Microplex M305 Quick Installation And Configuration Manual

M305 Print Server

Quick Installation and

Configuration Guide

Manual Version 1.0

For firmware version 1.0

Microplex Systems Ltd.

8525 Commerce Court

Burnaby, B.C. V5A 4N3

http://www.microplex.com/

P/N 79-305-100

Copyright  1991-1999 Wyndham Technologies Inc.

All rights reserved.

No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the
information contained herein. While every precaution has
been taken in the preparation of this manual, Microplex
Systems Ltd. assumes no liability for errors contained
herein or f or incidental or consequentia l damages in
connection with the performance or use of this material.

Copyright

 1996, Novell, Inc. All rights reserved. All

other product names are trademarks of their respective
manufacturers or providers.

This manual was written, illustrated, and produced using
FrameMaker workstation publishin g software.

Rev: 01/99
Printed in Canada.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MANUAL OVERVIEW ...............................................1

PDF File Index.....................................................................1

Documentatio n Con ven tio ns................................... ... ..........2

M305 INTRODUCTION..............................................3

Overview..............................................................................3

What is the M305?...............................................................3

How Does the M305 Work?................................................4

Product Feat ure s ......... .... ... ............................. .... .................5

M305 INSTALLATION...............................................7

Overview..............................................................................7

Unpacking the M305 ...........................................................7

Attaching to the Network.....................................................8

CONFIGURATION TOOLS......................................15

Overview............................................................................15

Two-Part Configura tio n................ .... ............................. ... .15

Available Tools..................................................................15

Troubleshooting Tips.........................................................21

WINDOWS CONFIGURATION ................................23

Overview............................................................................23

Environment Description...................................................23

M305 Configura tio n .......... .... ............................. .... ...........24

Troubleshooting Tips.........................................................29

UNIX CONFIGURATION .........................................31

Overview............................................................................31

Environment Description...................................................31

M305 Configura tio n .......... .... ............................. .... ...........32

Host Configuration ............................................................ 34

Troubleshooting Tips.........................................................35

NOVELL CONFIGURATION ..................... ..... ...... ...39

Overview................. .... .... ............................. ......................39

Environment Description...................................................39

M305 Configura tio n .......... .... ............................. .... ...........40

Host Configuration ............................................................ 41

Troubleshooting Tips.........................................................48

APPLETALK CONFIGURATION ............................51

V1.0 3

Overview............................................................................51

Environment Description...................................................51

M305 Configura tio n .......... .... ............................. .... ...........52

Host Configuration ............................................................ 52

Troubleshooting Tips.........................................................53

M305 REFERENCE PAGES....................................55

Overview............................................................................55

M305 Naming Schem e ... ... ............................. .... ...............55

M305 Command Shel l....... .... ............................. .... ...........56

Back to Factory Defaults......................... .... ......................62

Firmware Upgrades............................................................63

GETTING HELP.......................................................65

Help Methods Available....................................................65

Repair Procedure................................................................66

M305 SPECIFICATIONS.........................................71

Hardware Specifications....................................................71

Software Specifications .....................................................75

GLOSSARY.............................................................77

INDEX ......................................................................83

Appendix A - More on Windows ......................... A-1

Overview......................................................................... A-1

M305 Configura tio n .................................................. .... . A-3

General Workstation Configuration................................ A-9

Windows 95/98

Workstation Setup......................................................... A-10

Windows NT

Workstation Setup......................................................... A-12

Windows Troubleshooting............................................ A-15

Appendix B - More on Unix ................................. B-1

Overview..........................................................................B-1

M305 Configura tio n .................................................. .... ..B-2

Host Configuration Overview..........................................B-9

Direct Printing Without the Spooler................................B-9

Printing Via the Spooler ................................................B-10

Manual System V Host Setup...................... ..................B-13

Manual LPR/LP Host Setup ..........................................B-16

Printing from AIX..........................................................B-22

4 V1.0

Manual Printing with FTP ’s PC/TCP............. ...............B-24

Printing Using FTP Daemon..........................................B-25

Direct Socket Printing....................................................B-25

Device Printing - Microplex’s NPD ..............................B-26

Troubleshooting.............................................................B-31

Appendix C - More on Novell .............................. C-1

Overview..........................................................................C-1

M305 Configura tion ..................... .... ............................. ..C-2

Host Configuration ........................................................C-11

Troubleshooting.............................................................C-17

Appendix D - More on AppleTalk........................ D-1

Overview......................................................................... D-1

M305 Configura tion ..................... .... ............................. . D-2

Appendix E - Extra Featu res/Additional Informat ion
E-1

Overview................. ............... .............. ............... .............E-1

Print Server Architecture.................................................E-2

General Options...............................................................E-5

M305 Security......... .... .... ............................. ... .................E-7

Printer Monit oring and Logg ing..................... .... ...........E-11

FTP Daemon..................................................................E-14

Managing with SNMP ...................................................E-21

Troubleshooting.............................................................E-25

NCSA.............................................................................E-25

Appendix F - More on Specifications..................F-1

Overview..........................................................................F-1

Network Connectors ........................................................F-2

Power Socket...................................................................F-2

Parallel Port (PRN)......................................... .... .............F-3

M305 LEDs............. .... .... ............................. ... .................F-7

Variable Definition s.................. .... .... ... ............................F-7

Appendix G - More on Commands .....................G-1

Overview......................................................................... G-1

Command Shell Overview.............................................. G-2

Complete Command List................................................ G-3

V1.0 5

6 V1.0

MANUAL OVERVIEW

MANUAL OVERVIEW

This manual describes the installation and configuration of
an M305 on yo ur ne twork. It describes a basic setup for
each supported network environment. For more detailed
information about configuration and management, please
see the Portable Document Format (PDF) files available on
the CD ROM supplied with the M305 or from the T echnical

Support section of Microplex’s Web site,

http://www.microplex.com/”.

“

PDF File Index

Table 1 lists the PDF files that are available on the CD ROM
include d with your unit. Please refer to these documen ts if

you can’t find what you’re looking for in this guide.

Table 1: Microplex PDF Files

File Name Description

windows.pdf Appendix A - Print setup for Windows

environments.

unix.pdf Appendix B - Step-by-step manual

configuration instructions for Unix

environments.

novell.pdf Appendix C - RPRINTER configura-

tion and other Novell information.

apple.pdf Appendix D - Additional c onfiguration

extra.pdf Appendix E - De tails about th e M305’s

V1.0 1

for AppleTalk environments.

additional features such as printer log­ging.

MANUAL OVERVIEW

Table 1: Microplex PDF Files

File Name Description

specs.pdf Appendix F - Additional specifi cations

for the M305 hardware.

command.pdf Appendix G - In depth look at the

M305’s internal command shell. (for
commonly used commands, see Com-
mon npsh Commands on page 58.)

Documentation Conventions

The document conventions use d i n this manual and the
appendices are as follo w s :

• The Courier font in boldface indicates commands that

you type.

$ ping ftp.microplex.com

• Regular C ourier font indicates displayed result s.

ftp.microplex.com is alive

• Example names and numbers described in text are

bold.

sends data to the M305 named spike...
The model directory...

• Variable values are shown in italics both in co m ma n d
syntax, output, and in text. Italics also add emphasis.

ping

ipname

Please enter the ipname at the prompt.
Make sure you first contact...

2 V1.0

ipname

is alive

M305 INTRODUCTION

M305 INTRODUCTION

Overview

The purpose of this chapter is to acquaint you with the

M305’s architecture and special features.

What is the M305?

The M305 10/100 Pocket Print Server allows you to locate
your printer anywhere on a 10 Base-T or 100 Base-T LAN
rather than attaching it directly to a host system. After fol­lowing some simple configuration steps, the printer can be
simultaneously shared with users on Unix (TCP/IP), Win­dows (NetBIOS over TCP/IP), Novell (IPX), or AppleTalk
(EtherTalk) networks. M ultiple users and multiple prot ocols
are supported simu ltaneously.

Note: The M305 is compatible with most printers

with a Centronics parallel interface.

The M305’s key physical components are:

• a 10/100 network interface connector to connect to the
network,

• one parallel port,

• Flash memory to store firmware and user-configurable
settings,

•SDRAM.

V1.0 3

M305 INTRODUCTION

How Does the M305 Work?

Print Path

The print path is the path data takes when the host sends a
job to a printer through the M305. This print path can be
divided int o the three components (refer to Figure 1).

Figure 1: Print Path Components

Host The host sends the job to one of four pre-

defined destinations (e.g. d1prn) on the print
server, not directly to the I/O port.

Print Server The job passes through the de stin at ion ’s

associated model (e.g. m1) for optional pro­cessing and then continues through the desti­nation’s associated logpath (e.g. l1) where
logging information is recorded. The data
then ends up at the dest ination’s associated

I/O port, prn.

Printer The data passes from the print server’s I/O

port to the attached printer for output.

There are four destination s on the M305, with each having
an associate d model and logpath. The model determines if
any extra data processing (e.g. ASCII to PostScript conver­sion) needs to be done and the logpath det e rmines whet her
job logging (e.g. user ID) or printer errors need to be

4 V1.0

M305 INTRODUCTION

reported. A model or logpath can be associated with more
than one destination . R efer to Figure 17 on page 56

Product Features

The M305 offers an extensive list of features including:

• Built-in HTML forms for easy cross-platform configu­ration with an y web browser;

• Waldo, the ut ility for autom ated TCP/IP configur ations
(included on CD ROM supplied with the M305);

• Ezsetup utili ty for au tomated Unix print configura tions
(included on CD ROM);

• MPS utility for error-free printing in Windows 95,
W indows 98 and W indows NT environ ments (inc luded
on CD ROM);

• a detailed and easy-to-use command shell, “npsh”;

• multilevel configuration security through passwords,
permission levels, and access lists;

• numerous printer logging methods (e.g. automatic
Email) to record printer errors and usage;

• remote management through Telnet sessions, “

rcmd/remsh

” commands, SNM P, and predefined log

rsh/

methods;

• extensive built-in troubleshooting tools;

• built-in “

telnet” and “ping” clients;

• ability to disable protocols and destination services
allows memory usag e to be configured;

• multiple destin atio ns fo r v ersatil e prin ter m a nip u lation
and distinct print setups;

• header and trailer strings to instruct printers on tray
selection, font, pitch, si mplex/duplex, etc.;

V1.0 5

M305 INTRODUCTION

• autosensing of job format for ASCII to PostScript con­version or to automati cally switc h printer em ulations;

• flexible naming conventions;

• Flash mem ory upgrades over TCP/IP networks;

• multiple speeds on the parallel port for additional
printer compatibility;

• simultaneous printing on all suppor ted protocol s.

6 V1.0

M305 INSTALLATION

M305 INSTALLATION

Overview

This chapter discusses the pr epara tion a nd in stalla tion steps
necessary to use the M305 on your network.

Unpacking the M305

Upon receiving the M305, check th e packaging for any

damaged or missing pieces (refer to Table 2, “M305 Pack­ing List,” ). Immediately report problems to the shipping
company or vendor. If everything is in order, fill out the
Warranty Registration Card:

Fill out the Warranty Registration Card included with
your product and mail it to Microplex.

