Build a Cutting-Edge XP Print Solution

There's lots of good news relating to the now ubiquitous Windows XP printing services. For many years, Windows printing had its problems, especially in a networked environment. Inadequate drivers, monolithic print servers, and high prices caused many headaches. But the advent of Windows XP has brought an inherent stability to the PC, offering the twin benefits of reliability and ease-of-use. And while I do have a bug or two to report, these are relatively easy to fix. Let's start printing!

This recipe defines 2 types of print servers:

• PC acting as a print server. Advantage: Low or no cost, as most businesses have at least one spare PC around. Disadvantage: Takes up extra space, as most PCs are large and bulky.
• HP Jet Direct Dedicated print server> Advantage: Small and compact. Disadvantage: Can be costly ($255 and up) if purchased from retail. But closeouts on eBay are bargains.

Ingredients

Here are the components I used for this Recipe.

• At least two Windows XP PCs, both connected on an Ethernet. This is required for the PC-based version of the print server configuration.
• Hewlett Packard Jet Direct External Print Server. This is required for the Jet Direct-based version of the print server configuration.
• One printer: The beauty of network printing is that any printer with a parallel port can be configured as a print server under Windows XP. And I have never seen a printer that lacks a parallel port. It's safe to say that if an XP-based driver exists in the world today, it can be configured as an XP-based print server. This applies to both configurations described in this recipe.
• Parallel printer cable. This is required for the Jet Direct Print Server option. But it's only optional for the PC-based server--a USB cable can be used instead.

Bug Report and Fix

Before starting the actual recipe I want to get the bug report out of the way. This bug relates to the Print Spooler Process of Windows XP. The bug causes print jobs to hang in the queue for no obvious reason. We all know the frustration of the little printer icon in the tool tray that refuses to go away, and the print job that refuses to print. In the past, I tried (in vain) to update print drivers, change the Dots Per Inch settings, etc., all to no avail. It turns out that the problem lies elsewhere, namely, in the Windows XP Print Spooler. If you're having this problem, resetting the Print Spooler should make you very happy. Here's how to reset this utility:

• Make sure you're logged into the PC with Administrative Rights. If you don't know how to do this, consult the Windows XP manual.
• From the desktop, click on Start, then Settings, then Control Panel.
• Click on Administrative Tools.
• Click on Services. You will be presented with a list of all the running services.
• Double click on Print Spooler. You will see this window:
• Click the Stop button. You will see a status bar that indicates the spooler is shutting down.
• Click Start. The Print Spooler will start up again. Any job that was stuck should now print successfully. In my experience, resetting the print spooler just once fixes the problem permanently. But feel free to reset the print spooler whenever a print job hangs.

Setting up a print server on a network workgroup

I mentioned before the awesome power of the Windows XP Active Directory. You may use this resource in a watered down fashion by setting up a simple workgroup in Windows XP. This will let your end users share printers on the network.

Here is an example, to be used with a PC already configured with a printer. In this example, I will add the PC to an existing workgroup, whose name will be WORKGROUP (real original huh?). Let's assume that there are five other PCs in this small-office network that already belong to WORKGROUP, and that they have been properly configured as legitimate members of the network. Since this is a simple peer-to-peer network, logging in is unnecessary.

• Open the Control Panel. Then open the System icon.
• Click on the Computer Name tab.
• Click on Network ID.
• The Wizard will open. When it does, click Next.
• Select "This computer is part of a business network," and click Next.
• Select "My company uses a network without a domain."
• Enter the name WORKGROUP in the text box. Then click Next and Finish. Here's a screen shot of that data-entry field:
• Reboot the PC (you will be prompted to do this).
• Double-check your presence on the network. Do this by going to the desktop and then clicking My Network Places, Entire Network, Microsoft Windows Network, and WORKGROUP. You should see all the other member's PCs as icons.

Now you must share the printer with the rest of the network. Here's how it's done

• Click on Start, then Settings, then Printers and Faxes.
• Right-click on your installed printer. Select Sharing.
• Click the "Share this Printer" radio button. Then select OK.

