Networking.docx

Driver Software The driver software controls how the printer processes the print job. When you install a printer driver for the printer you are using, it allows the computer to print to that printer correctly (assuming that you have the correct interface configured between the computer and printer)....

Driver Software The driver software controls how the printer processes the print job. When you install a printer driver for the printer you are using, it allows the computer to print to that printer correctly (assuming that you have the correct interface configured between the computer and printer). The driver must be written specifically for the operating system the computer is using and for the printer being used. In other words, Mac clients need a different driver than Windows clients need, even to print to the same printer.  If you’re working with a Windows-based operating system, Microsoft refers to the software that is installed on the computer and lets you print as the “printer.” The physical device where the paper comes out is referred to as the “print device.” Here, when we say “printer,” we mean the physical device. When you need to print, you select the printer driver for your printer from a preconfigured list. The driver that you select has been configured for the type, brand, and model of printer, as well as the computer port to which it is connected. You can also select which paper tray the printer should use as well as any other features the printer has (if applicable). Also, each printer driver is configured to use a particular page-description language. 272  If the wrong printer driver is selected, the computer will send commands in the wrong language. If that occurs, the printer will print several pages full of garbage (even if only one page of information was sent). This “garbage” isn’t garbage at all but the printer page-description language commands printed literally as text instead of being interpreted as control commands. Installing and Sharing Local Printers Although every device is different, there are certain accepted methods used for installing almost all of them. The following procedure works for installing many kinds of devices: Attach the device using a local port (generally USB, but maybe something else) and connect the power. Install and update the device driver and calibrate the device. Configure options and settings. Print a test page. Verify compatibility with the operating system and applications. Educate users about basic functionality.   Local Network Printing The key to local network printing is that you are moving the print server from your computer to another location, accessible to other users on the network. Therefore, the print server needs a direct attachment to the network, via either a wired (RJ-45) or wireless connection. You will find two major varieties of print servers. The first, called an integrated print server, is incorporated into the printer itself, and the second is a separate hardware print server. If you are using a stand-alone print server, the printers attach to the print server,284either physically or logically. In most cases, if a printer is capable of connecting directly to a network, it has the capability to be its own print server. Installing and using a networked printer is very similar to installing and using a local printer. You need to ensure that both devices are plugged in, turned on, and attached to the network (either with an RJ-45 Ethernet connection or by using wireless). Probably the biggest difference is that when you install it, you need to tell your computer that you are adding a networked printer instead of a local printer. For example, in Windows 10, when you open the Add Printer utility (shown in Figure 5.29), you choose Add a Bluetooth, wireless or other network discoverable printer instead of Add a Local Printer. From there, you will be asked to install the printer driver, just as if the printer were directly attached to your computer. Once it’s installed, you use it just as you would use a local printer, including setting the configuration options that we looked at in earlier sections. Every computer on the local network should be able to see and add the printer in the same way.  The print server needs to have drivers available (installed) for all the types of clients that will connect to its printers. For example, if the network has Mac, Linux, and Windows 10 clients, the server will need to have all three drivers. If not, users may not be able to install the printer properly and not be able to print. There are a few other ways that you can add shared networked printers, and they are by using TCP, Bonjour, and AirPrint.285 There are a few advantages to using TCP printing. First, it sends the print jobs directly to the printer, so your system does not need to act as the print server or spend processing time dealing with formatting the print job. Second, it allows clients with different OSs, such as Linux or macOS, to add printers without worrying about intra-OS conflicts. 286 Bonjour Apple introduced Bonjour in 2002 (then under the name Rendezvous) as an implementation of zero configuration networking. It’s designed to enable automatic discovery of devices and services on local networks using TCP/IP as well as to provide hostname resolution. Currently, it comes installed by default on Apple’s macOS and iOS operating systems. Bonjour makes it easy to discover and install printers that have been shared by other Bonjour-enabled clients on the network. Even though Apple developed Bonjour, it does work on other operating systems. For example, it comes with iTunes and the Safari browser, so if you have either of those installed on a Windows computer, odds are that you have Bonjour as well. Once installed, the Bonjour service starts automatically and scans the network looking for shared devices. Exercise 5.4 shows you how to see if Bonjour is installed in Windows. Bonjour works only on a single broadcast domain, meaning that it will not find a printer or other device if it’s on the other side of a router from your computer. All major printer manufacturers support Bonjour technology. 