I have a server setup with two printers, a colour inkjet and a monochrome laser.
The printers are set to share via the network, and this works fine off one of the other machines on the network (total or 3 machines, and an Xbox including server). However my laptop (hardwired into network, e.g. no wireless) won’t seem to print to the server. It used to a very long time ago but since 11.3 (on 11.4 now) it hasn’t printed.
It recieved updates from the server, as I can see both printers listed, but it freezes when Gathering Information From Printer. YaST shows the printers as ready though. I have uninstalled and re-installed CUPS on laptop but with no effect.
Also I did some watching with Wireshark and it seems like the laptop is recieving updates from the server but never sending any requests to the server, for print jobs or otherwise. This leads me to believe that the issue is soley with the laptop instead of with the server.
First,
Let’s try to clarify what you have in your network, correct any of the following if incorrect:
You’re running a Peer Network
Your Xbox is also configured as a Print Server and likely a Network Shares server
You have two printers directly connected to the Xbox (ie not connected directly to your network), likely with USB, Parallel or RS-232 connections.
Currently, you have two other machines (Windows?) in your network which are both able to print to the Printer Shares on your Xbox without a problem.
If the above is true, then I recommend
Install hplip (HP Toolbox) to assist in troubleshooting. This utility which usually installs only if an HP device is detected is also useful troubleshooting connecting to other manufacturers’ printers.
Especially if any of the Hosts (machines) on your network are “sometimes disconnected” like a laptop or if machines are powered down for days at a time, modify your DHCP Lease TTL for a very long time, typically much more than double the time any Host is disconnected (eg your longest vacation taking your laptop with you). Alternative if you know how is to configure DHCP Reservations. The idea is so that no machine should ever be issued a different IP address than its first.
You may want to flush your netBIOS Name Cache so it can re-build. On Linux, that’s the nmbd service(restart).
Basically, I suspect that your NetBIOS name resolution and machine addresses are out of sync and need to be re-built…
Those might get you started, if you continue to have problems post again.
No the Xbox is just another device hardwired into the network. It plays no role appart from occasionally getting confused and reply to packets.
The is a server machine running OpenSuSe 11.4, hardwired to router, with two printers connected, a Dell Laser and a Epson Inkjet All-In-One. This server is running CUPS, and has a static internal IP address of 10.13.23.201.
There is then a desktop machine running OpenSuSe 11.2, hardwired into the router, using DHCP. This prints to either printer no problem, and can connect via ssh/sshfs/NFS to the server.
Lastly there is a laptop running OpenSuSe 11.4, hardwired to router, using DHCP. This won’t print to either printer, and when you go to the Print dialog it just hangs while “Gathering Printer Information” although it lists both printers and reflects updates in the YaST printer management.
There is also up to two wireless devices but they are mobiles/tablets so don’t print.
DHCP will assign an IP address in the range of 10.13.23.2 - 10.13.23.11.
This doesn’t seem to be a networking issue as if so I’d expect the laptop to be sending packets to CUPS just to wrong address etc, however the laptop when monitoring under Wireshark, receives broadcast address (10.13.23.255) updates from CUPS server but doesn’t send a single packet, even when trying to “Gathering Printer Information”.
The laptop also has Windows installed so I will try printing under that to see if that works.
(I have tried the netBIOS re-build but, as thought, it didn’t make a difference)
Currently Firewalls are all disabled, (laptop and server) while trying to resolve this. The only firewall that is running is the one built into the router for external networks, but I have tried disabling that just in case.
The laptop can mount NFS exports without a problem. It can connect to FTP running on the server, and connect/mount SSH and SSHFS on the server. It’s only CUPS that is glitching.
Another issue, possibily related, is that printing via CUPS, either directly on the server or over network from the machine that does work, will often print 2 copies of things without being asked. Although I having a feeling this is caused by Opera browser rather than the actual CUPS software, so probably isn’t related.
It turned up it was the laptop was adding the printers are as hostname:631 rather than ip:63, however the local hostnames weren’t listed on the laptop. I amended /etc/hosts to include the servers address and it now prints no problem.
On 2011-10-03 22:16, jkraw90 wrote:
>
> Problem has now been resolved.
>
> It turned up it was the laptop was adding the printers are as
> hostname:631 rather than ip:63, however the local hostnames weren’t
> listed on the laptop. I amended /etc/hosts to include the servers
> address and it now prints no problem.
Umpf! Interesting.
Often the problem is much more simple than what we think.
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 11.4 x86_64 “Celadon” at Telcontar)
