HP JetDirect Interface

LPRng Reference Manual: 24 Sep 2004 (For LPRng-3.8.28)
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# 11.7. HP JetDirect Interface

The HP JetDirect Interface is one of the most widely used for network printers. For this reason it also has the most widely known set of problems. The user is strongly urged to upgrade to the latest version of firmware available for the unit. Problems with older versions of firmware include system lockups that require powerup level resets.

Newer versions of the HP JetDirect Interface have a Web Browser based configuration system. After you have assigned an IP address to the printer you can connect to the configuration port and configure the printer using the browser. If you run into configuration problems then you will most likely need to use the Microsoft Windows based JetDirect Configuration Software to reset or reconfigure the printer.

Older HPJetDirect cards can be configured only through through the front panel or through a set of network files. Here is a summary of the methods used from UNIX systems, or to use when you are desperate, to configure the printer.

## 11.7.1. Resetting To Factory Defaults

Most internal HP JetDirect print servers can be reset to factory defaults (or cold-reset) by turning the printer off and holding down the Online or Go button while turning the printer back on. The printer control panel display should read Cold Reset, Restoring Factory Settings, or something similar.

## 11.7.2. Setting Up IP Networking and Address

You can set the network address from the front panel. Reset the printer, put it in offline mode. and then use the MENU, +-, SELECT keys as follows:

         MENU  -> MIO MENU (use MENU to display MIO MENU)
         ITEM  -> CFG NETWORK=NO*
         +     -> CFG NETWORK=YES
         ENTER -> CFG NETWORK=YES*
         ITEM  -> TCP/IP=OFF* (use ITEM to display TCP/IP)
         +     -> TCP/IP=ON
         ENTER -> TCP/IP=ON*
         ITEM  -> CFG TCP/IP=NO* (use ITEM to display TCP/IP)
         +     -> CFG TCP/IP=YES
         ENTER -> CFG TCP/IP=YES*
         ITEM  -> BOOTP=NO*
             (Enable BOOTP if you want to - see below)
         ITEM  -> IP BYTE 1=0*
             This is IP address MSB byte.
             Use +- keys to change value, and then ENTER to change
             Use ITEM keys to get IP BYTE=2,3,4
         ITEM  -> SM BYTE 1=255*
              This is the subnet mask value
             Use +- keys to change value, and then ENTER to change
             Use ITEM keys to get IP BYTE=2,3,4
         ITEM  -> LG BYTE 1=255*
             This is the Syslog server (LoGger) IP address
             Use +- keys to change value, and then ENTER to change
             Use ITEM keys to get IP BYTE=2,3,4
         ITEM  -> GW BYTE 1=255*
             This is the subnet gateway (router) IP address
             Use +- keys to change value, and then ENTER to change
             Use ITEM keys to get IP BYTE=2,3,4
         ITEM  -> TIMEOUT=90
              This is the connection timeout value.  It puts a limit
             on time between connections.  A value of 10 is reasonable.

## 11.7.3. BOOTP Information

If you have a bootp server, you can put this information in the bootptab file. To use this, you must enable the bootp option on the printer. The T144 option specifies a file to be read from the bootp server. This file is read by using the TFTP protocol, and you must have a TFTPD server enabled. Here is a sample bootptab entry.

        # Example /etc/bootptab: database for bootp server (/etc/bootpd).
        # Blank lines and lines beginning with '#' are ignored.
        #
        # Legend:
        #
        #       first field -- hostname
        #                       (may be full domain name)
        #
        #       hd -- home directory
        #       bf -- bootfile
        #       cs -- cookie servers
        #       ds -- domain name servers
        #       gw -- gateways
        #       ha -- hardware address
        #       ht -- hardware type
        #       im -- impress servers
        #       ip -- host IP address
        #       lg -- log servers
        #       lp -- LPR servers
        #       ns -- IEN-116 name servers
        #       rl -- resource location protocol servers
        #       sm -- subnet mask
        #       tc -- template host (points to similar host entry)
        #       to -- time offset (seconds)
        #       ts -- time servers
        #
        # Be careful about including backslashes where they're needed.
        # Weird (bad) things can happen when a backslash is omitted
        # where one is intended.
        #
        peripheral1:
        :hn:ht=ether:vm=rfc1048:
        :ha=08000903212F:
        :ip=190.40.101.22:
        :sm=255.255.255.0:
        :gw=190.40.101.1:
        :lg=190.40.101.3:
        :T144="hpnp/peripheral1.cfg":

If you are using the T144 option, you will need to create the configuration file. The sample configuration file from the HP Direct distribution is included below.

        #
        # Example HP Network Peripheral Interface configuration file
        #
        # Comments begin with '#' and end at the end of the line.
        # Blank lines are ignored.  Entries cannot span lines.