287 AirPrint The one big complaint that Apple aficionados had about Bonjour was that it didn’t support printing from iPhones or iPads. In 2010, Apple introduced AirPrint to meet that need. The idea behind AirPrint is quite simple. Mobile devices can automatically detect AirPrint-enabled printers on their local network and print to them without requiring the installation of a driver. To be fair, what Apple really did was eliminate the need for a specific printer driver to be installed on the client and replaced it with the AirPrint concept. Then it was up to the printer manufacturers to develop their own drivers that talked to AirPrint. HP was happy to oblige with its Photosmart Plus series, and other manufacturers soon followed. There really is no installation process, and printing is easy. Just be sure that your mobile device is on the same local network as an AirPrint printer. When you attempt to print from your device, select the printer to which you want to print, and it should work.  You can also purchase AirPrint servers, which are small print servers that enable you to connect almost any printer to the network and make them AirPrint compatible. Cloud Printing Through the first decade of the 2000s, it seemed like wireless networking was the hot new trend in computing. Now that technology has matured a bit, and the cloud has replaced it as the trend du jour. Not everyone knows what the cloud is or what the cloud does, but they think they are supposed to have it. The cloud would be a sad place if it didn’t support printing, but, fortunately for us, it does.  We will provide details on the cloud in Chapter 9, “Network Services, Virtualization, and Cloud Computing.” For the purpose of this chapter, know that cloud printing means printing to a remote device, one that is not necessarily located on your local network. Essentially, you are using the Internet to send the print job from your device to the printer from which you want the output to come, and the printer can be located practically anywhere in the world. To use288cloud printing, you need to work through a cloud printing service, such as Google Cloud Print, HP ePrint, or others. Some printers are cloud-ready, but you can often get older devices to work on the cloud as well. Cloud services will have their own steps on how to activate printing. In Exercise 5.5, we will go through an example using Google Cloud Print. Data Privacy Concerns When printing to a public printer, or one that is shared in a common workspace, there may be data privacy concerns. For example, employees in Human Resources might need to print confidential personnel files, or someone in the Mergers group might have a highly restricted contract to print. Several printer manufacturers, including Brother, Canon, HP, and Xerox, offer a feature called Secure Printing (or Private Printing) on many of their office printers. When users print, they need to go into the printer preferences (or a similar place) and indicate that it’s a secure print job. They are then asked to enter a PIN and, finally, print the document. The document will not print until they physically go to the printer and enter the PIN. Another security issue is storing print jobs on print servers. Print jobs are cached on the print server (it’s called hard drive caching), and they can be saved indefinitely. We looked at the check box to keep printed documents in Figure 5.36. If you are configuring a printer for a public area, do not select this option. If you’re printing to a public printer (such as at a hotel), and you can see the printer properties, check to make sure that this option is not selected. That will help ensure that your files will not be cached on the hotel computer’s hard drive. Performing Printer Maintenance Considering the amount of work they do, printers last a pretty long time. Some printers handle over 100,000 pages per month, yet they’re usually pretty reliable devices. You can293help your printers live long and fulfilling lives by performing the right maintenance, and smoothly running printers always make your officemates happy. After all, going to get your print job from the printer and discovering that the printer is in the shop is a very frustrating experience! Regardless of the type of printer you use, giving it a regular check-up is a good idea. You’re probably familiar with some of the activities that fall under maintenance, such as replacing paper, ink, or toner cartridges. We’ll look at those as well as some additional, more involved maintenance procedures. Replacing Consumables To maintain a printer properly, you need to replace consumables such as toner or ink cartridges, assemblies, filters, and rollers on occasion. Trying to cut costs by buying cheaper supplies rarely pays off. Whenever purchasing supplies for your printer, always get supplies from the manufacturer or from an authorized reseller. This way, you’ll be sure that the parts are of high quality. Using unauthorized parts can damage your printer and possibly void your warranty. Printer Paper Most people don’t give much thought to the kind of paper they use in their printers. It’s a factor that can have a tremendous effect on the quality of the hard-copy printout, however, and the topic is more complex than people think. For example, the wrong paper can cause frequent paper jams and possibly even damage components. Several aspects of paper can be measured; each gives an indication as to the paper’s quality. The first factor is composition. Paper is made from a variety of substances. Paper used to be made from cotton and was called rag stock. It can also be made from wood pulp, which is cheaper. Most paper today is made from the latter or a combination of the two. Another aspect of paper is the property known as basis weight (or simply weight). The weight of a particular type of paper is the actual weight, in pounds, of