J T

Network is one domain, 4 servers and about 20 workstations all 2000, all going into a central switch. Printers and not plugged into servers, their are 5 printers on the network and they are all playing up.

I've checked firmware of printers and switches, all up to date. The problem even excists if I create a printer port linked to the printers static IP address and print direct over the network to the printer, so it's missing out the printserver

Problem is worse when network traffic is busy (Like a backup is going on) this lead me to think it was a network traffic problem.

[Edited by J T - 6/5/2002 12:51:34 PM]

J T

When printing across our network ocassionaly when the network is busy the printing goes wierd (characters missing, or in different places, or random characters appearing like smily faces)

When you print to the same print via direct parrell cable it works fine, this would lead me to think somewhere on the network the print info is being corrupted.

Is their any app that would tell me where the problem is coming from, i.e cable, switch server (Print jobs go through a print server)????

JT

dowser

If it's an IP printer, you can try using lpr direct to printer and rule out the print server. NT4 on has lpr, not sure about earlier MS stuff.

Richard

David_Wallis

I Doubt that is from a network bottleneck... How many pcs are on the segment, what speed, what topology, cable length, type of printserver, firmware version?

David

David_Wallis

Also when you say network... is the printer installed on the server, if so is that using the same driver as you?

Have you got wait until finished spooling checked or start printing immediatley... if its ms.

David

dowser

What switch is it? If it's mangeable you should be able to confirm whether it's network related or not.

Could still be your driver version though (default NT queue will update driver to clients...was it recently changed?) - however, lpr will bypass all that too....but will only handle ascii

Richard

David_Wallis

LPR just asci???

I can print fine to an LPR port...

What sort of printer is it? is it a hp? with jetdirect?

David

J T

Printers are OKI's with in built network cards

David_Wallis

have you checked the driver versions?

David