Wireless print server question.

Hi
have a 3com wireless print server set up on my network, all works fine can
print pages that are not too graphic intensive, however when i go to print a
picture it halts and when I look at the printer status a print job shows up
but with always a 8.93Mb size. I presume this is a buffer overun problem but
my question is:
is there anyway to overcome a buffer overrun problem and if not would any
other wireless print servers cope better.

Thanks
Olly




Olly

On Thu, 25 May 2006 22:17:09 +0100, "Olly" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>have a 3com wireless print server set up on my network, all works fine can
>print pages that are not too graphic intensive, however when i go to print a
>picture it halts and when I look at the printer status a print job shows up
>but with always a 8.93Mb size. I presume this is a buffer overun problem but
>my question is:
>is there anyway to overcome a buffer overrun problem and if not would any
>other wireless print servers cope better.

Well, the real question is where is the buffer overrun occurring? It
could be in the client that's sending the print job, in the TCP flow
control mechanism between the client and the print server, or in the
interface between the print server and the printer. Since all you've
disclose is the manufacturer of the print server, I can't begin to
speculate which one of these is causing the problem. Probably the
printer but that's just a wild guess.

--
# Jeff Liebermann 150 Felker St #D Santa Cruz CA 95060
# 831-336-2558 (E-Mail Removed)
# http://802.11junk.com (E-Mail Removed)
# http://www.LearnByDestroying.com AE6KS

> Well, the real question is where is the buffer overrun occurring? It
> could be in the client that's sending the print job, in the TCP flow
> control mechanism between the client and the print server, or in the
> interface between the print server and the printer. Since all you've
> disclose is the manufacturer of the print server, I can't begin to
> speculate which one of these is causing the problem. Probably the
> printer but that's just a wild guess.

Well being a relative novice in wireless networking I wasnt really sure what
kind of information would be useful, The printer prints fine when connected
via a usb cable but just doesnt print when trying to send it large files
wirelessly.
I think i may be using SMB printer protocol (Maybe not correct terminology)
would peer to peer work best? and if so how do i set this up using win XP

On Thu, 25 May 2006 23:49:15 +0100, "Olly" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>> Well, the real question is where is the buffer overrun occurring? It
>> could be in the client that's sending the print job, in the TCP flow
>> control mechanism between the client and the print server, or in the
>> interface between the print server and the printer. Since all you've
>> disclose is the manufacturer of the print server, I can't begin to
>> speculate which one of these is causing the problem. Probably the
>> printer but that's just a wild guess.

>Well being a relative novice in wireless networking I wasnt really sure what
>kind of information would be useful,

I'm glad you asked. I need a good rant. In order to get any question
answered without guessworks, we need:
1. What problem are you trying to solve? One sentence is fine.
2. What do you have to work with? That means maker, model, hardware
version, firmware version, operating system, release, etc. In other
words, the numbers.
3. What have you done so far and what happened? Error messages are
useful.

There are some other things that are useful, but these are the
important items. You delivered #1 and about half of #3 just fine.
However, the equipment and software list is almost totally lacking.
All I know is it's made by 3com and that you have some USB printer.
Not enough info to make even a bad guess.

>The printer prints fine when connected
>via a usb cable but just doesnt print when trying to send it large files
>wirelessly.

- Model number of the print server.
- Model number of the printer.
- Model number of the wireless router or access point.
- How is the router or access point setup?
- Type of printer interface (serial, parallel, USB, whatever).
- Client computer? Operating system? Version?
- Program used to do the printing? How are you testing this?
- Is it just one program or do all of them overflow?

>I think i may be using SMB printer protocol (Maybe not correct terminology)
>would peer to peer work best? and if so how do i set this up using win XP

Pass.


--
# Jeff Liebermann 150 Felker St #D Santa Cruz CA 95060
# 831-336-2558 (E-Mail Removed)
# http://802.11junk.com (E-Mail Removed)
# http://www.LearnByDestroying.com AE6KS

Hi this is the setup of the wireless print server:
Hardware ID:04E0548C2C
Firmware Version:1002
MAC Address:00-12-A9-55-xx-xx (Just to hide the real address)
Protocol ID:804E
Default Name:3C556282
Server Name:EPSON 935
AppleTalk Info:
Printer Type:
EPSON 935:LaserWriter
TCP/IP Info:
IP Address:192.168.1.2
Subnet Mask:255.255.255.0
Gateway Address:192.168.1.1
SMB Info:
Domain Name:MSHOME
WIRELESS Info:
Station Name:00-12-A9-55-62-82
SSID:Jesmond
BSSID:00:14:7C:B7:47:08
Channel No:1
Network Type:Infrastructure
Link Quality:Excellent
Signal Strength:Poor (Only poor cos when i did this i was miles away Im
usually pretty close when i try it.)

- Model number of the print server: Dont have model number on me but its
a3com office connect wireless 54mbps 11g print server

- Model number of the printer. Epson photo printer 935

- Model number of the wireless router or access point: the make as print
server its 3 com office connect wireless 54mbps

- How is the router or access point setup: Not quite sure on this but if
router is dhcp and all wireless netwrok type has been setup as
infrastructure

- Type of printer interface (serial, parallel, USB, whatever).

