Configuring printers on the LAN

In order to set up a System i™ product as a print server that manages print jobs, you need to configure the printers on the LAN.

You need to provide print services to your users by allowing them to share a common printer attached to the office LAN. The printer in your network is compatible with Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). You will use your system as a print server to manage print jobs and to send them to this printer on your LAN. This printer is attached to the LAN with a network adapter.

To set up the System i product as a print server that manages print jobs...

1. Configure printers.

   1. Ensure that all cabling is complete.

   2. Ensure the printer is set up using the printer's instructions manual.

   3. On the control panel of the printer, set the Port Timeout to 300 (5 minutes). This timer controls the amount of time in seconds (5 to 300) that the printer waits before printing the last page. The timer does not end with a command to print the page.

2. Create the printer device description.
   1. From a character-based interface, type CRTDEVPRT to create a printer device description. A printer device description should be created when your printer is directly attached to LAN.
   2. On the Create Device Description (Printer) display, enter the following parameters:
      Tip: At times, you might need to press F10 (Additional parameters) and Enter to view all parameters. You can accept the default values for parameters that you see on the display that are not included in the following list. For a detailed description of each parameter, use the CL command finder in the i5/OS^® Information Center. Search by name for the CRTDEVPRT command and select the Create Device Description (Printer) (CRTDEVPRT) command.

      • Device description: PRINTER1

      • Device class: *LAN

      • Device type: 3812

      • Device model: 1

      • LAN attachment: *IP

      • Port number: 2501

      • Form feed: *AUTOCUT

      • Printer error message: *INFO

      • Manufacturer type and model: *IBM4340

      • Paper source 1: *LETTER

      • Paper source 2: *LETTER

      • Envelope source: *NONE

      • Name or address: 192.168.1.7

      • User-defined options: *IBMSHRCNN

      • System driver program: *IBMSNMPDRV

      • Text description: *LAN 3812 SNMP Device Description for IBM^® IP40
   3. From the command line, type VRYCFG (the Vary Configuration command), to vary on the configuration for PRINTER1.
   4. On the Vary Configuration display, enter the following information:

      • Configuration object: PRINTER1

      • Type: *DEV

      • Status: *ON
   5. After completing these fields, press Enter.
   6. On the command line, type STRPRTWTR, the Start Printer Writer command, to start the printer writer.
   7. On the Start Printer Writer display, enter PRINTER1 in the Printer field. Press Enter.

3. Test the printer connection.

   1. Ensure that the printer is turned on and ready.

   2. Type WRKWTR (the Work with Writers command ) to verify that the printer device status is STR.

   3. Verify that System A can communicate with the printer by typing ping 192.168.1.7. You will receive confirmation that the system is connected to the printer.

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