Problems with Print Server on NAS

[430752]

I'm having some serious problems using the built-in print server on my D-Link DNS-323 NAS device and wondering if anyone had siimilar probs or could help. The problem is that in some programs (e.g. Corel Paint Ship Pro XI) printing is very, very slow. I don't mean the actual printing, that's quick, but in terms of pressing "print" button to printer actually starting the print job. my computer pretty much locks up the program and the printers window, waits 2 to 4 minutes, and then prints. It is also slow to even bring up printer preferences to change things such as paper type, size, etc. In other programs (e.g. corel wordperfect x3), the print window recognizes the printer, but won't enable the print function since it says it is waiting for printer to initialize, which it never does.

My set-up: all pretty new, so may be some bugs with that, but:
-about one month old home brewed PC with e6600 conroe cpu, Abit AW9D-Max mobo with 2 gigabit ethernet contollers, 2 gig ram, running windows XP Pro Sp2. computer works fine.
- printer is a canon all-in-one inkjet MP830 printer. color, inkjet, fax, scanner, etc. this is connected via usb to NAS device, below.
-The NAS is a Dlink DNS-323 byod raid 1 NAS device with 2x wd caviar drives., wired, gigabit controller. Just installed and formatted, but works fine for past two days in terms of storing/providing files and Itunes server. this device has a built in print server via usb.
- DLink DGL-4100 "gamers loung" 4 port wired router with all gigabit ports. the above computer is in one port, the above NAS in another port, Dlink VoIP device in 3rd Port, and a dlink 8 port gigabit capable wired swtich in router's 4th port. This router was installed about one week ago and I have not noticed any problems or bottlenecks.
- Router is connected to a motorola surfboard cable modem if it matters.
- another pc is also connected to the network, but seldom used, an old dell dimension 8300 which was replaced by the DIY computer above.

all drivers are iinstalled from cds for printer, nas and router.

so, I cannot really figure out what is going on where one program can print, albeit like molasses, while another won't ever aknowledge that the printer is on (although it does recognize the printer). Am I doing something wrong, can I do something better? Is there a known problem with NAS's and All-In-One printers connected? any help appreciated.

curtiss jameson

 

[marulee]

Your DNS-323 is mainly for network closure. Print server function is not really a main but I do not see why this should not be working if your printer was detected initially. I do not really think all-in-one matter since it is just using the network path from NAS. Other devices should be find, make sure DHCP is off on VoIP. I would try different driver for printer! Good luck!

 

[dougyp]

Hey curtiss,

I have a VERY similar problem but I'm using a Kuro-box which is a type of buffalo linkstation - another brand of "BYOD" network shared disk. The Kuro-box allows you to get to a unix telnet prompt to install and hack away. I have an itunes server (mt-daapd), several folder/files shared with 2 PCs AND I use the built-in print server all on the same NAS device. I'm certain we're running into the same problem.

My printer is a photo printer, Canon ip4200 I think - and I have identical issues when I try to print. I don't use those other applications and haven't run into complete freezing problems but it definitely takes up to a couple of MINUTES to respond when I pull up the printer properties and/or just plain printing takes 30-60 seconds to respond. the actual printing is fast once it gets going...

What I have found using TaskManager and watching the network traffic is that when I do print something my machine and the NAS (kuro-box) start to talk and send about 5GB worth of data back-and-forth to each other before it finally responds in the print window. It's very consistent, happens every time and it's both send and received data, not just one way. I can't imagine why so much data but it's definitely the cause of the long pause. I think sometimes it's up to 20GB data if I click on the print properties tab.

I am using Win XP Pro, 1GB RAM, AMD x2 3800+, 100MBit network. My wife's computer is a slower laptop running XP Home and interestingly enough her machine prints noticably faster than mine. Not FAST but definitely faster and I've attributed that to her running XP home and me running XP Pro as Pro has extra network layers.

I am convinced that the issue lies with "bidirectional" printing. Buffalo says for instance that devices like yours (bidirectional) simply aren't supported. And modern USB photo printers do try to talk back to show ink levels and such. So I think that's what we're running into - incompatibility with modern printers. The print servers for these devices are probably rather simplistic Unix lp servers not designed for the bi-directional aspect of our printers.

I have not been able to resolve the issue and am tempted to go back to my old linksys USB print server. They're $30 and work great with the same printer (I don't think you'll get the fax to work in a shared mode though).

I will probably just continue to accept my fate and hope to stumble upon a forum where someone can help me solve the problem but I've been searching and you're the first person I've found that describes the same thing. Perhaps one day someone will solve it!

The one thing I have thought about doing is trying to "sniff" the network packets and see just what the PC and printer server are sending back and forth in hopes that might clue me into what the heck they are doing but even then a solution might not appear!

Anyone else have ideas on how we can troubleshoot?

-Doug

 

[dougyp]

Sweet! I figured it out, at least in my case. I'll try to throw in some key words if someone's out on the web using google to find this problem and solution 'cause it sure took me a while!

If you're using Windows XP (I suspect Home or Pro) and you are using a NAS such as Buffalo Linkstation, Kuro-box, NSLU2, DNS-323 or probably any unix-based print server (uses lpd) and you are having SLOW performance issues when trying to print - or hitting "properties" to try to adjust/see your print options then this is a highly likely culprit... The printer driver is probably not installed locally but it's installed on the print server itself. I suspect this is more common with inkjet or photo or all-in-one printers since their drivers are going to be larger than a simple dot-matrix printer. In any case this had a dramatic effect on the performance for me printing across the network to the print server on my kuro-box (basically a Buffalo Linkstation)

I had 2 machines, my wife's XP home and my XP Pro and her's worked fine. I thought it was specific to XP Pro but I found some articles that pinpointed the problem - the problem is that the printer driver is installed on the server and not locally. This is an easy mistake to make if you never bother to install the printer locally to your machine - or if you are adding a new PC to your network. You see, if you install the printer locally, as I did to my wife's machine and then move it to the network - then the machine won't see a performance problem!

What you need to do is delete the printer from your control panel and then reinstall it as a local printer. You don't have to physically connect it, you just need to tell the O/S that it's a local printer and add a special type of port that's really a network port... I don't think you'll find this in any of the manuals.

The primary article is here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/280821

It explains how to deinstall and install the printer locally. Remember, even though you are installing it "locally" you'll choose a network port (that you add as new) - the trick is that the printer driver gets installed locally!

A similar article that points to how to install some special network "Print services for Unix" that will give you the option of having an LPR port - which works seamlessly as a local port even though it's a network port! Anyway, scroll down the page until you see "Install Printing Services" and the instructions are there for the correct Windows components. The article is located at:
http://www.cmu.edu/computing/documentation/print/win.html

Happy network printing!!! Mine's VERY fast now!