New Ways To Network Your Old Printers

by Robert J. Kohlhepp

You can get most new printers with networking options installed at the factory, but external print servers offer an upgrade path for your existing printers.

Last year, we tested the MiLAN FastPort 3100, Axis Communications NPS 550, Hewlett-Packard JetDirect EX and Intel NetPort XL in our Wisconsin labs (see "Print Servers for Multiprotocol Networks," Reviews, March 1994, page 126). There are a few new products and some we missed the first time. We revisited our information from the first round and tested 10 additional products in our San Mateo lab for more than three months. The additional products include: ASP Computer Products JetLAN 2P, Lantronix EPS1, Agile 4550 E/PS, Extended Systems MPX, Emulex NETQue, Castelle LANpress, Xircom IIps, Digital Products NetPrint/200, Lexmark MarkNet XLe and Microplex Systems M202.

We tested these print servers in a multiprotocol environment, using a variety of Macintosh and Windows machines, and a SunSPARC IPX.

Xircom's IIps is the most compact device, connecting unobtrusively, directly to your printer's parallel port. But it only offers NetWare and TCP/IP connectivity.

For a full support product, including AppleTalk, NetWare, TCP/IP and more, Hewlett-Packard's JetDirect EX is still best, even though it only connects to a single printer. HP's JetDirect EX offers top-notch AppleTalk support, including extensive support for Apple's LaserWriter Utility, which is rare. However, the JetDirect EX requires a bidirectional parallel connection to support AppleTalk.

The Axis NPS 550 has very flexible Unix and NetWare capabilities, and is easi ly configured. For very complex configurations, including DECnet and serial host-to-parallel printing, Emulex offers it all, but you'll spend a fair amount of time configuring the device.

HP JetDirect EX

Hewlett-Packard Co. still offers the most thorough solution for networking printers. Although it doesn't have the most advanced feature set, basic functionality plus completely easy installation makes JetDirect an excellent choice for almost any environment.

Administration is similar to that of HP's network printers. With a quick setup through JETADMIN.EXE, your printer will be servicing NetWare and AppleTalk jobs immediately. However, Unix setup can be a bit more complicated.

With the tools provided, HP makes that job a bit easier, but the tools are not foolproof. The configuration scripts help you modify the /etc/printcap file and configure your server to supply IP information to the JetDirect through bootp. This is simple and convenient if you are already running bootp or starting a new server.

Even if you are already running bootp, you may want to add the device manually. For instance, the script assumes bootp is started by inetd, but that isn't the case in our lab where we start the process in the rc.local file and run it continually. The install script didn't notice that and made an entry for inetd for us.

Intel Corp. NetPort XL

The Intel NetPort XL, tested in our initial round last March, offers an excellent solution for almost any environment. But where NetPort's configuration tools are excellent, HP's JetDirect benefits from the seamless integration with its popular networked printers. Unix configuration is a bit easier with Intel's NetPort XL, where you can set the IP addresses from within the DOS utility instead of using bootp.

Digital Products NetPrint/200

The NetPrint/200 is an excellent offering, but we had many difficulties with the device's network communication on our 10BASE-T San Mateo network. Neither Digital nor we have been able to reproduce the failure any where else. On coax, we had the NetPrint servicing a few NetWare queues and Macintoshes quickly.

The NetPrint's strength is in its configuration tools. With excellent graphical configuration tools for Windows, DOS and Macintosh, it is a breeze to set up. The NetPrint isn't compatible with Apple's LaserWriter utility, however, which would help in integration with existing Apple printers.

Despite the quality of setup and administration tools, we must be a bit cautious when recommending this device with its problems on our lab's 10BASE-T network. However, Digital is working hard with us to resolve this problem and it has even sent engineers to gather data.

Emulex Corp. NETQue

The Emulex NETQue offers excellent flexibility in a heterogeneous environment, supporting the widest variety of protocols. Configuration for these protocols is very detailed, but not straightforward. Plan on learning VMS-style commands to configure most services. But there's plenty of on-line help.

It took a while to customize this print server to suit our needs. Changing the name of the AppleTalk printer that appears in the Chooser, for instance, was difficult, requiring a long, cryptic command. Support for Apple's Namer, like many of the other products have, would help. Considering the complexity of the configuration commands, we were lucky the unit was well documented.

Although most of NETQue's basic configuration doesn't take too long, any custom configuration was painful. A graphical configuration tool like HP's JETADMIN.EXE would shield the user from the complexity of the configuration command-line.