Fax the card to Microplex at [phone].
Fill out an on-line version on our Web site at:

“http://www.microplex.com/”.

.

Print
Server

Documen­tation

Registration Options

Table 2: M305 Packing List

•M305

• Power Supply

• Quick Reference and Installation
Guide (this guide)

V1.0 7

• CD ROM with PDF files and software

M305 INSTALLATION

Table 2: M305 Packing List

Software • Included on the CD ROM are:

• Waldo - TCP/IP configuration tool

• MPS - Microplex printing solution

for Windows 95, Windows 98 and
Windows NT environments

• EZSetup - UNIX configuration

tool.

•MPAdmin - Novell NWAdmin

snap-in configuration tool.

Packaging • Shipping Box

• Cardboard Inser t

Attaching to the Network

Site Requirements

Prepare to install the M305 in a clean, well-ventilated envi­ronment protected from extremes of temperat ure, humidity,
mechanical shock, or vibration. Provide enough space at the
rear of the unit for Ethernet cable connections.

Prepare to in stall the M305 with in fou r m e ters (1 3 fe et) o f a
grounded 115 or 220 VAC outlet. Power is supplied to the
M305 from an external transformer through a two-meter
(six-foot) output cord to a 6 position mini din. The external
transformer connects through a two-meter (six-foot) line
cord to a 3-prong 115 or 220 VAC outlet.

Network Connections

The M305 provides a 10/100Base-T RJ45 (UTP) connector .
Refer to Figures 2 and 3 for a view of the front and rear of
the M305.

8 V1.0

Figure 2: M305 Front View

Figure 3: M305 Rear View

M305 INSTALLATION

Printer/ Port Connections

One printer may be attached via the M305’s 36-pin male
Centronics connector (wi th an IBM PC compatible pino ut).
The port can be config ured with vario us parameters depe n d­ing on the attached printe r. These parameters includ e:

• cen Centronics mode. Used with ol der impact printers

(e.g. dot matrix or line printers);

•pc default mode. Will work with most printers;

•slow for slower parallel interfaces that need a slower

transfer rate;

V1.0 9

M305 INSTALLATION

•fast for high-performance parallel interfaces that can

handle an increased transfer rate (like the HP 4 and 5
series printers);

•bb bit bucket (for simulating an attached printer even if

one isn’t attached);

• nibble reverse data transfer mod e for printers with bi-

directional commu nica tions c apa bil ity (u sed onl y with
back channel enabled).

Printing Test Pages

Use the test page feature to test the M305 and printer com­munications without a network connection. To output test
pages:

1. Power off the M305 and the printer a nd di sconne ct the

network co nnector.

Note: If the print server is connected to the network

with link integrity, this procedur e will forc e it
into download mode instead of printing a test
page.

2. Set Dipswitch 1 and Dipswitch 2 to the “on” position

(i.e. down).

3. Power on the printer then power on the M305 . The

M305 will generate two test pages automatically.

4. Whe n done, power off the M305 then power off the
printer. Set Dipswitch 1 and Dipswitch 2 to the “off”
position (i.e. up) again for normal operations.

Connecting to the Network

To attach the M305 to the netwo rk a s illu strat ed in Figure 4
on page 11, you will need to:

1. Connect the M305 to the network via the appropriat e
network co nnector.

2. Attach the unit to the parallel port of the desired

10 V1.0

M305 INSTALLATION

printer. Ensure that the printer is turned off when you
plug in the print serv er.

3. Turn the printer on and unpack and plug in the M305’s

power supply. The connector plugs into the back of the
M305.

Watch the lights on the front panel of the device as they
cycle through the power-on self test. When the test is com­plete, the STAT LED will flash once per second (twice per
second if there is no IP address configured).

Figure 4: Physical Setup

M305

Network

Printer

Power

Dipswitches

On the back of the M305 you will find two dipswitches
labeled 1 and 2. Their functions are explaine d in Table 3 on
page 12:

V1.0 11

M305 INSTALLATION

Table 3: Dipswitch Settings

Dipswitch

1 2 Comments

off off Normal oper ation. With both

dipswitches in t he “of f” positio n, the
unit will boot up using the settings
in Flash rather than the default set­tings. Dipswitch 2 is in the “off”
position from the factory so that the
new settings that you store will be
used.

on off Factory default settings. With the

dipswitches in this configuration,
the unit will boot up and all settings
stored in Flash will be erased except
the Ethernet addr ess and key value.

off on Default IP. With the dip switches in

this conf iguration, the unit will boot
with factory default settings. How­ever, the stored settings in flash are
intact. Setting dipswitch 2 to “on”
will not clear any settings that you
have stored in Flash. It simply boots
the unit in a different state with the
settings in Flash tempora ril y
ignored.

12 V1.0

M305 INSTALLATION

Table 3: Dipswitch Settings

Dipswitch

1 2 Comments

on on If the unit is connect e d to a network

with link integrity and then reset to
MOS, a download will be forced. If
the unit is not connected to a net­work, it will print a test page.

V1.0 13

M305 INSTALLATION

This page intentionally le ft blank.

14 V1.0

CONFIGURATION TOOLS

CONFIGURATION TOOLS

Overview

This chapter outli ne s a ll o f th e config u rat ion to ols av ai la ble
to you when using an M305.

Two-Part Configuration

When talking about configu ra tio n, it’s important to under­stand that there are two parts to a M305 setup:

1. Confi gurin g the M3 05 so that it can be seen on the ne t­work. This involves network-related settings (e.g. an
IP address within TCP /IP environments) con figured
through the built-in command shell, npsh.

2. Configuring a host with a new printer so it knows how
to send data to the M305. Just being able to see the
print server on the network doesn’t mean you can auto­matically prin t to it. A host has to b e told where to send
the data.

Note: There are some network environments that do not

require any network settings to be conf igured on
the M305. Howeve r, all network set ups require
configuration on the host end.

Available Tools

HTML Forms

The M305’ s settings can be c onfigured over TCP /IP through
a standard Web browser. The M305’s Web pages provide a
user-friendly way to access some of the commands bu ilt in
to the print server.

V1.0 15

CONFIGURATION TOOLS

To access the M305’ s home page, you will need to:

1. Make sure the print server has an IP address and subnet
mask so it is recognizable on your TCP/IP network.

2. Ensure your network station can successfully “

ping”

the M305 over the network.

3. Direct your Web browser to the Uniform Resource
Locator (URL) “

http://192.168.11.9”).

“

http://

M305IPaddress

” (e.g.

The M305’s HTML structure is divided into several menus
as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5: M305 HTML Structure

Index/Home

Home Page Menu

About

Network

Print Path

I/O Port

Administration

System

Configuration

Status

Help

I/O Port

Network

Note: On-line help is available for all HTML pages.

16 V1.0

CONFIGURATION TOOLS

Waldo

Overview

Since TCP/IP is relied upon for Windows/UNIX printing,
the M305 must be configured with an IP address and subnet
mask before it can work on the network

Waldo is a tool for discoverin g, monitor ing, an d configu ring
Microple x pr int/frame server devices on a TCP/ I P netw o rk.
The program is a Java stand alone program.

This chapter discusses the M305’s configuratio n on a TCP/
IP network using Waldo, detailin g a com pl ete setup inc lu d­ing:

1. Identifying the M305 on the network using TCP/IP as
the underlying protocol.

2. Configuring the M305 with its mandatory TCP/IP set­tings (i.e. IP address and subnet mask).

Additional settings like routing entries can also be config­ured allowing for communications across subnets. Once
Waldo is up and running, select Help Topics from the help
menu for more detailed information about Waldo.

Environment Description

Waldo requires the JavaTM Runtime Environm ent in order to
work. Java

TM

Runtime Environm ent (also known as the Java
Runtime or JRE) consists of the Java virtual machine, the
Java platform core classes, and supporting files.

Waldo Configuration

Mandatory

1. The Java Runtime Environment from Sun. The html

link is http://java.sun.com/products/.

V1.0 17

CONFIGURATION TOOLS

2. You must have the TCP/IP prot ocol installed and con-

figured on your workstation.

Installing Waldo in Windows

To install Waldo on a windows workstation, you will need
to:

1. Insert the CD ROM supplied with the M305 into the

drive.

2. Go to the Waldo directory and find the "setupex.exe"

file.

3. Double click on this to load the InstallShield Wizard.

4. Answer the prompts throughout the wizard.

5. Once the inst all process is complete, you will be

prompted to view the "ReadMe" file. Select "Yes" to
read this and when done, close the file.

6. Find the n e w Waldo program group and double click

on the "Waldo" icon to load the program.

7. Click on "Search…".

8. At the "Discover Devices" dialog box, select "local"

and click on "OK".

Note: Click on "Add.." to find a device on another sub-

net.

9. The main dialog box will now build up a list of

Microplex devices. This process will take a minute or
two to find the devices on the network. Click on "Stop
Searching" after the device has been found. Figure 6
shows a sample screen.

18 V1.0

Figure 6: Waldo Main Screen

CONFIGURATION TOOLS

10. Select the M305’s ethernet address from the list box

and press "Assign IP…".

1 1. At the "Assign IP" dialog box that displays next, fill in

the IP address and subnet mask for this M305.

Note: Y ou can also assign a default router/gateway entry

within this dialogue box allowing your M305 to
communicat e across subnets.

12. C lick "Assign" when done to assign these TCP/IP set-

tings to the M305. Waldo will then display on a sepa­rate dialog box the status of its progres s .

13. After successfully assigning the settings you will see

the M305 with its new IP address in the device list.

V1.0 19

CONFIGURATION TOOLS

Ezsetup

This is a Unix shell script that helps configure M305 set­tings and host print set ups. It ’s compatible with all Unix fla-

vours and has a Main Menu similar to Figure 7.

Figure 7: Ezsetup Main Menu Screen

Configuration Alternatives

Besides the HTML forms and software provided by
Microplex, the M305’s internal command shell, npsh, can
also be reached u s ing these common met hods:

Telnet A TCP/IP command that helps configure

M305 settings remotely. A TCP/IP host
starts a T elnet session with the print server
and log s in t o t h e de vice’s co mmand shell
to alter and view settings.

Example:

telnet 192.168.11.9

Remote Shell (e.g. “rsh”, “rcmd”, “remsh”) A TCP/IP

command that help s configure print serv er
settings remotely. A TCP/IP host uses th is
command to remotely execute a single
command on the M305.

20 V1.0

CONFIGURATION TOOLS

Example:

rsh spike list prn

This command re motely executes the np sh

command, “

list prn” on the M305

named spike.

Troubleshooting Tips

M305 Won’t Talk on the Network - Waldo Error
Messages

• Unable to assign temporary IP. The address is already

in use.

• Have you assign ed a IP address that is not bei ng
use by anothe r device?

• Unable to assign temporary IP. The device is not
responding. The network may be down, or an invalid
IP address has been used.

• Is the IP address that you used valid for you r n et-

work?

HTML Configuration Forms Won’t Display

• Can you “

ping” the M305 from your workstation? If

not, please refer to M305 Won’t Talk on the Network
on page 29.