You will know that the printer may be shared with the rest of the network when you see the little hand under the printer icon. It looks like this:

Using the new printer

To reap the rewards of your labor, go to another PC on the network so you may attach to the new print server. Here are the steps:

• Click on Start, then Settings, and then Printers and Faxes.
• Click on Add Printer, then Next. Select "A network printer or a printer attached to another computer. "
• Click the "Browse for a printer" radio button.
• You will be presented with all the computers in the network. Select the new PC that we just discussed. You will see a little printer icon below it. Here's how the screen should look:

Double-click on the printer icon (in my example, "Dave's Laserjet"). You will be prompted to install the printer drivers if necessary. This is another great feature of Windows XP: It auto-detects the type of printer even though the printer is not directly connected to the PC.

HP Jet Direct External Print Server

Essentially, Jet Direct does the work of the print server in the previous section, but without tying up a PC on the network. It's also small and compact, thus allowing the printer to be installed in a tight corner without any fuss. As for knockoffs of the HP Jet Direct, in my experience they are no-name devices that I cannot recommend. In addition, HP's 1-800 phone support has been the best support hotline for the last 20 years. This alone solidifies my recommendation for the product. You can learn more about the JetDirect on this HP external print server page. And here's a photo of the device:

While the JetDirect retails for about $255, it can be picked up new on eBay for as little as $25. A real bargain.

Setting up the Jet Direct is simple:

• Attach the Ethernet port of the Jet Direct to the Ethernet switch or hub with an RJ45 cable.
• Attach the parallel port of the Jet Direct to a parallel port of the printer with the cable mentioned in the ingredients above.
• Run the HP Jet Direct installation CD from a PC on the network. The software will recognize the Jet Direct immediately.
• After Jet Direct installation is complete, configure the printer on each PC as explained above in the "Using the new printer" section.

Happy printing!

Sidebar: A Historical Note to XP Printing

Ever wonder why Windows XP brings printing technology up a notch? Although XP debuted circa 2001, its genesis dates way back to the 1991 rollout of Microsoft's Windows NT Server. NT Server was an expensive -- and short-lived -- version of Windows that was the brainchild of David Cutler, formerly of DEC. NT Server was built on a true OS kernel, thereby offering the kind of rugged stability offered by a mainframe computer.

NT in turn was succeeded by Windows NT 3.51, NT 4.0, and Windows 2000. These operating systems never really made it to the residential and SOHO side of the PC business. They were geared more toward server and corporate end users. One of their biggest shortcomings, however, was a lack of plug-and-play support for printers (the other was the big price tag). SOHO users wanted to add new printers (and other devices) without the hassle of digging out a driver CD and doing a formal installation. These NT variants wouldn't let them do it.

At last, Windows XP solved this problem. This OS essentially married the SOHO market with the reliable NT platform. Up until the XP explosion, SOHO users were relegated to Windows 95, Win98, and WinME, all of which are fairly unstable and unreliable. (To be fair, Win95, 98 and ME all supported plug-and-play, though not nearly as well as Windows XP does.)

Also, Windows XP is a descendant of Windows 2000, which revolutionized the OS world by standardizing on the Active Directory. Active Directory is based on the ISO X.500 model (similar to DNS), which lets an end user locate and utilize a resource--such as a printer-- anywhere on its network. That resource can be in the next room or 5,000 miles away. It doesn't matter, as long as the user has rights to use the object and is an active participant on the network. What's more, Windows XP 2003, the latest version, uses pure DNS to support the Active Directory, thus integrating the overall operating system even more with the internet.

In this way, XP delivers awesome power to the humble off-the-shelf PC. Today's system rivals a high-end corporate file server, at least from the perspective of the OS.

DAVID KARY is the founder and CEO of rippt.com, which offers PC support, troubleshooting, maintenance, diagnosing, problem solving, and documentation.