a ream (500 sheets) of the standard size of that paper made of that material. For regular bond paper, that size is 17 × 22. The final paper property we’ll discuss is the caliper (or thickness) of an individual sheet of paper. If the paper is too thick, it may jam in feed mechanisms that have several curves in the paper path. On the other hand, a paper that’s too thin may not feed at all. These are just three of the categories we use to judge the quality of paper. Because there are so many different types and brands of printers as well as paper, it would be impossible to give the specifications for the “perfect” paper. However, the documentation for any printer will give specifications for the paper that should be used in that printer. Many impact printers need to use special paper that has tractor feed perforations on the side, or they will not work properly. When replacing tractor feed paper, it’s very easy to get it misaligned, and it will feed crookedly and ultimately jam the printer. Similarly, thermal printers also require special paper that needs to be loaded properly. In many cases, if you load it upside down, the unit will not produce images. By comparison, adding paper to a laser or inkjet printer is usually very easy. Ink and Toner The area in which using recommended supplies is the biggest concern is ink and toner cartridges. Using the wrong ink or toner supplies is the easiest way to ruin a perfectly good printer. Dot-matrix printers use a cloth or polyester ribbon soaked in ink and coiled up inside a plastic case. This assembly is called a printer ribbon (or ribbon cartridge). Once the ribbon has run out of ink, it must be discarded and replaced. Ribbon cartridges are developed closely with their respective printers. For this reason, ribbons should be purchased from the same manufacturer as the printer. The wrong ribbon could jam in the printer as well as cause quality problems. Inkjet cartridges have a liquid ink reservoir. The ink in these cartridges is sealed inside. Once the ink runs out, the cartridge must be removed and discarded. A new, full cartridge is installed in its place. Because the ink cartridge contains the printing mechanism as well as ink, it’s like getting a new printer every time you replace the ink cartridge. In some inkjet printers, the ink cartridge and the print head are in separate assemblies. This way, the ink can be replaced when it runs out, and the print head can be used several times. This works fine if the printer is designed to work this way. However, some people think that they can do this on their integrated cartridge/print head system, using special ink cartridge refill kits. These kits consist of a syringe filled with ink and a long needle. The needle is used to puncture the top of an empty ink cartridge, and the syringe is then used to refill the reservoir. The final type of consumable is toner. Each model of laser printer uses a specific toner cartridge. You should check the printer’s manual to see which toner cartridge your printer needs. Many businesses will recycle your toner or ink cartridges for you, refill them, and sell them back to you at a discount. Don’t buy them. While some businesses that perform this “service” are more legitimate than others, using recycled parts is more dangerous to your hardware than using new parts. The reason for this is that refilled cartridges are more likely to break or leak than new parts, and this leakage could cause extensive damage to the inside of your printer. And again, using secondhand parts can void your warranty, so you’re left with a broken printer that you have to pay for. Avoid problems like this by buying new parts. Performing Scheduled Maintenance When shopping for a printer, one of the characteristics you should look for is the printer’s capacity, which is often quoted in monthly volume. This is particularly important if the printer will be serving in a high-load capacity. Every printer needs periodic maintenance, but printers that can handle a lot of traffic typically need it less frequently. Check the printer specifications to see how often scheduled maintenance is suggested. Never, ever fall behind on performing scheduled maintenance on a printer. 296 Many laser printers have LCD displays that provide useful information, such as error messages or notices that you need to replace a toner cartridge. The LCD display will also tell you when the printer needs scheduled maintenance. How does it know? Printers keep track of the number of pages they print, and when the page limit is reached, they display a message, usually something simple like Perform user maintenance. The printer will still print, but you should perform the maintenance. Being the astute technician that you are, you clean the printer with the recommended cleaning kit or install the maintenance kit that you purchased from the manufacturer. Now, how do you get the maintenance message to go away? Reset the page count using a menu option. For example, on many HP laser printers, you press the Menu button until you get to the Configuration menu. Once there, you press the Item key until the display shows Service Message = ON. Then press the plus key (+) to change the message to Service Message = OFF. Bring the printer back online, and you’re ready to go. Performing routine maintenance will keep the printer clean, make it last longer, and help prevent annoying paper jams. Using Cleaning Solutions With all of the ink or toner they use, printers get dirty. If printers get too dirty or if the print heads get dirty, you’ll notice print problems. No one wants this to happen. Most printers have a self-cleaning utility that is activated through a menu option or by pressing a combination of buttons on the printer itself. It’s recommended that you run the cleaning sequence every time you replace the toner or ink cartridges. If you experience print-quality problems, such as lines in the output, run the cleaning routine. Sometimes, the self-cleaning routines aren’t enough to clear up