• Have you used th e correct URL for the M305’s home
page? It should be “

http://192.168.11.9”).

“

http://

M305IPaddress

” (e.g.

V1.0 21

CONFIGURATION TOOLS

This page intentionally le ft blank.

22 V1.0

WINDOWS CONFIGURATION

WINDOWS CONFIGURATION

Overview

This chapter discusses the M305’s support for Windows 95/
98 and Windows NT, describing a complete Windows setup
including:

1. Identifying the M305 on the network using TCP/IP as
the underlying protocol.

2. Configuring the M305 with its mandatory TCP/IP set­tings (i.e. IP address and subnet mask).

3. Configuring a new print e r on the Windows station.

Please see Appendix A - More on Windows (the PDF file
called windows.pdf) for more information about other Win­dows environments.

Environment Description

The M305 supports network printing under Windows envi­ronments by utilizing TCP/IP. There are two common set­ups for printing in a Windows environment: setup a printer
on an NT server to be shared by Windows 95/98 and Win­dows NT clients, or have each Windows station print
directly to the M30 5 . Figure 8 outlines these two ty pes of
setups.

V1.0 23

WINDOWS CONFIGURATION

Figure 8: Windows Integration

Win95

IP Router

Win95

Win95

Win95

Win95

NT Server

M305

Printer

M305 Configuration

Mandatory

Since TCP/IP is relied upon for Windows printing, the
M305 must be configured with an IP address and subnet
mask before it can be seen on th e network.

Optional

Additional settings like routing entries can also be config­ured, allowing co mmunication across sub nets.

Configuration Steps

To configure an IP address and subnet mask on your M305,
Microplex recommends the use of their TCP/IP configura­tion utility called Waldo. Waldo is describe d in deta il on
page 17. Once you have the TCP/IP settings stored on the
M305, the next section will help you setup a new network
printer on your Windows station.

Host Configuration

There are a number of possibl e ways to configure a printer
in a Windows environment. Th ese include:

24 V1.0

WINDOWS CONFIGURATION

1. Direct TCP/IP printing with MPS (Microplex Printing
Solution).

2. NetBIOS over T CP/IP (i.e. br owsing the Microsoft
Windows Network).

3. LPR (Berkeley’s Line Printer Protocol which uses
TCP/IP to transfer data to the print server’s built in
Line Printer Daemon).

Note: Which method you choose dep e nds entirely on

your preference and what is available wit h your
particular Windows software and operating sys­tem. Microple x recommends the use of MPS
(Microplex Printing Solution) for Windows NT
and Windows 95/98 printing environments.

The key advantage to using MPS is that it allows

true peer-to-peer printing in a Windows environ­ment. Using MPS ensures that your connection to
the print server remains open indefinitely so that
print jobs won’t be lost due to the connection tim­ing-out, as can occur in a NetBIOS setup.

The following sections describe how to configure a printer
on a Windows NT 4.x or Windows 95/98 workstation using
MPS. For additional information about printing with other
methods, or in other Windows environments, please refer to
Appendix A - More on Windows (the PDF file called win­dows.pdf).

Installing MPS (Microplex Printing Solution)

To install MPS on a Windows workstation, you will need to:

1. Insert the CD ROM supplied with the M305 into the
drive.

2. Go to the MPS directory, and find the "Setup.exe" file.

3. Double click on this to load the InstallShield Wizard.

V1.0 25

WINDOWS CONFIGURATION

4. Answer the prompts throughout the wizard and select
"Yes" to restart your computer at the end.

5. Once your computer is rebooted, MPS should be suc­cessfully installed.

Windows 95/98 MPS Setup

To configure a new printer to prin t directly to th e M305 on a
Windows 95/98 station, you will need to:

1. Install MPS if you have not a lready done so.

2. Select "Printers" from the "Settings" sub-menu on the
"Start" menu.

3. Select a printer that you want to use with MPS and
click on the right mouse button to bring up a sub-menu.

Note: MPS will only work with an existing printer

under Windows 95/98. If you don’t have an exist­ing printer that you can alte r, create one now (use
any port settings you like since they will be
changed in the following steps).

4. Select "Properties" from this menu to display the cur­rent settings for this printer.

5. Click on the "Details" tab to display the printer’s port
settings.

6. Click on the "Add Port… " button.

7. At the "Add Port" dialogue that displays, click on the
radio button labeled "Other".

8. Click on "Microplex TCP/IP Printer Port" from within
this "Other" list box.

9. Click on "OK", you should see a dialogue lik e the one
shown in Figure 9.

26 V1.0

WINDOWS CONFIGURATION

Figure 9: Add Port Dialog

10. I n the "Host Name" fiel d, type in the DNS host name
or IP address of the M305 (e.g. 192.1 68.11.9).

11. In the "Port Number" field, type in the port number of
the destination you are using (i.e. 4400 is the default
port number for d1prn).

12. Click "OK" to create an MPS port.

13. Make sure the new MP S Port is sele cted in the "P rint to
the follow ing port" field. It should have the name
MPLX::<Host Name>:<Port Number>; for example:

MPLX::192.168.11.9:4400

14. Click on "OK" to close this printer’s properties win­dow .

You now have a new network printer which relies on MPS
to print remotely to a printer attached to the M305.

Windows NT 4.x MPS Setup

To configure a new printer to print directly to the M305
using MPS on a Windows NT 4.x station, you will need to:

1. Install MPS if you have not a lready done so.

2. Select "Printers" from the "Settings" sub-menu on the
"Start" menu.

3. Double click on "Add Printer" icon.

V1.0 27

WINDOWS CONFIGURATION

4. Select the "My Computer" radio button in the "Add
Printer Wizard" that loaded, and click on "Next >".

5. Click on "Add Port…" to bring up the "Printer Ports"

dialogue box.

6. Select "Microplex TCP/IP Printer Port" from the
"Available Printer Ports" list, and th en click on the
"New Port…" button to bring up a dialogue box similar
to the one found in Figure 10.

Figure 10: Add Port Dialogue

7. In the "Host Name" f ield, type in the DNS host name
or IP address of the M305 (e.g. 192.1 68.11.9).

8. In the "Port Number" field, t ype in the port n umber of
the destination you are using (i.e. 4400 is the default
port number for d1prn).

9. Click "OK " when done specifyi ng these two fields.

10. Make sure the new MPS Port is selected in the "Avail­able ports" list box. It should have the name
MPLX::<Host Name>:<Port Number>; for example:

MPLX::192.168.11.9:4400

1 1. Click on "Nex t >" a nd c ontin u e the setup as you w oul d

for any other printer.

You now have a new network printer which relies on MPS
to print remotely to a printer attached to the M305.

28 V1.0

WINDOWS CONFIGURATION

Troubleshooting Tips

M305 Won’t Talk on the Network

• Have you assigned it a unique and valid IP address
which corresponds with the other IP addresses on your
network? For example, are you sure no other d e vice is
using this IP address?

• Are you s ur e yo u are trying to talk to the M30 5 fr o m a
Windows station on the same subnet? Currently, the
print server can only be seen locally un less you config­ured a routing entry earl ie r on.

• If you look at the front of the M305, is the STAT LED
flashing once a second or is it qui c ker than that? A
slower, once per second rate tells you that the print
server is in fact configured with an IP address. A faster
rate says it doesn’t recognize its IP address; you may
need to try the configuration process again.

• Have you confirmed the network connection to the
M305 is wor king correctly? Trying different networ k
cables and locati ons will help narrow down the prob­lem.

MPS Error Messages

• Unable to get information about host <HOST>. Host
'<HOST>' c ould not be found.

• Is the DNS na m e tha t yo u us e d va lid ?

• Is your DNS server up and running?

• Is the DNS server setting configured on the work-

station running MPS correct?

• Can you "ping" the M305 from your Windows

workstation? If not, please refer to M305 Won’t

Talk on the Network on page 29.

• Failure to connect to host <HOST>. Connection
refused by host on port <PORT#>.

V1.0 29

WINDOWS CONFIGURATION

• Is the IP address you assigned valid for your net-

work? If a DNS name was used, is the IP address
assigned to this name valid for your network?

• Can you "ping" the M305 from your Windows

workstation? If not, please refer to M305 Won’t

Talk on the Network on page 29.

• Are you using the correct port number? Issue a list

pserver command on the M305 to find out what
port numbers are assigned to what destination s .
See Appendix G - More on Commands (the PDF
file called command.pdf) for more information.

Printer Errors When Printing or No Output

• Is a large job curre ntly printing (and taking up all of the
printer’s resources)? Usually when printing from W in­dows 95 stations, a busy printer can cause Windows to
display a printe r erro r message. This is because Win­dows 95 demands immediate pr inter attent ion rather
than holding the da ta unt il the p rint er is rea dy agai n. If
this is a frequent problem, it is better to use a central
spooling station like an NT server or use MPS.

• Have you tried restarting the spooler under Control
Panel:Services? Sometimes this is needed to get print­ing going.

Note: As a last resort, you may want to try re-boot-

ing the Windows station. Sometimes this is
the only op tio n to completely cl ea r t his si tua­tion. Usually the M305 has nothing to do
with this problem so it can be left alone.

30 V1.0

UNIX CONFIGURATION

UNIX CONFIGURATION

Overview

This chapter describes a complete Unix setup including:

1. Configuring the M305 with its mandatory
TCP/IP settings (i.e. IP address and subnet mask).

2. Configuring a new printer on the Unix station.

For additional information about Unix environments, please
see Appendix B - More on Unix (unix.pdf).

Environment Description

The M305 supports network printing under various TCP/IP
environm e nt s in clu d i ng all flavours of Unix . Printing can
come from multiple hosts directly or through central spool­ing machines. Figure 1 1 illustrates this for you.

Figure 11: Unix Integration

PC

SparcStation

SunOS 4.1.1

XTerm

PC

PC

XTerm

Linux

Solaris

Ultrix

OSF/1

IRIX

IP Router

SCO HP/UX

M305

Printer

31

UNIX CONFIGURATION

M305 Configuration

Mandatory

Since TCP/IP is used, the M305 must be configured with at
least at an IP address and subnet mask before it can be seen
on the network.

Optional

Additional settings, like routing entries, can also be config­ured to allow communication across subnets.

Configuration Steps

To configure an IP address and subnet mask on your M305,
you will need to:

1. Log in as root or superuser on your Unix host .

2. Insert the CD ROM supplied with the M305 into the
drive.

3. “

cd” to a directory with at least three megabytes of

free space.

4. Transfer the compressed tar file from the CD ROM
onto the host.

tar xvf /dev/

where

devicename

devicename

is usually “fd0” for a CD ROM.

5. Uncompress this file.

uncompress npdist.tar.1.Z

6. Untar this file.

tar xvf npdist.tar.1

A list of files will display and scroll up the screen. Sev­eral files and subdirectories are created including a
copy of Ezsetup, the Unix script used for print server
and host configurati on.

32

UNIX CONFIGURATION

7. [Optional] Assign an IP address and host name to the
M305 in the host table (/etc/hosts, host NIS map, or
DNS name table s ).

