XP Printer Searching V Slow

[Martin]

Hi,

Have a network with around 1000 mostly XP clients. A
mix of NT4 and W2000 servers. The primary network print
server is a 2000 server system (SP4) with around 70
printers defined (including some LPD).

When choosing to add a new network printer from an XP
client machine and clicking the "browse" option in the
wizard (We have no AD), the searching.. dialog opens and
takes around 10 minutes to return a list of printers -
which is unusably long for most users. What is strange
is that browing for printers from the same client machine
via the "entire network" or using start-->run
\\printserver format is instantaneous. This would seem
to rule out any browsing issues.

WINS is in use - but have been unable to find any
problems with the configuration that may be affecting
browsing - I understand that client machines use an RPC
to ENUM printers from the browse master (for the segment -
or domain master browser??) I guess it is this process
that is running slowly - but why?

The network itself is very quick based on Foundary kit
with Multi gigabit backbone and 100MB/s to desktops.

Any suggestions on how to improve this printer browsing
problem or is this just "that way it is"???

Regards.

 

[Bob Qin [MSFT]]

Hi Martin,

Thanks for your posting here.

Please try to enable Printer Browsing through group policies.

(Start, Run, gpedit.msc, Computer configuration, Administrative templates,
Printers, Printer Browsing)

Is the printer browsing improved?

Another suggestion would be to analyze the network traffic between clients
and the printer server. I recommend that you contact Microsoft Product
Support Services by telephone so that a dedicated Support Professional can
assist you further with your request. Please be advised that contacting
telephone support *will* be a charged call. To obtain the telephone
numbers for specific technology, please review this web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=sz;en-us;top

If you are outside the US, you can find regional telephone support numbers
at http://support.microsoft.com.

Thank you for using our news group!

Regards,
Bob Qin
Product Support Services
Microsoft Corporation

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security

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[Martin]

Thanks for the reply Bob.

Unfortunately, as mentioned in the original post we have
no AD - so the group policy approach is not an option.

Do you have any further suggestions (other than logging a
paid for support call)?

Regards,

Martin.

 

[Bob Qin [MSFT]]

Hi Martin,

I have done some research on this issue and I am sorry that I do not have
any more suggestion for this issue at present.

If there is no other people with suggestion, it will be better that you
contact our PSS support for this issue.

Best regards,
Bob Qin
Product Support Services
Microsoft Corporation

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security

====================================================
When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
====================================================
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.