- Client computer? Operating system? Version?: 2 laptops and one desktop
all wireless allk WinXP all SP2

- Program used to do the printing? How are you testing this?: all programs
all computers even just with windows printing or picttures,

- Is it just one program or do all of them overflow? all programs do it if
the file is large seems to be larger than 8.93Mb as this is what the file
size reports in printer status, i can print text and very small pictures
fine.

Thanks for any help
Much appreciated,
Olly

"Olly" <(E-Mail Removed)> hath wroth:

>Hi this is the setup of the wireless print server:

Everything except the model number. Sigh.

>MAC Address:00-12-A9-55-xx-xx (Just to hide the real address)

MAC address doesn't go through the router. It's not a security issue.

>Default Name:3C556282

That would have made a good model number, but it's not.

>Server Name:EPSON 935

Progress. It's an Epson Stylus Photo 935 printer. USB 1.1 interface:
| http://www.epson.com.au/products/ink...usPhoto935.asp

>Printer Type:
>EPSON 935:LaserWriter

Ummmm... Wrong driver. It's not a LaserWriter. This might be your
problem.

>Signal Strength:Poor (Only poor cos when i did this i was miles away Im
>usually pretty close when i try it.)

Miles? I'm impressed.

>- Model number of the print server: Dont have model number on me but its
>a3com office connect wireless 54mbps 11g print server

This one? 3CRWPS10075
| http://www.3com.com/products/en_US/d...ku=3CRWPS10075
| http://www.3com.com/products/en_US/d...htype=purchase

>- Model number of the printer. Epson photo printer 935

It's an "Epson Stylus Photo 935". I'm being picky because Epson likes
to recycle model number and the exact model number is the only way to
distinguish between models.

>- How is the router or access point setup: Not quite sure on this but if
>router is dhcp and all wireless netwrok type has been setup as
>infrastructure

Basically, it would be nice to know what hardware is between the
computer doing the testing and the printer. Just about anything in
between can cause problems. One recent troubleshooting exercise
finally uncovered a flakey (and unauthorized) ethernet hub sitting
under the complaintants desk. He had forgotten it was there.

Also, I'm trying to figure out if the other computers are wireless
(infrastructure) connected to an unspecified router, if they are
connected with CAT5 ethernet cable, or if they are connected to via
wireless.

>- Type of printer interface (serial, parallel, USB, whatever).

USB 1.1

>- Client computer? Operating system? Version?: 2 laptops and one desktop
>all wireless allk WinXP all SP2
>- Program used to do the printing? How are you testing this?: all programs
>all computers even just with windows printing or picttures,

OK, so it happens on any computer with multiple programs. That
eliminates the computers, applications, and operating systems as the
possible culprit. That leaves the hardware between the computers and
the print server.

>- Is it just one program or do all of them overflow? all programs do it if
>the file is large seems to be larger than 8.93Mb as this is what the file
>size reports in printer status, i can print text and very small pictures
>fine.

So far, the only thing wrong is the mention of LaserWriter. Is this
the driver you're using? Is this some configuration in the 3com print
server?

With the same problem with multiple computers, the computers and
applications are probably not the problem. The likely list are:
1. Epson Stylus Photo 850 XP printer driver.
2. Any router, firewall, switch, hub, bridge, contraption, between
the clients and the unspecified wireless router.
3. The 3com 3CRWPS10075 (???) wireless print server.
4. The USB interface between the print server and the printer.

The easy way to test this is by process of elimination. If possible,
take ONE wireless computer, and setup the print server as an ad-hoc
(peer to peer) network connection. That eliminates everything except
the computer and the wireless print server. If that also overflows,
it's not the network.

The 3CRWPS10075 has an ethernet port as well as a wireless port.
Disable the wireless, and connect a cable between the 3CRWPS10075
ethernet port and the router/switch/whatever. Disable does not mean
unplug the antenna. Go into the config and turn OFF the wireless so
that there's only one network path to the print server. That takes
the wireless part of the puzzle out of the picture. If that works,
then there's something weird somewhere in the wireless part. My guess
is that it will overflow the same way, but it's still worth trying.
I've been suprised before.

You can also have some fun by taking the printer off-line, printing a
large job, putting it back online, and see what happens. If it
immediately starts printing garbage, then there's no working flow
control on the USB port.

It might also be interesting to try the printer without the wireless
print server. Plug the Epson printer into a computer, share the
printer to the network, and try printing from another workstation. If
there's some manner of network or protocol related problem, it will
also screwup with this arrangement.

I think it's a fair guess that the problem is in the 3CRWPS10075. The
routers, switches, and printer normally do not have an 8.93MByte
buffer inside. The routers buffer about 64KBytes, the switches about
the same, and the printer buffers one line (relying on the computer to
do the buffering). That leaves the 3CRWPS10075 by elimination.

As for what to do?
1. Check and update firmware version on the print server.
2. Verify that you're not using too long a USB cable.
3. Try a different USB printer.
4. Check that the printer driver is the latest from Epson. What's on
the included CDROM is always out of date.
5. Call 3com and ask them how big is the print buffer in the
3CRWPS10075. 10MBytes is possible. I couldn't find the info online.
--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Thanks for all that Jeff, you were right in selecting the right model number
for the print server, will work through the suggestions and inform you what
the result is.