8. Run Ezsetup from the command line. Follow this syn­tax for most Unix operating systems:

./ezsetup

For HP/UX, use:

ksh./ezsetup

9. Answer the prompts that appear (so Ezsetup can learn

about the Unix host it’s running on) and wait for th e
Main Menu to display. It will look like Figure 12.

Figure 12: Ezsetup Main Menu

10. Enter “1” for “Configure New Unit” since you want to
configure an M305 with its TCP/IP settings.

11. Follow the prompts on each screen as Ezsetup steps
through the configuration of the M305’s IP address,
subnet mask, optional default router/gateway, and
optional root and guest passwords.

Once you receive a message that this configuration com­pleted successfully, you should be able to communi cate
with the print server ov er the network. How ever, Ezsetup
will now automa tic a lly lead you into the second part of con-

33

UNIX CONFIGURATION

figuration, “Configure Host Setup”, since you cannot pr int
to a printer attached to the M305 until this is completed.

Note: If doing a print setup on a System V Unix host, a

very simplistic Microplex interface script, “raw­sysv .if” will now be used, eliminating the ne ed for
any extr a hos t binaries or compi l at i on. This al s o
holds true if you have a BSD-type Unix system
but you want to use an interface script within the
printcap file rather than the standard LPD (or
“remote printer” ) metho d.

Host Configuration

The second half of Ezsetup helps configure a new printer on
your Unix host (just being abl e to talk to the M305 do esn ’ t
mean you can print to it). You also have to define a printer
so the host knows where to send the data.

Ezsetup will continue prompting you for information about
your host and printer. Answer these prompts until the host
configuration is complete. If you have any questions about
the screens that display, please refer to Ezsetup Tips on
page 34.

At the end, you will have a new network printer that sends
data to a printer off of the M30 5.

Ezsetup Tips

• When asked for a print method, follow these rules:

1. If your Unix host uses the BSD print system,

select “BSD Remote (LPD)” option.

2. If your Unix host is a System V derivative, select

the “System V Interface Script” option.

34

UNIX CONFIGURATION

• When asked for a printer n ame, choose the name of
the print setup o n th is h ost (i.e. th e na me ente red in th e
print command). For example, a print setup including
an HP III laser printer might be called “laser”.

• When asked for a destination, choose one of the f our
predefined destinations /queues on the M3 05. Normally
you would choose “d1prn”.

• When as k e d wh ic h I/ O po rt or port, choose “prn”.

• If asked to name an interface script, name it some­thing meaningful. For example, the HP III laser p rinter
example might have a script called “laser.if”.

• If using an interface script setup, keep in mind that a
“dummy device file” or “device file” is an empty text
file that stores data like spooler errors and request IDs
of the jobs printing. The name should also reflect the
print setup for easy identification. (e.g. “/dev/laser”)

• Near the end of Ezsetup’s “Configure Host Setup” sec­tion, the scr ipt mentions c arriage re turn insertion and
formfeeds. Carriage return insertion is needed if Unix
text jobs are going to be printed through this setup.
Formfeeds are needed on ly if printing Unix text jobs
through a “BSD Remote (LPD)” setup.

Troubleshooting Tips

Ezsetup’s Menus are Incomplete

• Are you running Ezsetup on an HP/UX host? If so, did
you remember to run Ezsetup with this command:

ksh./ezsetup

35

UNIX CONFIGURATION

Ezsetup Stops With an Error

• Are you usin g a common operating system like SCO,
Solaris, or HP/UX? If not, yo u may have run into a
compatibility issue. Please see Appendix B - More on
Unix (unix.pdf) for manual setup instructions. These
will guide you through a setup without using Ezsetup.

M305 Won’t Talk on the Network

• Have you configured it with a unique and valid IP
address which corresponds with the other IP addresses
on your netw or k? For exampl e, are you sure no o ther
device is using this IP address?

• Are you s ur e yo u are trying to talk to the M30 5 fr o m a
Unix station on the same subnet? T he print server can
only be seen locally unless you configured it with a
routing entry.

• If you look at the front of the M305, is the STAT LED
flashing once a second or is it qui c ker than that? A
slower, once per second rate tells you that the print
server is configured with an IP address. A faster rate
indicates that the print server is not configured prop­erly. You may need to try the configuration process
again.

• Have you confirmed that the network connection to the
M305 is wor king correctly? Trying different networ k
cables and locati ons will help narrow down the prob­lem.

Nothing Prints

• Can you “

ping” the M305 from your Unix station? If

not, please refer to M305 Won’t Talk on the Network
on page 36.

• Is the M305 able to communicate with the attached
printer? To test this, you can:

36

UNIX CONFIGURATION

1. “telnet” to the print server (e.g. “telnet

192.168.11.9

”) and log in as “root” (press

ENTER for password).

2. Enter the command “

where portname is “

3. Execute “

stop

portname

start fox

prn”.

” after starting the test.

portname

”

This FOX test will send the same text line over and
over to the attached printer.

• Is the job getting stuc k in th e Unix host’s queue? If so,
check that th e pri nter is ready to go. If the printer is set
but the job ke eps getting stuck i n the queue then there
is a configuration error on the Unix station so creating
a new print setup may be necessary.

• Is the printer’s console or con trol panel showing any
activity (does it look like it’s receiving data?) If it is
receiving dat a but nothing is pri nting, check to see i f a
manual formfeed is needed. Also, ensure that th e
printer can support the type of job coming through. For
example, a PostS cript p rinter mig ht no t be able to print
a non-PostS c ript job.

• Do all jobs fail or just certain ones? For example, jobs
from a certain application may be the only ones to fail.
If so, check the type of data it’s sending to make sure it
matches the printer ’s emulation and check the applica­tion’s printer configuration for mistakes.

Stair-Stepped Output

Stair-stepped output occurs when the output starts at the top
left of the page but ever y line there after starts a little furth er
to the right. It also refers to Unix jobs that print one line of
text at the top of a page followed by a series of blank pages.

This unique output will happen only with Unix text jobs if
carriage return insertion is not incorporated into the print
setup. The printer may be told to do a linefeed but the Unix
job does not specify anything about a carriage return to fol-

37

UNIX CONFIGURATION

low this.
To fix this, carriage return insertion must be enabled some-

where in the print setup. The easiest and most common
location is on the M 305 itsel f withi n the app rop ria te mode l.

The feature is calle d “onlcr” and the command syntax is:

set model
save

modelname

stty onlcr

For example, if printing to the destination, d1prn, the asso­ciated model is m1. Therefore, the command is:

set model m1 stty onlcr
save

For default destination - m ode l mapp ing s on the M305,
please see M305 Naming Scheme on pa ge 55.

No Formfeed or Extra Page Comes Out

Unix text jobs may also have problems outputting the last
page of a job especially when the BSD Remote (LPD) print
method is used. This means the formfeed button on the
printer has to be pressed to print the last page.

To automate this process, tell the M305 to handle this task
for you by setting this feature on in the appropriate model.
The command syntax is:

set model
save

modelname

trailer $FF

For example, if printing to the destination, d2prn, the asso­ciated model is m2. Therefore, the command is:

set model m2 trailer $FF
save

For default destination - m ode l mapp ing s on the M305,
please refer to the section entit led M30 5 Naming Scheme on
page 55.

38

NOVELL CONFIGURATION

NOVELL CONFIGURATION

Overview

This chapter details a complete Novell setup including:

1. Identifying the M305 on the network.

2. Configuring the M3 05 with its man datory print setup
settings.

3. Configuring a new print queue on the file server.

Please see Appendix C - More on Novell (novell.pdf) for
additional information about Novell environments.

Environment Description

The M305 supports network printing under Novell environ­ments by utilizing IPX/SPX. It supports all the latest ver­sions of NetWare including 4.x with the Novell Directory
Services (NDS) structure. Both PSERVER and RPRINTER
setups are possible. Figure 13 provides a Novell setup over-
view.

V1.0 39

NOVELL CONFIGURATION

Figure 13: Novell Integration

NetWare

Workstation

NetWare 3.12

File Server

NetWare

Workstation

NetWare

Workstation

NetWare 4.1

File Server

M305

Printer

NetWare

Workstation

Bridge/
Router

M305 Configuration

Mandatory

The M305 does not require any network settings to make it
visible on any Novell networ k environment. Simply plug it
in to your network and power it on. However, with a new
print queue se tup on a Nove ll file serve r , ther e may be some
mandatory settings needed on the M305. Please see the Host
Configuration section for further details under all NetWa re
versions.

Optional

Additional settings are available to fine-tune the M305’s
Novell function ality. These options inc lu de:

• NDS Context - the NDS context in which the print
server object was created (e.g. OU=Print­Server.O=Microplex). This option is required if you
create the print server object in a different context from

40 V1.0

NOVELL CONFIGURATION

the context the file server object for the file server that
you logged in with is on.

• NDS Tree - the NDS tree the print server object was
created in (e.g. MICROPLEX_TREE1). This is only
needed if your envi ronment uses more than one NDS
tree.

• Mode - the mode the M305 will run in. This can be
either auto, bindery, or nds. The default is auto so that
the M305 can autosense which mode it should run in.
See Appendix C - More on Novell (the PDF file called
novell.pdf) for information on what to do when using
both Bindery and NDS file servers at the same time.

• Preferred File Server - in a bindery setup, this speci­fies the file server that the print server object was cre­ated on. In an NDS setup, this specifies a file server(s)
that the print server object resides on. Since NDS is
distributed, most administrators will not know which
file server(s) the print server object is actually stored
on, so in most NDS environments this option is no t
used.

Some of these options will be discussed as needed in the
Host Configuration section that follows. For additional
information on how to use these options see Appendix C ­More on Novell.

Host Configuration

Under all versions of Netware, both PSERVER and
RPRINTER/NPRINTER setups ar e supported by the M305.
Since a PSERVER setup is the most common, you will find
the necessary steps to configure the M305 as a PSERVER
within this section. For RPRINTER/NPRINTER setup
information, please see Appendix C - More on Novell.

V1.0 41

NOVELL CONFIGURATION

NDS PSERVER Setup (Netware 4.x)

For Netware 4. x environme nts, Microplex offers a
Nwadmn3x snap-in program called MP Admin. This snap-in
can be used to configure both PSERVER and RPRINTER/
NPRINTER setups as well as additional settings on the
M305. The following steps describe how to configure an
M305 usin g MPAdmin.

Note: Nwadmn3x is only included with Netware 4.11

and higher releases. If you are usi ng Netware

4.10, you can either upgrade to Net w are 4.11 or
go to Novell’s web site and get the patc hes to
upgrade the Nwadmin program for Netware 4.10
to Nwadmn3x for Netware 4.11. Alternatively,
you can perform the PSERVER setup without
using MPAdmin. See Appe ndix C - M ore o n No v­ell (the PDF file called novell.pdf) for informa­tion on how to do this.

1. Insert the CD ROM that was supplied with the M305
into the drive.

2. Go to the MPAdmin directory, and find the "Setu­pex.exe" file.

3. Double click on this to load the InstallShield Wizard.

4. Answer the prompts throughout the wizard.

5. Login to Nwadmn3x.exe as a user with security equal
to "Admin".

6. Go to the "Tools" menu and select the "Define
Microplex Print Server Class" menu item. If this item
is disabled, then it has alre ady been selected and yo u
can go to the next step .

