Install Printer In Windows

Windows printing

There are several ways to install a printer in windows.
Described below are the two most common used ones :

• smb printing (preferred method)
  
  • uses central printer server to send jobs to printer
  • user needs to authenticate to central printer server
  • user needs to be registered to be allowed  to print on the printer
  • works also for laptops on wireless networks
• jetdirect printing (tcp port 9100)
  • only printers : mbsd-prt, tibn
  • sends printing jobs directly to printer
  • no user authentication needed
  • only works for local network. 
    Means : laptops on wireless network cannot print to printer, because the wireless network is a separate network!
    

SMB printing is preferred because it gives the best support. However for local pc's setting up jetdirect printing is  much easier.

Windows SMB printing

This is a workaround for Windows 7 (32bit and 64bit). However the same procedure should also work for windows XP.

Install a new printer :

• Click 'Start' -> 'Devices and Printers'. Select 'Add a printer'.
• Choose 'Add a local printer'.
• Select 'Local Port', click 'New Port...'.
• Enter '\\printer-srv.science.ru.nl\printername' in the text field.
• Select the apropriate driver for the printer you wish to install. Click 'Next'.

• Enter the name in 'Printer name', click 'Next'. The driver will install.
• Click 'Do not share this printer', click 'Next' and finally 'Finish'.

Configure the printer settings :

• right click the new printer icon and select "printing properties"

• in the popup window goto the to the tab "Device Settings"

• in the tab "Device Settings" set :

• at tray section :

• "Printer Auto Select" : A4
• "Manual Feed in Tray 1" : A4
• "Tray 1" and "Tray 2" : A4
• "Tray 3" and "Tray 4" : Not Available

• at installable options section

• Duplix Unit (for 2-sided printing) : Installed

• Press Ok 
  note: stick with the default settings :

• not share your printer
• spool print documents, with 'start printing immediately'

• right click the new printer icon and select "printing preferences"

• goto the tab "Paper/Quality" and set paper size to : A4
• goto the tab "Finishing" and check the checkbox "Print on both sides"

Trick to register authentication credentials within windows

To connect to windows network printer one needs to authenticate with a username and password. Somehow this authentication must be done before you use the printer, otherwise printing will fail without giving any error message (I consider this to be a bug!

The authentication can be achieved by always automatically map the network drive of the printer server when you log in.

You can set this up by :

• Connecting a network drive can be accomplished in 'Windows Explorer'.
• Click 'Start' -> 'Computer' to start Windows Explorer.
• In the menubar click 'Tools' -> 'Map Network Drive...'.
• Select a 'Drive:'letter and enter \\printer-srv.science.ru.nl\printerdrivers in the 'Folder:' field.
• Check 'Reconnect at logon' if you want to use the printer on a regular basis.
• Check 'Connect using different credentials' when your PC logonname and password does not match your science account.
  A logonname/password dialog will later appear. Provide your science loginname and password.

• Click 'Finish'.
  

You can also use the following batch script to authenticate to the printerserver :

@echo off

REM Fill in below your username. If you use %USERNAME% as user name than the
REM current windows account will be used.
set USER=%USERNAME%

REM Fill in below your password. If you use the password '*' then you will
REM asked for it when running the script.
set PASSWORD=*

REM use below a free drive letter
set DRIVELETTER=K:

ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO Mount printerdrivers share by which you automatically authenticate to the printerserver
ECHO.
ECHO user = %USERNAME%
ECHO.
net use %DRIVELETTER% \\printer-srv.science.ru.nl\printerdrivers %PASSWORD% /USER:%USER%
ECHO.
REM sleep 4 seconds  by doing pings  => to see if mount was successfull before windows dissapears!
ping -n 4 127.0.0.1 >NUL

Save above content in a file "authenticate_printerserver.cmd" and change the username,password and driveletter to your own needs. If you place this file on the desktop and you click on it you will get authenticated to the printer server.

Windows jetdirect printing 

Install a new printer :

On a windows 7 pc you can do an automatic search for a printer on the local network and then directly install it with the jetdirect protocol:

• Select "Add Printer"
• then choose "Network printer"
• and then it shows a popup box of found local printers, from which you can just select your printer to automatically install with the jetdirect protocol.

However you can also use the less automatic method:

• Click 'Start' -> 'Devices and Printers'. Select 'Add a printer'.
• Choose 'Add a local printer'.
• Select 'standard tcp/ip port', click 'New Port...'.
• In popup window set :
  • printername: <printername>.[cs|science].ru.nl
  • portname : <same as printername>
• Select the apropriate driver for the printer you wish to install. Click 'Next'.

• Enter the name in 'Printer name', click 'Next'. The driver will install.
• Click 'Do not share this printer', click 'Next' and finally 'Finish'.
  

Configure the printer settings :

Same procedure as for SMB printing: see above.

Note: you can change this printer configuration easily to SMB printing by :

• First do : 'Trick to register authentication credentials within windows' (see above)
• Right click the new printer icon and select "printing properties".
• In the popup window goto the to the tab "Ports"
• Click 'Add Port...',
• Select 'Local Port', click 'New Port...'.
• Enter '\\printer-srv.science.ru.nl\printername' in the text field.
• Click several times 'Ok' or 'Close'.