HP Jet-Direct will not cross VLAN's

[thomas.ellison]

We have installed a new Cisco network utilizing 4006's with the SUP 3 routing card and 2950G switches for access. We use HP Jet direct to set up our network printers. We cannot setup printers unless they are on the same VLAN as the server that has the HP JetDirect software on it. Any ideas on the proper statement to enter in the configuration in order to get the JetDirect broadcast to cross to the other VLAN's?

[scottmac]

It sounds like you're trying to use NETBEUI / NETBIOS ("Network Neighborhood" ) for the printer shares. NETB* is not routable.

If that's the case, you'll need to either set up a bridge on the SUP3 for NETB*, or use IP (or IPX or Appletalk) to get to your printer. WIN2K / XP can talk directly to the printer (setting up a TCP/IP "port"), WIN9X/ME will need some additional drivers (available by installation from the JetDirect software package).

Another approachwould be to set up a WIN2K machine (one for each VLAN) that can talk directly to the printer via TCP/IP, then do the NETB* share from that machine to the other WIN9X/ME machines - a local VLAN print server.

The only way to get a braodcast through a router is to set up "IP Helper" on the remote interface (pointing to the the printer's local interface)

Good Luck

Scott

[9mmurphy]

NOTE: I moved message to main conversation...

You may want to check on the protocol that the HP Jet Direct application wants to use to communicate with the printer. In the past, the default protocol was IPX. If you do not route or bridge the traffic, it will only talk on the same LAN segment. I would switch to IP for both the printer and the application. Make sure you shutdown IPX at the printer, it is rather chatty and consumes unnecessary bandwidth.

HTH

[9mmurphy]

heh.. first post.. moved it to the main conversation...

[sansingh]

Did you try putting helper-address to forward it to the HP Jet direct ?

[bhose]

Hi Thomas,

There are a number of Jet???? software products around. If you are using the latest printer installation product called "Network Printer Installer 2.0" then discovery of printers on other subnet's/VLAN's sould be possible.

If you continue to have problems please let me know what software you are using and the printers you ar trying to add and I will look into it for you.

Regards Brett