7. Click on a branc h i n the tree (i.e. conte xt) that you
want to create the M305 print server object in (e.g.
OU=PrintServer.O=Microplex).

42 V1.0

NOVELL CONFIGURATION

8. Click with the right mouse button to bring up a su b-

menu, and choose "Create…" from this menu.

9. A dialogue titled "New Object" should pop up. In the
"Class of new obje ct:" li st box, se lect "M icrople x Print
Server".

10. Click on "OK" to display the dialogu e titled "Create
Microplex Print Server", as shown in Figure 14.

Figure 14: Create Microplex Print Server Dialogue

1 1. Select the M305 from the list of print servers, and then

the "OK" button. Its default name will be M_xxxxxx
where xxxxxx equals the last six digits of the print
server's Ethernet address found on the bottom of the
device (e.g. M_091C1A). I f the M305 doe s not show
up in the li st, c lick on the "F ind… " bu tton t o searc h for
it using its Ethernet Address and the Network Number
for the network it was installed on.

12. You should see the new object in th e tree now. Double
click on the object (e.g. M_091C1A) to bring up its
details pa ges. A dialogue called "Microplex Print
Server:<NAME>" should be displayed, where
<NAME> is the name of the print server object yo u
created (e.g. M_091C1A). See Figure 15.

V1.0 43

NOVELL CONFIGURATION

Figure 15: Microplex Print Server Details Pages Dialogue

13. Select the "PServer Assignments" tab, and click on the

"Add Printer…" button to bring up the "Add Printer"
dialogue box.

14. In the "Microplex Destination For Output" field, select
the destination on the M305 that you want to print to
(e.g. d1prn).

15. Select a printer object to use by clicking on the
"New…" or "Browse…" buttons.

16. Click on the "OK" button to assign this printer object
to this M305 print server object.

Note: Microplex requires that the printer object

name and Microplex destination na me be the
same. If this is not the case, you will be asked if

you want to rename the destination on the M305.

In NDS, a printer ob ject can only be attached

to one print server object at any given time.

Because of this, if you assign a printer object to
another print server object, it will "steal" it from
the print server object that is currently using it
(this also happens with non-M icroplex print
server objects). Th is occurs because Nov ell is
using the printer object to represent a physical
printer. A physical printer can only be attached to

44 V1.0

NOVELL CONFIGURATION

one parallel or serial port at a time, which means
that only one print server object will be required
to service this printer at any given time.

However, on a Microplex print server, jobs must

pass through an extr a la yer (a "destination")
before being sent on to the printer. This destina­tion allows for further processing of the print job
before passing it on to be printed.

In order to properly process the print jobs, the

printer object created in Novell, when used with a
Microplex print server, must refer to the destina­tion on this server, and not the actual physical
printer. If you are using multiple Microplex print

servers, you will have to either rename all your
destinations to ensure that no printer object
names conflict, or keep all the printer objects for
one Microplex print server in a context different
than those for another Microplex print server.

17. Select the printer from the list box in the "Mic roplex
Print Server:<NAME>" details dialogue, and click on

the "Add Queue…" button.

18. In the "Add Print Queue" dialogue that pops up, select
a queue objec t to use by clicking on the "New…" or
"Browse…" buttons.

19. Click on "OK" to assign this qu eue object to the printer
object you chose earlier.

20. Click on "OK" to close the "Microplex Prin t
Server:<NAME>" details dialogue box, and make the
changes permanent.

21. If you were not aske d to r es e t the M 30 5 wh e n you
closed the dialogue, re-power the M305 by unplugging
and plugging in the power sup ply.

22. Wait a few minutes after the M305 comes back up.

V1.0 45

NOVELL CONFIGURATION

At this point, you shou ld be ab le to pri nt to the M30 5 usin g
the Novell printers/queues that you created. See the Trou­bleshooting Tips section if you are having problems.

Bindery PSERVER setu p (Netware 3.x and Netware

4.x)

A Bindery PSERVER setup is possible under both Netware

3.x and Netware 4.x. If you are using Netware 4.x, Bindery

emulation is required. Please consult your Novell manual on
how to set up Bindery emulation . A Bindery setup using
PCONSOLE in Netware 3.x is describ ed be low. The setup
using PCONSOLE in Netware 4.x is similar to that of Net­ware 3.x and will not be documente d .

To configure a print queue on a NetWare 3.x network, you
will need to:

1. Log on to the Novell file server as Supervisor.

2. Enter PCONSOLE.

3. Select “Print Queue Information” from the PCON-

SOLE Main Menu.

4. Press INSERT to add a new queu e to the list of cur­rently-defined queues showing.

5. Type in the name of this new queue when prompted
and press ENTER. This can be an y name you’d like.

6. Press ESCAPE to return to the PCONSOLE Main
Menu.

7. Select “Print Server Information” and press ENTER.

8. Press INSERT when the list of existing print servers
displays to add a server.

9. Type t he name of the M305 wh en pr ompted for a prin t
server name and press ENTER when done. By default,
the M305 is n amed “M_xxxxxx” whe re “xxxxxx” equa ls
the last six digits of the print server’s Ethernet address
found on the bottom of the device (e.g. M_091C1A).

46 V1.0

NOVELL CONFIGURATION

10. Back at the print server list, select this newly-defined
M305 and pre s s ENTE R .

11. Select “Print Server Configuration” from the menu that

displays.

12. Select “Printer Configuration” from the next menu to
display a list of configured printers.

13. Select the first item listed as “ NOT INSTALLED” an d
press ENTER.

14. Type in the name of the default destination on the unit
for the “name” field (e .g. d1prn, d2prn, etc. ) and go to
the “type” field.

15. Press ENTER to see the possibl e choices.

16. Select “Defined Elsewhere” from this list.

17. When done, press ESCAPE and select “Yes” to save
the changes to this new printer.

18. Press ESCAPE again to return to the “Print Server
Configuration” menu.

19. Select “Queues S erviced by Printer”.

20. Select one of these printers from the printer list that
displays an d press ENTER.

21. Press INSERT to service this printer.

22. Select the queue created earlier in these steps and press
ENTER.

23. When prompted for the priority, press ENTER to select
the default or select a priority.

24. Press ESCAPE until back at the PCONSOLE Main
Menu.

25. Repower the M305 by un plu g gin g an d plugging in the
power supply.

V1.0 47

NOVELL CONFIGURATION

26. Wait two minutes and then select “Print Queue Infor­mation” from the PCONSOLE Main Menu.

27. Select this new q ueue and from the m enu that d isplays ,
select “Currently Att ached Servers” to see which print
server is servicing this queue.

28. Press ESCAPE until you have exited PCONSOL E.

At this point, the M305’s name (e.g. M_091C1A) should
show within this window. This means the M305 knows
about this new Novell print queue it must service as a
PSERVER. Therefore, it will poll this queue regularly look­ing for jobs to print.

Troubleshooting Tips

NDS PSERVER Setup (NetW are 4.x) - No PSE RVER
Connection

• Has the M305 been power cycled once the MPAdmin
steps were completed? This will make the print server
boot up and realiz e which p r int qu e ue a nd file serve r it
needs to service.

• Is the M305 already servicing a queue on another file
server? If so, it cannot service another file server at the
same time.

• The HTML Novell status pages or "debug nest fserver"
npsh commands can be used to monitor connections to
file servers. The status should be "logged in". See
Appendix C - More o n Novell (the P DF file calle d nov­ell.pdf) for more information.

• The HTML Novell status pages o r "debug nest
pserver" npsh commands can be used to monitor ser­vicing of the queues. You should see the queue names
in the list. See Appendix C - More on Novell for more
information.

48 V1.0

NOVELL CONFIGURATION

•Is the M305 in nds mode as seen under the “list

pserver

” output on the dev ice? If servicing a Net­Ware 4.x file server, it must be set to handle NDS ser­vices rather than Bindery. The default setting is Auto.

Bindery PSERVER Setup (NetWare 3.x and Net­ware 4.x) - No PSERVER Connection

• Has the M305 been power cycled once the PCON­SOLE steps were completed? This will make the print
server boot up and realize whi ch print queue and file
server it needs to service.

• Is the M305 already servicing a queue on another file
server? If so, it cannot service another file server at the
same time.

• When defining a new “print server” within PCON­SOLE, did you use the correct name for the M305 (e.g.
M091C1A)? By default, it only recognizes it s elf as
“M_xxxxxx” where “xxxxxx” equals the last six digits
of its Ethernet address found on the botto m of the
device.

• When defining a new “printer name” within PCON-
SOLE, did yo u use a predefined destinatio n/queue
rather than a name of your own? By default, the M305
only reco gnizes names lik e “

d1prn”. All else will be

ignored by the device. Please see M305 Naming
Scheme on page 55 for a list of all default destination

names.

•Is the M305 in Bindery mode as seen under the “

pserver

” output on the device? If servicing on ly a

list

NetWare 3.x file server, it must be set to handle Bind­ery services rather than NDS. The default setting is
Auto.

• Is there an available NetWare user license for the
M305 to utilize while it acts as a PSERVER? Every
PSERVER takes up one user license since it logs in to
the Novell file server.

V1.0 49

NOVELL CONFIGURATION

• Has the password been assigned to the PSERVER in
PCONSOLE but not in the M305?

• Have you given the connection process some time after
re-powering the M30 5? In larg er Novell environm ents,
sometimes the file serv er identific ation a nd connec tion
process can take several minutes.

50 V1.0

APPLETALK CONFIGURATION

APPLETALK CONFIGURATION

Overview

This chapter details a complete AppleTalk setup including:

1. Configuring a new print e r on an Apple stati on.

For additional info rmation about Appl eT alk Conf igruations,
please refer to Appendix D - More on AppleTalk.

Environment Description

The M305 supports network printing under AppleTalk envi­ronments by utilizin g Eth erTalk, not Loca lTalk. Multip le
Apple stations in m ultiple zones ca n print sim ultaneous ly to
the M305 as seen in Figur e 16.

Figure 16: AppleTalk Integration

Mac

Zone A

Mac

Zone B

Mac

Mac

M305

Mac

Mac

Bridge/
Router

Printer

51

APPLETALK CONFIGURATION

M305 Configuration

Mandatory

Under AppleTalk environments, the M305 does not require
any network settings to make it visible on the network. Sim­ply plug it into your netwo rk and power it on.

Optional

Additional settings are available to fine-tune the M305’s
AppleTalk functionality. For example, you may want to set
a particul ar zone for the device to come up in or you may
want to disable some Microplex printers from showing in
the Chooser. Please refer to Appendix D - More on Apple-
Talk (apple.pdf) for additional information.

Host Configuration

To configure a netw ork pri nter on an Ap ple statio n, you will
need to:

1. Select Chooser from the Apple Men u to bring up the
Chooser window.

2. Select the LaserWriter icon to produce a list of avail­able printers on the right side of the Chooser window.

By default, these M305-related printers will be in the
format “
the name of the print server and “papname” is the
name of an I/O port on the device. The print server
name will be “
last six digits of t he M3 05 ’s Ethernet address fo un d o n
the bottom of the device and the I/O port will be

M305name_papname” where “M305name” is

M_xxxxxx

” where “xxxxxx” equals the

prn.

