DOS printing to a network printer

[Guest]

I need to print from a DOS program to a network printer on a print server. How do I do this?? You used to capture the printer, so how is it done with Windows XP and TCP/IP?

The DOS program will print to lpt2 since lpt1 is on the computer
The print server TCP/IP address 192.168.1.10
The printserver port is P1

Thanks

 

[Ron Lowe]

I need to print from a DOS program to a network printer on a print server.

How do I do this?? You used to capture the printer, so how is it done with
Windows XP and TCP/IP?

The DOS program will print to lpt2 since lpt1 is on the computer
The print server TCP/IP address 192.168.1.10
The printserver port is P1

Thanks

1) Set up the printer in windows initially.
Forget about DOS for now.

The usual way to do this is to:

Ensure you can ping the printer's IP
address from the command line.

Start | printers and Faxes | add a printer;
Next;
Local Printer, Do not Auto-detect, Next;
Create a New port, Standard TCP/IP port, Next;
Next;
Enter the printer IP address;
Leave the port name as it defaults;
Sometimes it mistakes the JetDirect card for a multi-port device.
If it asks, use Parallel 1.
Finish the wizard.
( It grinds for a while here )

Now, select your printer driver from either the windows-supplied
drivers, or use 'Have Disk..' to browse to your downloaded drivers.

The Add Printer wixard finishes.

R-click the new printer, and choose 'properties';
- Ensure the printer is using the new 'Standard TCP/IP port'.
-Set up any device options that may be installed on the printer.
( eg duplex, sorters, finishers, saddle staplers, paprer trays etc ).

You should now be able to send a test page from within windows.


2) Set up printing for DOS apps:

-Ensure the printer is working from within windows;
-Share the printer, even if it is set up on the local machine;
( if there's no physical LAN card in the machine,
you may need to install the 'loopback adapter' to
get file and print sharing options to appear.)
-Give the printer a share name.
-Then issue the command:
net use LPT2 \\pc-name\share-name


Then issue the command "net use".
Look to see if it worked.
This is the output on my machine, see how LPT1 is now
mapped to a shared printer on the same machine...

Status Local Remote Network
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
OK LPT2 \\rons-pc\epson Microsoft Windows Network


Printing from the dos app to LPT2 should now be captured and sent to
the network printer which just happens to be on this same machine.