gardnerbartlett
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Novel & Windows 2000 Server using the same printers.
We have a Novell server 4.11 with two network adapters. One is connected to a hub with 16 ports. There are 12 computers connected to that hub including A windows 2000 Server.
The Windows 2000 Server provides redundancy for the Novell Server. All the files from the Novel Server are backed up to a couple of hard drives on the Windows 2000 Server. The workstations connect to both the Novel Server and Windows 2000 server but use Novel as the primary server. Windows 2000 is mostly accessed to restore data or if Novell is taken down.
There is a second Network Adapter Card on the Novel printer connected to a small 5 port hub. There are 5 network printeres connected to that hub. 3 of those printers use Linksys Pocket PrintServers. The others have built in network cards. The printers were originally given their own hub connected into their own Network Adapter Card to place them on a separate collision domain(from what I was told).
All the Computers to include the Windows 2000 server print with Novel. The Windows 2000 Server does not otherwise have direct access to the printers
I just installed a second Network Adapter on the Windows 2000 printer. When I connected it to the main hub I was able to ping it from my workstation so it apears to work.
Question
If I were to daisy chain the 5 port hub to another 5 port hub(regular cable uplink to uplink?) and run a cable from the second Network card on the 2000 Server to the daisy chained hub WOULD THE WINDOWS 2000 SERVER BE ABLE TO ACCESS AND USE THE SAME PRINTERS THAT THE NOVEL SERVER DOES?? Both the second NIC of the Novel Server and the Second NIC of the Windows 2000 Server would be connected to the same pair of daisy chained hubs that the printers are connected to.
If the Novell Server were to go down It would be nice for the workstations to be able to access the printers through the Windows 2000 Server till Novell got back up.
The 3 Pocket PrintServers use SMB with Netbeui. I don't know if they tie directly to the MAC address of the NIC's or not and if so whether or not that would prevent Windows 2000 and Novel to both use the same set of printers on the same collision domain.
The Windows 2000 Server provides redundancy for the Novell Server. All the files from the Novel Server are backed up to a couple of hard drives on the Windows 2000 Server. The workstations connect to both the Novel Server and Windows 2000 server but use Novel as the primary server. Windows 2000 is mostly accessed to restore data or if Novell is taken down.
There is a second Network Adapter Card on the Novel printer connected to a small 5 port hub. There are 5 network printeres connected to that hub. 3 of those printers use Linksys Pocket PrintServers. The others have built in network cards. The printers were originally given their own hub connected into their own Network Adapter Card to place them on a separate collision domain(from what I was told).
All the Computers to include the Windows 2000 server print with Novel. The Windows 2000 Server does not otherwise have direct access to the printers
I just installed a second Network Adapter on the Windows 2000 printer. When I connected it to the main hub I was able to ping it from my workstation so it apears to work.
Question
If I were to daisy chain the 5 port hub to another 5 port hub(regular cable uplink to uplink?) and run a cable from the second Network card on the 2000 Server to the daisy chained hub WOULD THE WINDOWS 2000 SERVER BE ABLE TO ACCESS AND USE THE SAME PRINTERS THAT THE NOVEL SERVER DOES?? Both the second NIC of the Novel Server and the Second NIC of the Windows 2000 Server would be connected to the same pair of daisy chained hubs that the printers are connected to.
If the Novell Server were to go down It would be nice for the workstations to be able to access the printers through the Windows 2000 Server till Novell got back up.
The 3 Pocket PrintServers use SMB with Netbeui. I don't know if they tie directly to the MAC address of the NIC's or not and if so whether or not that would prevent Windows 2000 and Novel to both use the same set of printers on the same collision domain.
Assuming you bound the needed network protocols to the 2nd NIC in the Win2000 machine, yes. That should work fine. Frankly, though, it is not needed. On a network that size, there is absolutly no reason to put printers on a separate network like that. I would remove all the second NICs you have and put everything on one collision domain. Why have the extra complication.
I have to agree with the above statement. You don't have enough traffic going on you network to have to worry about that type of setup. Take the xtra nics out, run a cable from the print hub into with the PC's on it and plug the network cable from the Windows 2K machine into it also and you'll have a decent, well managed network.
ASKER
I agree but that is how the powers that be want it so I have to work around it. It is a CPA firm with huge print jobs and they feel its better to keep the printers on a separate domain.
The protocol is bound to the second NIC(netbuei) but I can't connect to the print server.
In windows 2000. I follow instructions which is to create a local printer port and name it the same name as the print server //scsc274235/p1. Windows 2000 looks and then answers "the network resource type is not correct.
Does the print server have to be turned off and then back on to connect, and if so will Novell then loose connection? I'd like to be alternate between the servers without turning the printservers off and on if thats possible.
In tcp/ip you can ping to test connectivity. is there any utility to test connectivity in netbuei? The print server is using SMB. I know the NIC & cable are good. I connected the second 5 port hub to the first one with "uplink to uplink" connection.
The protocol is bound to the second NIC(netbuei) but I can't connect to the print server.
In windows 2000. I follow instructions which is to create a local printer port and name it the same name as the print server //scsc274235/p1. Windows 2000 looks and then answers "the network resource type is not correct.
Does the print server have to be turned off and then back on to connect, and if so will Novell then loose connection? I'd like to be alternate between the servers without turning the printservers off and on if thats possible.
In tcp/ip you can ping to test connectivity. is there any utility to test connectivity in netbuei? The print server is using SMB. I know the NIC & cable are good. I connected the second 5 port hub to the first one with "uplink to uplink" connection.