Example name for a printer off of the PRN port of an
M305 named M_091C1A:

M_091C1A_prn

52

APPLETALK CONFIGURATION

3. Choose on e of th ese listed printers to print to a nd c lick
on OK to close the Chooser window.

This new printer is now a valid network printer which this
Apple stat ion can print to.

Troubleshooting Tips

Printer Won’t Show in the Chooser

• Have you confirmed you are using EtherTalk and not
LocalTalk? The M305 does not support LocalTalk.

• Have you clicked on the LaserWriter icon within the
Chooser window? By default, the M305 supports the
LaserWriter printer driver. To change this, please see
the Micr oplex PDF file, “apple.pdf” for details.

• Does the M305 need to be configured for a particular
zone? By default, the print server will come up in the
default zone. Please see Common npsh Comma nds on
page 58 for the command syntax to change this.

• Do the M305 printers appear correctly within the
Chooser if you try this from another Apple station?

• Confirm that the device can be seen on t he network by
trying another network connection to the M305.

53

APPLETALK CONFIGURATION

This page intentionally le ft blank.

54

M305 REFERENCE PAGES

M305 REFERENCE PAGES

Overview

This chapter describes some of the most common features
of the M305 including:

• important predefined names,

• a description of the built-in command shell, npsh,
along with a tabl e of the most common commands,

• how to reset the unit to factory default settings,

• a complete overview of the Fla s h upgrade procedure.

M305 Naming Scheme

The M305 always follows this naming scheme:
M_xxxxxx (e.g. M_091C1A) Defaul t name of M305 in

Windows, Novell, and AppleTalk environ­ments. “xxx xxx” equals last six digits of
Ethernet ad dress found on bo ttom of the p rint
server .

Workgroup Nam e of default wor kgroup M305 can be

found under in a Windows environment.

Refer to Figure 17 for an illustration of the default names.

55

M305 REFERENCE PAGES

Figure 17: M305 Default Names

Host/Workstation

(Windows, Unix, Novell, AppleTalk)

MODEL

m1

m2

m3

m4

d1prn

d2prn

I/O PORT

d3prn

PRN

d4prn

LOG

PATH

l1

l2

l3

l4

M305 Command Shell

Within the M305, a command shell is built into the firm-

ware called “ npsh”. It allows yo u to mani pulate objects li ke
destinations, models, and I/O ports and provides some mon­itoring and troubleshooting capabilities as well.

56

Configuration and Status Data
Print Data

M305 REFERENCE PAGES

npsh Access Methods

Access the command shell using these meth ods:
HTML Forms When you co nf igure a set tin g

using the built-in HTML co nfi g­uration forms, npsh commands
are actually executed remotely
on the M305.

Telnet Session Opening a Telnet session with

the M305 al lows y ou to log into
the device and access the npsh

command shell. (e.g. “

telnet

192.168.11.9

”)

Remote Shell Command Remot e l y executes one npsh

command at a time from your
local TCP/IP station. (e.g. “rsh

spike list prn

”)

Main npsh Command Prefixes

The four main command prefixes within the npsh command
shell are:

1. “store” - change se ttings stored i n Flash.

2. “

3. “

4. “

Note: If the “

set” - change current/working settings in memory.
list” - view current/working setti ngs in memory.
debug” - view certain debugging information.

store” prefix is used, the M3 05 must be

repowered to make th e changes take effect. Since

store” affects Flash settings only, the print

“
server must reset and read the new settings now in
Flash.

57

M305 REFERENCE PAGES

Note: If the “set” prefix is used, a “save” command

must be executed as well so that the new settings
are retained after power cycles. Since “

set” only

affects the settings in memory, they will be lost
after a power cycle unless they are told to be
saved into Flash ROM.

Common npsh Commands

The npsh command shell consists of more than 50 com­mands. Table 4 outlines some of the more common com-
mands. For a complete command reference, please refer to
Appendix G - More on Commands (command.pdf).

Note: When you en counter the word “

tute in “

1” to represent the network interface (i.e.

ifnum

”, substi-

Ethernet) supported by the M305.

Table 4: Common Commands

Command Syntax Description

store tcpip
addr

store tcpip
mask

store tcpip route
add default

Paddress

store tcpip
opts [[-]rarp] [[­]bootp] [[-]dhcp]

IPaddress

netmask

ifnum

ifnum

routerI-

ifnum

ifnum

Store the IP address for
the M305.

Store the subnet mask for
the M305.

Store a default router/gate­way for the M305 to for­ward remote packets to.

Control RARP, BOOTP,
and DHCP requests for IP
addresses.

58

M305 REFERENCE PAGES

Table 4: Common Commands

Command Syntax Description

store pserver name

newname

store pserver novell
mode nds|bind­ery|auto

store pserver novell
context

store pserver novell
tree

context

treename

Configure the M305’s
name; used within Win­dows, Novell, and Apple­Talk setups.

Control whether the M305
runs un de r ND S, Binder y
or Autosense mode.

Tell t he M305 what con­text the pserver object was
created in.

Tell the M305 what NDS
tree the pserver object
resides in.

store pserver novell
fserver add

fileservername

debug nest fserver

Tell t he M305 about a par­ticular Novell file server.
NDS setup - set to the file
server that the pserver
object resides on (if
known); normally left
blank
Bindery setup - set to the
file server that the pserver
object was created on.

View the Novell file
server(s) the M305 has
acknowledge d and con­nected to.

59

M305 REFERENCE PAGES

Table 4: Common Commands

Command Syntax Description

debug nest pserver

store pserver apple
zone

set prn mode
slow|cen|pc|fast|bb

set dest name

newname

set sysinfo module
[[-]novell] [[­]appletalk] [[-]net­bios]

zonename

View the Novell
PSERVER log messages
including queues attached
to.

Tell the M305 which
AppleTalk zone to be in.

Configure the speed of the
parallel port.

Change the name of a des­tination/queue.

Control which protocols
are enabled on the M305.

list tcpip

list prn

list dest

list model

list sysinfo

List the current TCP/IP
network settings.

List the current set tin gs o f
the I/O port.

List the current destina­tion/queue settings.

List the current model set­tings.

List current system infor­mation for the M305.

60

M305 REFERENCE PAGES

Table 4: Common Commands

Command Syntax Description

cancel

save

reset
ping

telnet
[escapecharacter]

jobID

IPaddress

IPaddress

Cancel a queued job.
Save al l cu rrent s etti ngs to

Flash.
Reset the M305.

“ping” another TCP/IP
host on the netw o r k.

“telnet” to anothe r TC P/
IP host on th e network. If

escapecharacter is

used, it resets the key
sequences to exit the telnet
session.

61

M305 REFERENCE PAGES

Table 4: Common Commands

Command Syntax Description

start fox|tts|loopb
prn

Begin a debugging test on
the I/O port of the M305.
These tests confirm that
the M305’s parallel port is
communicat ing properly
with connec ted devices.
fox - A continuous stream
of text sent to the attached
printer.
tts - A contin uo us st r ea m
of Gandalf 40 0C TTS­compatibl e text se nt to the
attached printer.
loopb - Lo op ba ck test .
Any input characters from
the device attached to the
I/O port is echoed back.

stop all|prn

Stop an output test on the
I/O port.

quit

“Quit” out of the npsh
command shel l.

Back to Factory Defaults

Sometimes it is beneficial to return the M305 to its factory
default state. For examp le, if you are having problems com­municating with the print server over the network, you may
want to put it back to a def au lt sta te an d reco n figu re the net­work settings. To do this, you will need to move dip switch 1

to the “off” position and dipswitch 2 to the “on” position
then reboot the unit by cycling the power off then on.

62

M305 REFERENCE PAGES

Please refer to the section entitled Dipswitches on page 11
for instructions about how to do this.

You now have the M 305 booted up in a def ault state, mean­ing its current/working settings are those stored at the fac­tory. All settings configured and stored in Flash are ignored

while this switch sits in the “Factory Settings” position.
At this point, you can use n psh commands on the M305 to

configure cer tain settings. Here are some com mon examples
of steps taken when the device is in a default state:

1. Forgotten Password
If you have forgotten a password set on the M305, you

can reset the user set tings using these com mands:

set user from default
save

2. Restore All Settings in Flash to Defaults
Since this default state is temporary and you may want

to make sure all settings sitting in Flash are back to
their factory default values, you will need to use these
commands:

save default
store tcpip from default

or set dipswitch 1=on and 2=off. See “Dipswitches” on
page 11.

Firmware Upgrades

Since the M305’ s firmware is stored in Flash ROM, upgrad­ing is easy. Using the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) on a
TCP/IP network, the print server can be upgraded to a
newer firmware version without needing new hardware.

63

M305 REFERENCE PAGES

Upgrade Files

There are two files involved wit h the upgrade process. One
is the print server binary (the n ew firmware) and the other is
the upgrade instructions document which provides detailed
steps for completing the upgra d e.

These files are always av ailable at Microplex’s FTP site

ftp.microplex.com”) and at Microplex’s Web site

(“

http://www.microplex.com”) or they can be ordered

(“
through Microplex Technical Support. Please see Help
Methods Available on page 65 for further information.

64

GETTING HELP

GETTING HELP

Help Methods Av ailable

“Troubleshooting Tips” Sections

Troubleshooting tips are l isted at the end of ea ch network
configuration chapter. The tips listed are the ones most com­monly used. There are additional troubleshooting tips in the
appendices as well.

Web Site

Microp le x’s Web site, http://www.microplex.com/, con-
tains information about the company and its products. You
will find a link to the Technical Su pport page which con­tains the “Support Shack”, a central locati on for technical
bulletins and firmware and software histories and files.

Figure 18: The Support Shack

FTP Site

Microplex’s FTP site, “ftp.microplex.com” contains firm-
ware and software for the M305. Once logged in anony­mously, you will need to change to the M305 directory.

V1.0 65

GETTING HELP

Here, you will find several subdirectories pointing to soft­ware, firmware, documentation and miscellaneous files.

Contacting Microplex

If you need technical assistance from Microplex, please
have this information on hand:

• M305 seria l nu mb e r found on the bottom of the print
server.

• Descript ion of your netw ork environment and periph ­erals attached.

• Description of the prob lem.

Contact Options

Email “suppor t @m icroplex.com”
Fax to “Support” at [phone]
Call [phone] and select Technical Support

from the list of options (#3)

Note: Email queries usually have the fastest response

time

Repair Procedure

Wa rranty Desc ription

Microplex Systems Ltd. warrants this product to be free
from defects in workmanship and material for three (3)
years from the time of the original purchase date.

During this period , Microplex will repair or replace a defec­tive pr oduc t with a new or r ebui lt pr oduc t at n o ext ra c harge
except as stipu lated below.

At no time shall Microplex’s liability exceed the replace­ment cost of the subject item.

66 V1.0

GETTING HELP

All expressed and implied warranties for this pro duc t
including all warranties of Merchantability, Suitability, and
Fitness for a particular application are limited to three (3)
years from the time of the original purchase date. In no
event shall Microplex be liable for Loss of Use, Loss of
Profit s or R ev e nu e s, or othe r Indirect, Incidental, or Conse­quential Damages. Th is warranty d oes not imply the right to

loaner or replacement units during the time required to per­form repairs.