        # Name is the peripheral (or node) name.  It is displayed on the
        # peripheral's self-test page or configuration plot, and when sysName
        # is obtained through SNMP.  This name can be provided in the BOOTP
        # response or can be specified in the NPI configuration file to
        # prevent the BOOTP response from overflowing the packet.  The domain
        # portion of the name is not necessary because the peripheral does
        # not perform Domain Name System (DNS) searches.  Name is limited to
        # 64 characters.

        name: picasso

        # Location describes the physical location of the peripheral.  This
        # is the value used by the interface for the MIB-II sysLocation
        # object.  The default location is undefined.  Only printable ASCII
        # characters are allowed.  Maximum length is 64 characters.

        location: 1st floor, south wall

        # Contact is the name of the person who administers or services the
        # peripheral and may include how to contact this person.  It is
        # limited to 64 characters.  This is the value used by the interface
        # for the MIB-II sysContact object.  The default contact is undefined.
        # Only printable ASCII characters are allowed.  Maximum length is 64
        # characters.

        contact: Phil, ext 1234

        # The host access list contains the list of hosts or networks of
        # hosts that are allowed to connect to the peripheral.  The format
        # is "allow: netnum [mask]", where netnum is a network number or a
        # host IP address.  Mask is an address mask of bits to apply to the
        # network number and connecting host's IP address to verify access
        # to the peripheral.  The mask usually matches the network or subnet
        # mask, but this is not required.  If netnum is a host IP address,
        # the mask 255.255.255.255 can be omitted.  Up to ten access list
        # entries are permitted.

        # to allow all of network 10 to access the peripheral:
        allow: 10.0.0.0  255.0.0.0

        # to allow a single host without specifying the mask:
        allow: 15.1.2.3

        # Idle timeout is the time (in seconds) after which an idle
        # print data connection is closed.  A value of zero disables
        # the timeout mechanism.  The default timeout is 90 seconds.

        idle-timeout: 120

        # A community name is a password that allows SNMP access to MIB
        # values on the network peripheral.
        # Community names are not highly secure;
        # they are not encrypted across the network.  The get community name
        # determines which SNMP GetRequests are responded to.  By default,
        # the network peripheral responds to all GetRequests.  The get
        # community name is limited to 32 characters.

        #
        # For hpnpstat and hpnpadmin, the community name can be stored in
        # /usr/lib/hpnp/hpnpsnmp.

        get-community-name: blue

        # The set community name is similar to the get community name.  The
        # set community name determines which SNMP SetRequests are responded
        # to.  In addition, SetRequests are only honored if the sending host
        # is on the host access list.  By default, the network peripheral
        # does not respond to any SetRequests.  The set community name is
        # limited to 32 characters.
        #
        # The set community name can come from /usr/lib/hpnp/hpnpsnmp if it
        # is the same as the get community name.  We recommend that the set
        # community name be different from the get community name though.

        set-community-name: yellow

        # SNMP traps are asynchronous notifications of some event
        # that has occurred.
        # SNMP traps are useful only with network management software.
        # Traps are sent to specific hosts and include a trap community
        # name.  Up to four hosts can be sent SNMP traps.
        # The trap community name is limited to
        # 32 characters.  The default name is public.

        trap-community-name: red

        # The SNMP trap destination list specifies systems to which SNMP
        # traps are sent.  Up to four IP addresses are allowed.  If no
        # trap destinations are listed, traps are not sent.

        trap-dest: 15.1.2.3
        trap-dest: 15.2.3.4

        # The SNMP authentication trap parameter enables or disables the
        # sending of SNMP authentication traps.  Authentication traps indicate
        # that an SNMP request was received and the community name check
        # failed.  By default, the parameter is off.

        authentication-trap: on

        # The syslog-facility parameter sets the source facility identifier
        # that the card uses when issuing syslog messages.  Other facilities,
        # for example, include the kernel (LOG_KERN), the mail system
        # (LOG_MAIL), and the spooling system (LOG_LPR).  The card only allows
        # its syslog facility to be configured to one of the local user values
        # (LOG_LOCAL0 through LOG_LOCAL7).  The selectible option strings,
        # local0 through local7 (configured to LOG_LOCAL0 through LOG_LOCAL7,
        # respectively) are case insensitive.  The default syslog-facility
        # for the card is LOG_LPR.

        syslog-facility: local2

        # This parameter allows the card to treat hosts on other subnets as
        # if the hosts were on the card's subnet.  This parameter determines
        # the TCP Maximum Segment Size (MSS) advertised by the card to hosts
        # on other subnets and affects the card's initial receive-window
        # size.  The card will use a TCP MSS of 1460 bytes for local hosts,
        # and 536 bytes for a non-local host.  The default is off, that is,
        # the card will use the maximum packet sizes only on the card's
        # configured subnet.
        #
        # The configuration utility does not allow access to this parameter.
        # If you want to configure it, you must manually edit the NPI
        # configuration file and add it to the bottom of the entry for the
        # network peripheral.

        subnets-local: on

        # This parameter affects how the card handles TCP connection requests
        # from the host.  By default, the JetDirect MPS card will accept a
        # TCP connection even if the peripheral is off-line.  If this parameter
        # is set to "on", then the card will only accept a TCP connection
        # when the peripheral is on-line.

        old-idle-mode: off

## 11.7.4. Telnet Configuration

You can telnet to the JetDirect interface and use the command line mode. There is a very simple help facility available that you can invoke by entering ? at the prompt.

Different versions of HP JetDirect cards have different commands. You will have to experiment to find out which ones are supported.

## 11.7.5. Disabling Banner Page Generation

You can do this by making a telnet connection to the JetDirect interface and use the command line mode. There is a very simple help facility available that you can invoke by entering ? at the prompt.

The configuration command banner: 0 will disable banners. You may need to save the configuration after you have changed it and then do a power up reset of the printer to have it take effect.

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