The payoff is worthwhile, however, as NETQue offers many other functions that demand the extensive configuration. For instance, it includes dial-in terminal emulation and a serial-to-parallel printing gateway. Like the Lantronix EPS1, it may not be worth the effort if you have basic print service needs. But, if you need connectivity to DECnet as well as a host of other protocols, this may be the right choice.

Lexmark International XLe

Lexmark makes its debut in the print server market with a nice spinoff from its network-ready printers. Lexmark's MarkNet XLe 102 is configurable with the same utility as the Lexmark printers (similar to the HP offering). This makes maintenance and setup homogeneous across the network if you've got Lexmark printers. With the simple Windows interface, we had the XLe configured for NetWare in no time.

The ease of Lexmark's NetWare setup and printing is rivaled only by HP. However, the addition of more protocols, such as AppleTalk (due soon, according to Lexmark), would be a definite improvement. Like the Lexmark Optra Series printers (see "All the New Printers That Fit," Reviews, December 1994, page 86), you configure the MarkNet XLe using the Network Printer Alliance Protocol (NPAP).

With the help of Unix tools, TCP/IP printing was nearly as easy as NetWare. However, we were disappointed that the print server was unable to formulate a useful response to an lpq command when the queue was empty. Information about printing status can be retrieved by using the finger command, but that hardly follows the normal remote printing methods.

For printing environments with a variety of TCP/IP platforms, Lexmark provides many different methods of printing besides the usual lpd. For example, you can ftp or tftp files to the print server, which helps in environments where protocols are restricted.

Lantronix EPS1

Like the Emulex NETQue, if you are working in a heavy DEC environment, the Lantronix EPS1 can be easy to configure. Although there is good support for AppleTalk, NetWare, TCP/IP and DEC LAT printing, setup difficulty can be prohibitive. But it's a good print server for the administrator who likes to configure every aspect of the device.

NetWare configuration with the QINST.EXE utility is fairly straightforward, but configuring services beyond the basics, like adding a print server password, requires a telnet session and complicated configuration commands.

AppleTalk configuration, for instance, requires a telnet session and can involve some fairly complicated commands to perform simple operations. And like the HP and other print servers, the EPS1 requires bidirectional communication with parallel printers to retrieve proper printer status information. While this enables useful printer feedback, it excludes most older printers, which are probably the target for these print servers in the first place.

Microplex Systems M202

The Microplex M202 print server is a good choice for Unix environments, but it also serves NetWare and AppleTalk clients. Although the M202 is fairly easy to set up, good documentation and technical support add to its value. Unix configuration was among the easiest in the group. With one of two quick configuration scripts, TCP/IP printing was available in minutes. Also, with utilities such as ASCII-to-PostScript translation and job scrambling, you can add flexibility and security. Adding useful NetWare configuration tools would help catapult this device to the top of our list.

Axis Communications NPS 550/650 RISC
and Agile 4550 E/PS

Agile is a formidable addition to the pack, which is understandable, since it is an OEM of Axis' NPS 550-a very flexible print server in Unix environments in addition to being easy to set up under NetWare.

Apple printer support falls short compared with devices from HP or Microplex. Unix printing can be done in a number of different ways, including lpd or ftp, which allows for TCP/IP printing from a variety of platforms. Both vendors bundle utilities that enable "PROS" printing, which is specific to Axis print servers. It adds many useful features, including the ability to change page orientation.

Castelle LANpress 1+1

The Castelle LANpress 1+1 offers an easy-to-setup NetWare print server with additional TCP/IP support. We were printing from NetWare and TCP/IP platforms quickly, thanks to DOS and Unix-based utilities that made the setup as easy as any in the pack. There is no support beyond TCP/IP and NetWa re, however.

The DOS utility offers a nice pseudo-graphical interface for configuring your print server. In addition, there are command-line utilities for both DOS and Unix that send configuration commands to the print server one at a time, which is helpful for those quick configuration changes, like altering the bps rate on the serial port.

The LANpress lacks a few of the buttons and whistles that MiLAN and Axis have for the Unix environment, however, and many other products offer the same or better protocol support for the same price.

MiLAN Technology Corp. FastPort 3100c

xAlthough we tested this device in our last round, MiLAN wanted us to try its new configuration utilities. Nevertheless, we still think this print server is strong in Unix environments, but it needs work for NetWare and AppleTalk networks.

The DOS interface let us configure NetWare queues and provided many other functions. But our FastPort had problems settling on an Ethernet frame type. So, before using the good interface, we had to use a serial terminal to configure it for 802.3 frames. There were also a few problems setting up the print server from within the NetWare configuration utility on our NetWare 3.12 server. MiLAN is working on a solution.