This warranty does not cover any losses or damage caused
by:

• shipping,

• improper installation, use, or maintenance,

• unauthorized repair, modification, alteration, or
replacement of components,

• excessive environmental conditions including electri­cal power surges, temperature, humidity, or any other
irregularities,

• negligence or ab use.

Returning for Repair

To obtain service under this warranty, you must first contact
Microplex’s Technical Support department to rule out con­figuration errors. A Support technician will have you do
some tests to ensure the problem is definitely hardware­related. If so, a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA)
number will be given to you by the technician. The defec­tive product should then be returned to Micr oplex for repair.

Please use the following guidelines when shipping goods
back for warranty claim:

• Package the product securely, in original packaging if
possible, t o prevent damag e during shippi ng.

V1.0 67

GETTING HELP

• Indicate the RMA number clearly on the address la bel
of the shipping carton.

• Include a co py of the invoice/receipt.

• You may use any co urier company. However, we rec­ommend using Federal Express due to its lower
charges for customs.

Note: Under a nor mal warranty repair, Microplex will

only pay for the shipping charges to return the
M305 to you.

• If you ship from a country other than Canada, type (on
any paper) a commercial invoice containi ng the fol­lowing information:

• your address,

• Microplex’s address (as “consignee”),

• country of orig in of the produ ct (i. e. Canada),

• number of packages in the shipment,

• descriptio n of the prod u ct,

• quantity,

• total value of shipment (i.e. your total purchase

price),

• reason for return (e.g. warranty repair),

• a declaration .
Canada Customs requires that this invoice accompany

the returned product. For an example, refer to Figure
19: Sample Commercial Invoice on page 69. Download
a copy from the website: “ http://

www.microplex.com/microplex/”.

68 V1.0

Figure 19: Sample Commercial Invoice

COMMERCIAL INVOICE from

Leslie Smith
ABC Corporation
1234 W estern Parkway
Anycity, NC
USA, 27511

DATE OF EXPORT: 22/02/96
AIR WAYBILL NO: 123-12341234
CONSIGNEE:

Microplex Systems Ltd.
8525 Commerce Court

GETTING HELP

Burnaby, B.C.
V5A 4N3, Canada

IMPORTER (if other than consign ee)
same as co nsignee

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Canada
# OF TOTAL

PKGS DESCRIPTION QTY VALUE

1 Ethernet Print Server 1 100.00
REASON FOR RETURN: warranty repair
I declare all information contained in this invoice to be

true and correct.

_______ ________ Leslie Smith 24/03/96
SIGNATURE NAME DATE

V1.0 69

GETTING HELP

This page intentionally le ft blank.

70 V1.0

M305 SPECIFICATIONS

M305 SPECIFICATIONS

Hardware Specifications

For additional hardware information, please refer to Appen­dix F - More on Specifications (specs.pdf).

Network Inter faces

The network interfaces provide compatibility with TCP/
ICMP/IP and 8.2.3 Ethernet protocols. IEEE 802.3 10/
100Base-T UTP Ethernet female RJ45 connector.

Printer Support

Parallel Port (prn) IBM PC compatible male 36 pin

Physical Dimensions

Metric 5.5 cm W x 3.0 cm H x 8.5cm L
Imperial 2.1” W x 1.2” H x 3.25” L

Weight: 0.0675 6 kg or 0.150 lbs without

Environmental Details

Oper at ing: 0

parallel interface (Centronics).
IEEE 1284-1 compliant. DMA­driven state-machine implementa­tion supports data rates in excess
of 600,000 characters per second.

external transformer

° C to 50° C

Storage: -40
90% maximum humidity, non-condensing.

° C to 70° C

71

M305 SPECIFICATIONS

Electrical Details

Power Supply Options:

External transformer available in 120V/60Hz or 220­240V/50Hz.

Power Supply Requirements:

Typical 115VAC +/- 10% 36mA, 60Hz

220VAC +/- 10% 18mA, 50/60Hz

Maximum 115VAC +/- 10% 54mA, 60Hz

220VAC +/- 10% 27mA, 50/60Hz

AC Power Requirements:

Voltage 16 VAC
Current, Typical 600mA
Current, Maximum 1A

DC Power Requirements

Voltage 6 VDC regulated
Current, Typical 70mA
Current, Maximum 105mA
Customer-supplied external transformers must be rated

at 20 VA or greater for proper operatio n.

Power Consumption:

Typical 420 mW
Maximum 630 mW

FCC Warning

This equipment generates, use s and can radiate radi o fre­quency energy. If it is not installed and used as direc te d in
this manual, in terference to radio communications may
result. The equipment has been tested an d found to comply
with the limits for a Class A computing device pursuant to
Subpart B of Part 15 of FCC rules, which are designed to
provide reasonable protection against such interference
when operated in a commercial environment . Operation of

72

M305 SPECIFICATIONS

this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause inter­ference. In such a case the user will be required to correct
the interference at the expense of the user.

CE Mark Conformity Declaration

The M305 fulfills the requirements for radiated emission
according to limit B of EN55 022/1987 and the req uirements
for immunity according to EN50082-1/1992 residential,
commercial, and light industry.

M305 LEDs

STAT System Status
NET Data to Network

Run and Auto-reset Mode

Run Mode is the normal operating state of the M305.
Auto-reset mode is entere d when the watchdog timer is
triggered and the Print Server has reset itself. The
STAT LED flashes differently depending on whether

the device’s IP address is configured.

Table 5: STAT LED Patterns

FLASH RATE INDICATES

On once per second
(i.e. more off than on)

Normal Mode, IP address

configured
On twice per second IP address not configured
Off once per second

(i.e. more on than off)
Off twice per second Error

Download (MOS)

73

M305 SPECIFICATIONS

Table 6: NET LED Patterns

FLASH RATE INDICATES

On Indicates link integrity.
Off 1/3 second Flashes off 1/3 second

each time a pac ket is

transmitted.

Error Conditions

License Violation

An invalid license mask and key forces the M305 into
this mode after three minutes of operation. The mask
and key settings are printed on the serial number label
at the time of shipment.

Firmware Panic

Unrecoverable errors detected by the M305 firmware
force it into panic mode. Manually reset the M305 to
resume normal operat ion.

Wa tchdog Halt

The watchdog timer is a hardware device that re sets the

system if not serviced regularly by the CPU. It’s pur­pose is to prevent the CPU from entering an infinite
loop because of a hardware or firmware problem. After
a watchdog interrupt, some diagnostic information is
saved for debugging and t he device resume s operation
in Auto-reset M ode. T he M305 will au to-reset u p to 16
times befor e entering non- operational Watchdog Halt.

Spurious Halt

Unsupported interrupts force the M305 into this non­operational mod e and typically indicat e a hardware
problem.

74

M305 SPECIFICATIONS

Hardware Exception

Internal errors such as bus errors, a ddre ss errors or ille­gal instructions force the M305 into this non-opera­tional mode.

Software Specifications

Standards Supported

ARC Ethernet Address Control Protocol
ARP Address Resolution Protocol
BOOTP Bootstrap Protocol
FTP File Transfer Protocol
GOSIP RFC-1042 Government Open Systems Intercon-

nection Profile
ICMP Internet Control Message Protocol
IP Internet Protocol
IPX Internetwork Packet Exchange
LPD Line Printer Daemon Protocol
NetBIOS/SMB Network Basic Input Output System/

Server Message Block
PAP Printer Access Protocol
PSERVER/RPRINTER/NPRINTER
SNMP Simple Network Management Protocol
SMTP Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
RARP Reverse Address Resolution Protocol
RFC-1001 NetBIOS over TCP/IP
RSHD Remote Shell Daemon
TCP Transmission Control Pr otocol
TELNET Telnet Protocol
UDP User Datagram Protocol

TCP Port Numbers Used on the M305

20 TCP Protocol for FT PD (data)
21 TCP Protocol f or FTPD (control)
23 TCP Protocol for TELNETD port
139 TCP Protocol for NETBIOS Session Services

75

M305 SPECIFICATIONS

514 TCP Pr otocol Remote Command daemon port
515 TCP Pr otocol BSD 4.3 LPD port
4410 TCP Protocol PRN port for logging
4400 TCP Protocol PRN port
8200 Microplex Communications Proto c ol Port for

Waldo

Note: Client application software can send raw data to

PRN by opening a s ocket to the associated TCP
port number as defined above. Such connections
are queued along with print jobs using other print
methods (e.g. LPR/LPD).

UDP Port Numbers Used on the M305

161 UDP port for SNMP
514 SYSLOG client support
68 BOOTP client port

76

GLOSSARY

GLOSSARY

ARP Add r ess Resolution Protocol. Associ-

ates a selected IP address wi th a net-

work device’s Ethernet address.

banner page A page printed before the print job

which includes details about that job.

bps Bits per second.
Centronics Parallel port interface standard found on

most printers.

Chooser Feature within the Apple operating sys-

tem that controls system devices (e.g.
printers).

daemon A continuously running process that

handles system-wid e function s like print
spooling.

default router Local device that forwards any IP pack-

ets destined for another subnet.

destination Logical print queue on the M305 to

which hosts send their print jobs. There
are four destinatio ns on the M305.

DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol.

Allows a network de v ic e to disc ov e r its
IP address dynamically upon bootup.
The IP address doesn’t need to be stored
within the device permanently.

DNS Domain Name Server. Host providing

V1.0 77

responses to queries for a given host
name’s IP address.

GLOSSARY

EEPROM Electronically-Erasable, Programmab le

Read-Only Memory. Preserves data
after power is removed. Also known as
Flash memory.

Ezsetup Quick and easy Microplex configuration

script that runs on Unix hosts.

factory defaults Settings shipped with the M3 05.
flash Permanent memory in the EEPROM.

Stores firmware code and configurable
settings. Allows for upgrades witho ut
replacing hardware inside the M305.

FTP File Transfer Protocol . Used for trans-

ferring files from one TCP/IP host to
another and used in the upgrade process.

header strings Strings that precede print jobs; used to

control the prin ter and set printing
options.

HTML HyperText Markup Language. Format

used for documents viewable on the
World Wide Web.

HTTP HyperText Transport Protocol .
IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics

Engineers.

ifnum Interface Number. Represents the net-

work interface. With an M305, this will

always be “1” for Ethernet.

inte rf a ce script Unix host filter file that processes the

print job before it is sent over the net­work to the M305.

I/O port Port for attaching peripherals to. The

78 V1.0

M305 provides one: PRN.

GLOSSARY

logpath Determine s typ e of print job and prin ter

logging needed per job. One logpath is
associated with every destination.

LPD/LPR Line Printer Daemon. The most com-

mon TCP/IP remote printing protocol
that crosses all hardware utilizing IP.

MIB Management Information Base. A set of

variables ( database) managed by an
SNMP mana ger application.

model Defines how a print job should be pro-

cessed (e.g. banner pages added, ASCII
to PostScript conversion) as it passes
through the M305. One model is associ­ated with every de stin at ion .

