Mac OS 8.x/9.x: TCP/IP Printing

This page explains printing to a laser printer under Mac OS using a TCP/IP connection.

Supported Configurations

Printers

TCP/IP printing is supported for the following printers:

• Apple LaserWriter 12/640 PS, LaserWriter 16/600 PS, LaserWriter 8500 and ColorLaserWriter 12/600 PS.
• HP LaserJet, if the internal or external JetDirect interface supports TCP/IP printing (most do). For printers without an internal Ethernet Print Server, you will need to purchase an external JetDirect External Print Server.

Other laser printers may also support TCP/IP printing; please refer to the manufacturer's webpage or the printer's user manual.

Printer Drivers

Two LaserWriter printer drivers that currently support TCP/IP printing are:

• The Apple LaserWriter 8.5.1 Printer Driver is supported with MacOS 7.5, 7.6.1, and 8.1 or greater. This driver is not compatible with MacOS 8.0.
• The Apple LaserWriter 8.6 Printer Driver is supported by MacOS 7.6.1 or greater with 68040 and PowerPC machines and is available only if you purchased MacOS 8.5.

Make sure to verify that you are using either of these drivers by selecting Page Setup under the File menu before proceeding. If the version number displayed at the upper right-hand corner of the dialog is not at least 8.5.1, go to the Apple Software Updates page to download the latest available version of the driver.

Setting Up Your Printer

Setting up your TCP/IP laser printer should be done by your site specialist. Check with your site specialist for the IP Address of your printer. If the printer is not currently set up for TCP/IP printing, please ask you site specialist for assistance in this configuration. Any configuration of the printer for TCP/IP printing should be done by your site specialist.

Configuring a TCP/IP Desktop Printer

The Apple Desktop Printer Utility is required for TCP/IP printing. You can find Apple Desktop Printer Utility on the ECN Public Mac server or at Apple's Tech Info Library. This utility allows the user to configure a desktop printer by specifying the type of printer being used and its IP address. To configure the desktop printer, do the following steps:

1. Open the Desktop Printer Utility. The following dialog box should appear (Figure 1):

        Figure 1

    

   1. Select the printer driver you wish to use (LaserWriter 8.5.1 or later) in the popup menu;
   2. Select the "Printer (LPR)" to specify TCP/IP printing;
   3. Click OK.

    

2. A new dialog should appear (Figure 2):

        Figure 2

    

3. Under "PostScript Printer Description (PPD) File", click "Change". A list of Printer Description files should appear (Figure 3). Select the PPD for the type of printer you are going to print to. Your site specialist should be able to provide this information if you do not know it.

        Figure 3

   Click the "Select" button and you will see the desktop printer configuration dialog appear again (Figure 4):
   

        Figure 4

    

4. Under "Internet Printer" click "Change". The following dialog should appear (Figure 5):

        Figure 5

    

   1. Under "Printer Address", enter either the IP address (128.46.XXX.XXX) or the name(e.g.,laserwriter.ecn.purdue.edu) for the printer. A Queue name is not needed for direct printing to a TCP/IP printer; it is only used when using a UNIX print spooler.
   2. Click "Verify" to verify the printer's location. If a printer is found to exist at the specified IP address, a message stating that a printer exists at the specified location appears at the bottom left-hand corner of the screen; if this message does not appear, then correct the printer address.
   3. Click OK.

    

5. The status dialog appear something like Figure 6.

        Figure 6

    

6. Select "Save" under the File menu to create a desktop printer. Select a name for the desktop printer. A new printer icon should appear on the desktop. Verify that the configuration works by trying to print a document to the new desktop printer.

Limitations

While this printing solution is useful for offices that have many workstations connected to one printer it also has its drawbacks.

1. The biggest problem is the lack of printing status. When there is a printer connection via AppleTalk the user is notified of printing problems as they occur. But with a TCP/IP connection the user is blind to these problems. This means that if the printer is out of paper or a paper jam has occurred, the desktop printer will not notify you of the error.

    

2. Both an advantage and disadvantage is that by default, anyone, anywhere can print to a TCP/IP printer. A firewall is necessary to maintain the security of a network to prevent unwanted users from accessing IP addresses within a network; otherwise, anyone who knows the IP address of your printer can use up your supplies.