the problem. If you are having print-quality issues, you might want to consider purchasing a cleaning or maintenance kit, which frequently comes with a cleaning solution. Each cleaning kit comes with its own instructions for use. Exercise 5.7 walks you through the steps of using an inkjet cleaning solution. Note that the steps for your printer might differ slightly; please consult your manual for specific instructions. After using a cleaning kit on a laser or inkjet printer, it’s best to perform a calibration per the printer’s instructions. Thermal printers require special attention because they contain a heating element. Always unplug the device and ensure that it’s cooled off before trying to clean it. Thermal printer cleaning cards, cleaning pens, and kits are widely available in the marketplace. If you need to remove any debris (from any printer), use compressed air or a specialized computer vacuum. Ensuring a Suitable Environment Printers won’t complain if the weather outside is too hot or too cold, but they are susceptible to environmental issues. Here are some things to watch out for in your printer’s environment: Heat Laser printers can generate a lot of heat. Because of this, ensure that your laser printer is in a well-ventilated area. Resist the temptation to put the laser printer in the little cubbyhole in your desk. Overheating will reduce the shelf life of your printer. Humidity High humidity can cause printer paper to stick together. Sticky paper leads to paper jams. Humidity over 80 or 90 percent can cause issues. 298 Light The laser printer’s toner cartridge contains a photosensitive drum. Exposing that drum to light could ruin the drum. While the drum is encased in plastic, it’s best to avoid exposing the printer or toner cartridges to extreme light sources. Under no circumstance should you open the toner cartridge, unless you’re ready to get rid of it as well as clean up a big mess. Ozone Laser printers that use corona wires produce ozone as a by-product of the printing process. In offices, ozone can cause respiratory problems in small concentrations, and it can be seriously dangerous to people in large amounts. Ozone is also a very effective oxidizer and can cause damage to printer components. Fortunately, laser printers don’t produce large amounts of ozone, and most laser printers have an ozone filter. Ozone is another reason to ensure that your printer area has good ventilation. Also, replace the ozone filter periodically; check your printer’s manual for recommendations on when to do this. Ammonia A printer doesn’t produce ammonia, but it is contained in many cleaning products. Ammonia can greatly reduce the printer’s ability to neutralize ozone and can cause permanent damage to toner cartridges. It’s best to avoid using ammonia-based cleaners near laser printers. v Upgrading Printer Firmware As with upgrading memory, methods to upgrade a printer’s firmware depend on the model of printer. Most of the time, upgrading a printer’s firmware is a matter of downloading and/or installing a free file from the manufacturer’s website. Printer firmware upgrades are generally done from the machine hosting the printer (again, usually called the print server). Firmware is usually upgraded for one of two reasons. One, if you are having compatibility issues, a firmware upgrade might solve them. Two, firmware upgrades can offer newer features that are not available on previous versions. Hard Drives For a printer to print properly, the type style, or font, being printed must be downloaded to the printer along with the job being printed. Desktop publishing and graphic design businesses that print color pages on slower color printers are always looking for ways to speed up their print jobs, so they install multiple fonts into the onboard memory of the printer to make them printer-resident fonts. There’s a problem, however: Most printers have a limited amount of storage space for these fonts. To solve this problem, printer manufacturers made it possible for hard drives to be added to many printers. The hard drives can be used to store many fonts used during the printing process and are also used to store a large document file while it is being processed for printing. Trays and Feeders One option that is popular in office environments is the addition of paper trays. Most laser and inkjet printers come with at least one paper tray (usually 500 sheets or fewer). The addition of a paper tray allows a printer to print more sheets between paper refills, thus reducing its operating cost. In addition, some printers can accommodate multiple paper trays, which can be loaded with different types of paper, stationery, and envelopes. The benefit is that you can print a letter and an envelope from the same printer without having to leave your desk or change the paper in the printer. Related to trays is the option of feeders. Some types of paper products need to be watched as they are printed to make sure that the printing happens properly. One example is envelopes: You usually can’t put a stack of envelopes in a printer because they won’t line up straight or they may get jammed. An accessory that you might add for this purpose is the envelope feeder. An envelope feeder typically attaches to the front of a laser printer and feeds in envelopes, one at a time. It can hold usually between 100 and 200 envelopes. Finishers A printer’s finisher does just what its name implies: It finishes the document being printed. It does this by folding, stapling, hole punching, sorting, or collating the sets of documents being printed into their final form. So rather than printing out a bunch of paper sheets and then having to collate and staple them, you can have the finisher do it. This particular option, while not cheap, is becoming more popular on laser printers to turn them into multifunction copiers. As a matter of fact, many copiers are now digital and can do all the same things that a laser printer can do but much faster and for a much cheaper cost per page. 303