appliances. You can even find these things in your local computer store. They are handy in an environment such as a small office/home office (SOHO). Typically in this environment, a small hub or switch is used, so available ports might be at a premium. By attaching a print server appliance to one port, you can use it to connect several printers that otherwise would have needed one of those scarce ports.

In larger networks, a print server can serve a similar function, providing a single place to plug in several printers that all reside in a printer room, for example.

Whichever you choose, using a print server appliance, or building a print server using a PC, become familiar with the performance aspects and management capabilities that you'll need when something goes wrong.