While the AppleTalk configuration has improved, it's still a bit behind the times. We had to downgrade to the LaserWriter 7 driver (from LaserWriter 8.2) for the LaserWriter Utility to change printer names.

Unix printing is still MiLAN's strong point. With many included formatting utilities and support for a wide range of printing transports, including Sun NeWSprint, you're bound to satisfy all your users' needs.

Extended Systems MPX

Extended Systems MPX offers protocol support for TCP/IP, NetWare and LAN Manager printing, but lacks AppleTalk support. Although NetWare configuration via a graphical utility was a breeze, Unix setup is not as easy and, in some cases, not very well documented.

The configuration utility offers functionality similar to HP's JETADMIN.EXE. With the ability to add queues for servicing and determine which printer port those jobs are printed on, NetWare configuration is quite simple. However, even though the print server can use a password, the configuration utility cannot change the password on the server. You must do that through PCONSOLE.

Once the MPX was configured with an IP address from the normal configuration utility, we were able to establish a telnet session and tweak the MPX configuration. For instance, we were able to add page description language (PDL) switching codes for HP printers, which is good for those older Series III printers. Unix printing could use some better utilities, such as those offered by Microplex.

Xircom IIps

If size is an issue, and AppleTalk support isn't, Xircom's IIps is an excellent selection. This pocket print server attaches directly to the printer's parallel port and only needs a power adapter and network connection. No messy parallel cable required.

Installation and configuration were incredibly easy using the DOS and Unix utilities. However, very little help is available for Unix client configurations.

We connected the IIps to our production printer for most of the testing period. Although it was an easy installation and supports the basics, it was not as fail-safe as we would like. We were forced to power-cycle the device about every other week to reconnect it to the NetWare server. But then most devices were not as solid on NetWare as we would have liked.

ASP Computer Products JetLAN Plus 2P

Although the JetLAN Plus 2P offers quick and easy basic setup, custom configurations rely on a weak, difficult-to-use utility that can introduce some unpredictable results, including causing the printer server to drop right off the wire. ASP technical support was surprised about this report, but offered no solutions.

Unix support is good, supporting many platforms with an easy-to-install utility that aids in print server installation. However, to differentiate the ports on the unit, you have t o use different IP addresses, which takes up sorely needed addresses. Most others use the "remote machine" in conjunction with the "remote printer" to differentiate ports.

Robert J. Kohlhepp can be reached at rkohlhepp@nwc.com.

PRINT SERVER VENDOR INFORMATION

FastPort 3100cx : $595. MiLAN Technology Corp., 894 Ross Dr. Ste 101, Sunnyvale, CA 94089. (408) 752-2770. Circle reader service #378.

NPS 550/650 RISC : $595. Axis Communications, 4 Constitution Way, Woburn, MA 01801-1030. (617) 938-1188. Circle reader service #379.

4550 E/PS : $595. Agile, 825 Alfred Nobel Dr., Hercules, CA 94547. (800) 724-1600. Circle reader service #380.

JetDirect EX : $399. Hewlett-Packard Co., Box 58059, Santa Clara, CA 95051. (800) 533-1333. Circle reader service #381.

NetPort XL : $599. Intel Corp., 5200 N.E. Elam Young Pkwy., Hillsboro, OR 97124. (800) 538-3373.Circle reader service #382.

M202 : $595. Microplex Systems, 8525 Commerce Ct., Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 4N3. (604) 444-4232. Circle reader service #383.

MPX : $736. Extended Systems, 5777 N. Meeker Ave., Boise, ID 83713. (800) 235-7576. Circle reader service #384.

EPS1 : $495. Lantronix, 15353 Barranca Pkwy., Irvine, CA 92718. (800) 422-7055. Circle reader service #385.

JetLAN Plus 2P : $449. ASP Computer Products, 160 San Gabriel Dr., Sunnyvale, CA 94086.(800) 445-6190. Circle reader service #386.

LANpress 1+1 : $499. Castelle, 3255-3 Scott Blvd., Santa Clara, CA 95054. (800) 289-7555. Circle reader service #387.IIps: $499. Xircom, 2300 Corporate Center Dr., Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. (800) 438-4526.Circle reader service #388.

NETQue : $595. Emulex, 3535 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA 92626. (800) 854-7112. Circle reader service #389.

NetPrint/200 : $995. Digital Products, 411 Waverley Oaks Rd., Waltham, MA 02154. (800) 243-2333. Circ le reader service #390.

MarkNet XLe 102 : $499. Lexmark International, 740 New Circle Rd. NW, Lexington, KY 40511. (800) 358-5835. Circle reader service #391.