Document Number: NIPRSUP1004
Product: NIPrint (any version)
Date: 7-2-97
Title: Using NIPrint with LPD enabled print devices

Using NIPrint with LPD enabled print devices
When using NIPrint to talk to a LPD based device (as opposed to a UNIX system) there are a few tricks - this is because typically the LPD device a) can only service one socket at a time, and b) do not have any local any spooling capabilities.

Here are a few suggestions for using NIPrint with LPD based print devices:
1) Make sure to un-check the "Check print queue before transfer" (in the printers "Advanced Settings"). This makes sure that NIPrint only opens one socket when sending the print job. When " Check print queue before transfer"  is checked on, NIPrint opens a socket to check the queue for duplicate job numbers, and then closes the socket, then opens a new socket for the print job.  If your LPD based print device can only service one socket at a time, it may not be able to reset the only socket in time for NIPrint. Since UNIX systems can service many sockets concurrently, this is only a problem on LPD based print devices.

2) Set the remote time-out to a high number - like 3000 (under "Configuration", then "General Configuration"). Since most LPD based print devices do not have any local spooling capability, the device typically simply ignores packets while it is processing its current data buffer. Depending on how long it takes the device to process the local data buffer, NIPrint may time out before the device lets NIPrint send more data.  Again, since UNIX systems spool the print job before sending the file to the print device, this is only an issue with LPD based print devices.