LaserWriter Printers: TCP/IP Printing Solution Guide

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TOPIC

This article provides solutions for customers who need to print using TCP/IP (using LPR) to Apple LaserWriter printers. Although UNIX systems are the traditional source of LPR printing, LPR is defined in Internet RFC 1179, and can be implemented on any computer using TCP/IP networking. The growth of Internet, intranet and Open Systems environments means Apple customers will see an increasing need to support TCP/IP printing from all computer systems, including mainframes, mini-computers, DOS/Windows, and Mac OS systems.

Since most Apple LaserWriters accept print jobs transmitted only by AppleTalk, customers often need printing solutions using a TCP/IP based computer to an AppleTalk-only printer.

DISCUSSION

Apple customers currently have three solutions.

Configure the LaserWriter for TCP/IP printing (LPR)
TCP/IP - AppleTalk conversion (LPR-PAP)
Direct Serial or Parallel connections

There are also some Apple LaserWriter printers which cannot use TCP/IP, and do not have any workarounds. A list of these printers is provided at the end of this article.

Configure the LaserWriter for TCP/IP Printing (LPR)

Apple has provided TCP/IP support in recent, high-end printers. The following models are designed to support TCP/IP printing:

LaserWriter Pro 810
LaserWriter 16/600 PS
Color LaserWriter 12/600 PS

TCP/IP jobs are accepted only through the Ethernet port. These printers support Postscript, PCL and/or text. Your LaserWriter manual contains TCP/IP configuration information. Several popular configurations for Solaris and HP/UX systems were not available at printing time, and have been added to the Technical Information Library. If your manual does not cover your system, check Apple's Technical Information Library.

TCP/IP - AppleTalk conversion (LPR-PAP)

Customers who have non-TCP/IP LaserWriters can translate LPR print jobs to PAP sessions in AppleTalk. This allows customers to print with a TCP/IP based system, and the printer to receive an AppleTalk print job.

Translation of TCP/IP to AppleTalk is available in several products:

Network hardware
Several vendors have made network hardware products that accept LPR jobs using TCP/IP and forward them as PAP jobs using AppleTalk. Most of these products are no longer manufactured, although customers may have them installed in established sites. The only shipping product that Apple is aware of is Cayman Systems's GatorPrint. This is an optional software package installed on some Cayman routers.
AppleTalk for UNIX systems
Most AppleTalk software for UNIX systems include print spooling and conversion utilities. Here is a partial list of these products:
- Helios Ethershare
- K-Spool from Mt. Xinu.
- uShare from Information Presentation Technologies, Inc.
- CAP (Columbia AppleTalk Package) from Columbia University.
- netatalk from the University of Michigan
AppleTalk on other advanced server operating systems
In theory, multi-protocol operating systems such as Novell NetWare, Windows NT, and OS/2 can receive jobs with a TCP/IP spooler and forward them to an AppleTalk based print spooler. We have seen few customers sites with this configuration.
This solution will work for all printers listed previously as well as the following models:
LaserWriter (original)
LaserWriter Plus
LaserWriter IINT
LaserWriter IINTX
LaserWriter IIf
LaserWriter IIg*
Personal LaserWriter NT
Personal LaserWriter NTR
Personal LaserWriter 320
LaserWriter Select 360
LaserWriter Pro 600*
LaserWriter Pro 630*
LaserWriter 4/600
Printers marked with (*) have Ethernet ports. All other printers listed have only LocalTalk ports. Printers without Ethernet ports must be connected to Ethernet using a LocalTalk-Ethernet bridge.

NOTE: AppleTalk printing is traditionally define as PostScript only, Apple recommends sending only PostScript over AppleTalk to printers.

Direct Serial or Parallel connections

Most Apple LaserWriter models have serial and parallel ports for Windows printing. UNIX (and to a lesser degree Windows NT and Novell NetWare) servers can be configured to receive TCP/IP jobs and spool using a direct connection to the printer.

Connection configuration (serial and parallel) and page description language (text, PostScript, and PCL) vary by printer model.

Although Apple serial and parallel ports conform to industry standards, these configurations are not supported by Apple Computer, Inc. Apple Technical support may include articles that describe sample configurations for illustrative purposes only.

This class of solutions applies to all the above mentioned LaserWriters, as well as the LaserWriter Select 310.

No Practical Solutions

The following Apple LaserWriters do not have any practical solution due to lack of PostScript and/or PCL support.

LaserWriter IISC
Personal LaserWriter LS
Personal LaserWriter SC
Personal LaserWriter 300
LaserWriter Select 300

This article provides information about a non-Apple product. Apple Computer, Inc. is not responsible for its content. Please contact the vendor for additional information.

The Tech Info Library article titled "Locating Vendor Information" can help you search for a particular vendor's address and phone number.

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