MPS Microplex Printing Solution (MPS).

Alternative Windows printing solution.

NDS Novell Dire ctory Services. Novell’s glo-

bal directory structure for NetWare ver­sions 4.0 and hi gher.

NetBIOS Network Basic Input Output System.

Common interface am ong PC networks.

netmask see subnet mask .
NIT Network Interface Tap. A module that

serves as a generic interface between the
data link protocol layer (i.e. Ethernet)
and higher interface network protocol
layers. Each NIT is indexed by an inter­face number (ifnum).

npsh Extensiv e built-in command shell within

V1.0 79

the M305.

GLOSSARY

papname Printer access prot ocol name. A n Apple -

Talk name for each printer defined on
the host. Make s up the second half of
the name listed in the Chooser and is
transparent ly mapped to a M305 desti­nation.

PDF Portable Document Format. Encodes

different types of documents enabling
them to be read across multiple plat­forms.

ping Packet Internet Groper. A program used

to test reachability of destinations by
sending them an ICMP echo request and
waiting for a reply. It is a standard com­mand to test a TCP/IP connection. (e.g.

ping 192.168.11.9”)

“

print path Three-stage path a print job takes when

it is sent from a ho st to a print er thro ugh
the M305.

PSERVER Print Server. A Novell print method

where the M305 continuously polls the
Novell file server’s print queue looking
for print jobs.

RAM Random Access Memory. Volatile mem-

ory within the M305 that contains cur­rent/working settings. Settings are lost
once the power is removed.

RARP Reverse Address Resolution Protocol.

Allows a network de v ic e to disc ov e r its

router A device that forwards IP packets to

80 V1.0

IP address dynamically upon bootup.
The IP address doesn’t need to be stored
within the device permanently.

their destination. Also called a gateway.

GLOSSARY

RPRINTER Remote Printer. A Novell print method

where the M305 waits for jobs to be sent
to it from a defined PSERVER.

serial number Number found on the bottom of the

M305. Each M305 is assigned a unique
serial number.

SNMP Simple Network Management Protocol.

A standard protocol used to monitor net-

work devices called “SNMP agents”.

socket TCP connection between two hosts con-

sisting of a source and destinati on TCP
port number at each end.

spooling Storing data in memory or in a file until

it can be printed.

subnet mask A binary value used to divide IP net-

works into smaller subnetworks or sub­nets. This mask is used to help
determine whether IP packets need to be
forwarded on to other subnets.

tar Unix command for archiving data onto a

permanent storage medium.

TCP/IP Suite of protocols that act as the base

protocol for the Internet.

TCP port A logical con nectio n poi nt in the soft-

ware of a TCP host or device. When two
IP devices talk, th ey establish a socke t
which consis ts of a source and dest ina­tion TCP port number on both ends.

Telnet Comman d and protocol t o establish a

V1.0 81

terminal connection between two hosts
on an IP net work.

GLOSSARY

trail e r s t rings Strings that follow print jobs; used to

control the printer and set printing
options.

Waldo TCP /IP configuration utility.
zone A predefined group of AppleTalk sta-

tions which helps divide up larger net­works.

82 V1.0

INDEX

Symbols

.options file B-30
.rc B-28
/etc/hosts B-31
/etc/printcap B-18, B-28, B-29, B-30
/usr/spool/lp/admins/lp/interfaces B-14
/usr/spool/lp/model B-14

A

AC power requirements 72
Adobe TranScript B-26

details B-30

INDEX

AIX

configuration B-22

AIX 3.2.5

configuring printing B-24

AIX 4.1

configuring printing B-23

AppleTalk

changing printer names D-2
changing zones D-5
common com mands 60
configuration D-1
enabling/disabling the module D-4
environm e nts 51
host configuration 52, D-2
limiting printers E-7
M305 configuration 52
mapping printer names to destinations/queues D-4
naming E-5
number of pr in te rs D-4
understa nding printer names D-2
using different printer drivers D-7

V1.0 83

INDEX

architecture 3

diagram E-2

ASCII to PostScript conversion E-6

in interface scripts B-11, B-20
in models E-3, E-4

ASCII to PostScript conversion, see also a2ps
autosensing/autoswitching

of printer mode E-6

B

banner pa ge genera tio n E- 6

extra with Novell C-21
in interface scripts B-11, B-19
in models E-3

binary

npscramble E-10

blank pages

with Novell C-21

BOOTP

command 58

BSD

and npd B-28
direct/remote printing B-16
host configuration B-16
interface script setup B-19
interface script syntax B-18
spooling B-10

C

cancel job 61
CAPTURE C-20

configuration C-21

capturing printer feedback E-11
carriage return insertion E-6

in interface scripts B-11, B-20
in models E-3
with DOS B-34

carriage return insertion, see al so onlcr

84 V1.0

CE Mark 73
checksum

in logpaths E-4

Chooser

problems D-8

command shell

debug commands G-4
help with G-3
list commands G-5
Novell environments, accessing in C-11
overview 56
prefixes 57, G-2
prompt G-3
rules 57

INDEX

set commands G-7
store commands G-17
user ac c o unts G-3
user permissions G-3
ways to access 15, 57, G-2

config file

and naming schemes E-5

configuration

AppleTalk D-1
available tools 15
description 15
I/O port E-5

connection

to networ k 10

control file B-17

D

data rate F-3
DC power requirements 72
Debug G-4
debug commands G-4
debugging tests

commands 62

V1.0 85

INDEX

default

router B-31

defaults

going back to 62
restoring settings to 63

descrambling

in models E-3

destinations

and PSERVER C-17
command 60
default E-2
default names 55
details E-2
diagram E-2
in print path 4

devicefile B-28
DHCP

command 58

direct socket pr in ting

npwrite B-9
overview B-9
rsh/rcmd/remsh B-10

DNS B-31

E

email

and error messages B-33
and logging E-4
Microplex Support 66

error conditions

firmware pa nic 74
hardware exception 75
license violation 74
spuriou s halt 74
watchdog halt 74

EtherTalk D-8
ezsetup B-10

86 V1.0

and interface scripts B-11
and remote management E-7
host configuration 34
how to use 33
main menu 20
overview 20
tips 34
troubleshooting 35

F

FCC warning 72
features

list of 5

Flash

uses 3

INDEX

flow control

problems B-33

formfeeds 38
FOX test

steps 37

frame type

controlling E-7

ftp

executing a configuration file with E-20
printing with B-25

FTP Daemon

and configur ation E-17
and printing B-25, E-15
and remote management E-7
config uring M305 with E-17
copying a configuration with E-17
monitoring print queue with E-16
printing with E-15
removing print job wih E -16
restoring a configuraiton with E-18
using to access co mmand shell G-2

FTP site

V1.0 87

INDEX

Microplex 65

G

garbled data B-34, C-21

H

Hardware Specifications

Dimensions 71
Operating temperature 71
Storage temperature 7 1

header string

in models E-3
with variables E-4

home page

M305 1 6

host configuration

BSD B-16

host software

and interface scripts B-11

HP OpenSpool

Setup B-20

HTML

and remote management E-7
menu structure 16
overview 15

I

I/O port

and destination s E-2
and logging E-4
command 60
default names 55
in print path 4
problems B-33

installation

diagram 11
site requirements 8
steps 10

88 V1.0

interface script

BSD syntax B-18
choices B-12
modifying B-12
overview B-1 1
System V syntax B-14

IP address

command 58
duplicate B-31
format B-32
instead of IP name B-31

J

jobs

in logpaths E-4

INDEX

L

LED

descriptions 73
patterns 73, F-7
run and auto-re set mode 73
status 29

link integrity

details E-6

list

common com mands 60

list commands G-5
logpaths

altering settings E-13
default names 55
details E-4
in destinations E-3
in print path 4
naming E-12
options E -11
viewing current E-13

lp

V1.0 89

INDEX

and logging E-13

lpstat

and logging E-11

M

Macs, See AppleTalk.
memory

controlling E-6

models

and onlcr B-34
and processing options E- 3, E-6
default E-3
default names 55
diagram E-2
in destinations E-2
in print path 4
setting a formfeed 38
setting onlcr 38
types and incl usions E-3

module

control E-7

MPS

installing in Windows environm e nts 25

N

name

command 59
default print path 56
default print server 55
workgroup 55

naming schemes E-5
NCSA E-25

details E-25
printing with E-25

NetBIOS

naming E-5

network

90 V1.0

connector diagrams 9
connectors 8, F-2

Novell

adjust polling tim e C-6
changing frame type C-8, C-9, C-10
changing M305 name C-7
common com mands 59
communication problems C-17, C-19
controlling frame type E-7
host configuraiton C-11
host software C-11
M305 configuration 40
naming E-5
password security C-4

INDEX

preferred server C-2
printing mechanisms C-21
printing problems C-20
queueing C-20
security E-11

Novell mo de

command 59

Novell tree

command 59

npcomm.sh B-30
npd

and interface scripts B-12, B-13
applications whic h use B-29
finding B-27
locks B-27
modifying a host to use B-28
starting B-27
stopping B-28
testing B-28

npr.if B-9, B-12

and extra job processing B-34, E-6
overview B-1 1

V1.0 91

INDEX

problems B-33
using B-14, B-19

NPRINT C-20

configuration C-21

npscramble E-10

in interface scripts B-19

npsh

configuration alternatives 20

npsh, See command shell.
npwrite B-9, B-26

and Adobe TranScript B-30
and interface scripts B-12, B-19
command syntax B-9
details B-9

O

onlcr 38

data in wrong format B-34
garbled data B-34

onlcr, see also carriage return insertion
OpenSpool

Setup B-20

P

page count

in logpaths E-4

parallel port

command 60
description 9
diagram F-5
parameters 9, F-3
pinout F-5
TCP port numbers 76
timing chart F-3, F-4
timing diagram F-3
UDP port numbers 76

password E-7

92 V1.0

forgotten 63
Novell C-17

PC/TCP

details B-24

PDF

file index 1

port numbers 75
power

AC requirements 72
consumption 72
DC requirements 72
requirements 72
socket pinout F-2
specifications 72

INDEX

print job scrambling

in interface scripts B-11

print path

diagram 4

print spooler

integrating B-10

printer

logging E-11
logging terms E-12
logging through logpaths E- 12
logpath E-12
monitoring E-11

printer support 3
printing mechanisms

Novell C-21

PRN, See parallel port.
processing options

details E-6
in interface scripts B-20
location of B-11

protocols

command 60
supported 75

V1.0 93

INDEX

PSERVER

default name C-17

pseudo-tty daemon

npd B-26

Q

qdaemon B-22

R

RARP

command 58
problems B-32

remote management

TCP/IP methods E-7

remote shell 20

overview 20

repair

commercial invoice sample 69
returning for 67
RMA number 67

repairs 66
return

shipping instructions 67

RMA number 67
router

command 58
communicating across A-5

routing

problems B-31

RPRINTER

configuration C-12, C-14

rsh/rcmd/remsh

and Adobe TranScript B-30
and interface scripts B-12, B-15, B-19
and lp E-13
and remote management E-7
BSD syntax B-10
details B-10

94 V1.0