ASKER
Even if I put the printers on the same collisioin domain as the workstations I still have the problem of both Novell and Windows 2000 accessing the same printers. I don't know if the SMB from the print servers ties in to the MAC address of the NIC, and if so is it limited to one. If its tied into the MAC address then would I have to power down the print servers to change from one server to the other?
I would set the printers up with TCP/IP and use TCP/IP printing from NT. This way you can ping to test things out. I would setup the printer network with IP. You don't need to change the novell server, just add a TCP/IP address to the printers and bind TCP/IP to the second NIC on the server. Give them IPs in the same subnet and go.
Also, wtf do you mean "the powers that be"? Were you hired there to fix their computer problems or just to nod your head "yes"? They need to be informed about the difficulty of maintaining a wacky network. Whatever they may think they gain in performance ( nothing ), they will more than pay for in increased support costs and headaches. How many hours have you spent on this already?
Also, if they are worried about network performance, they should do 3 things:
1. Lose Netbui - it is a chatty protocol, based a great deal on broadcast.
2. Lose IPX on the novell server. It is also somewhat chatty, especially on startup. Switch over to TCP/IP for everything. Novell 4 ( I think ) and higher will work fine with TCP/IP.
3. Replace the hub with a switch. If you really do have a lot of network traffic, this should make a profound difference. Check out the collision light on the hub. If it blinks alot, you should consider a switch. A hub is entirely shared. Meaning that a 10MB hub, every single device shares that 10 MB. A switch dedicates allows all devices to talk at full speed simultaniously. So a 16 node 100 MB hub gives you 100 MB/16 nodes, or roughly 6 MB per device. A 100 MB switch gives you 100 MB per device.
Also, wtf do you mean "the powers that be"? Were you hired there to fix their computer problems or just to nod your head "yes"? They need to be informed about the difficulty of maintaining a wacky network. Whatever they may think they gain in performance ( nothing ), they will more than pay for in increased support costs and headaches. How many hours have you spent on this already?
Also, if they are worried about network performance, they should do 3 things:
1. Lose Netbui - it is a chatty protocol, based a great deal on broadcast.
2. Lose IPX on the novell server. It is also somewhat chatty, especially on startup. Switch over to TCP/IP for everything. Novell 4 ( I think ) and higher will work fine with TCP/IP.
3. Replace the hub with a switch. If you really do have a lot of network traffic, this should make a profound difference. Check out the collision light on the hub. If it blinks alot, you should consider a switch. A hub is entirely shared. Meaning that a 10MB hub, every single device shares that 10 MB. A switch dedicates allows all devices to talk at full speed simultaniously. So a 16 node 100 MB hub gives you 100 MB/16 nodes, or roughly 6 MB per device. A 100 MB switch gives you 100 MB per device.
ASKER
there are 3 pocket print servers from Linksys unfourtunately only use SMB. They will not work on tcp/ip. I otherwise avoid netbuei with the workstations.
Its my understanding that for netware 4.11 tcp/ip would be encapsulated in ipx. IPX only runs natively on netware 5x so ipx would still be in the picture.
our hub is a Kingston KND1600TX . The add says it has built in switching, but it sells for less than $200 so an upgrade to a switch would take the wind out of the argument for having the printers hooked up to a separate network card.
Even if both the Novell and Windows 2000 printers were on the same collision domain
with the worksations I still have to resolve the issue of both Novell and Win2k being able to access the same 3 pocket printers from Linksys which only use SMB(wont use tcp/ip)
Again I don't know if the SMB somehow ties into the MAC address of the Server, and if so whether that would preclude having both Novell and Windows 2000 connecting to the same printers at the same time. I need to experiment a little more.
Its my understanding that for netware 4.11 tcp/ip would be encapsulated in ipx. IPX only runs natively on netware 5x so ipx would still be in the picture.
our hub is a Kingston KND1600TX . The add says it has built in switching, but it sells for less than $200 so an upgrade to a switch would take the wind out of the argument for having the printers hooked up to a separate network card.
Even if both the Novell and Windows 2000 printers were on the same collision domain
with the worksations I still have to resolve the issue of both Novell and Win2k being able to access the same 3 pocket printers from Linksys which only use SMB(wont use tcp/ip)
Again I don't know if the SMB somehow ties into the MAC address of the Server, and if so whether that would preclude having both Novell and Windows 2000 connecting to the same printers at the same time. I need to experiment a little more.
Let's pump some life into this old question, at least to get it solved
> 2. Lose IPX on the novell server. It is also somewhat
> chatty, especially on startup. Switch over to
>TCP/IP for everything. Novell 4 ( I think ) and higher
> will work fine with TCP/IP.
Making a novell 4.x server ip-only is quite an undertaking, as opposed to 5.x.
For the rest i largely agree with gartnerbartlett. A Novell server can imho not bridge netbeui so i think the printers on the 2nd netw. card in the novell server only talk ipx, routed through the novell server to the stations on the other side.
> 2. Lose IPX on the novell server. It is also somewhat
> chatty, especially on startup. Switch over to
>TCP/IP for everything. Novell 4 ( I think ) and higher
> will work fine with TCP/IP.
Making a novell 4.x server ip-only is quite an undertaking, as opposed to 5.x.
For the rest i largely agree with gartnerbartlett. A Novell server can imho not bridge netbeui so i think the printers on the 2nd netw. card in the novell server only talk ipx, routed through the novell server to the stations on the other side.
This question appears to be abandoned. I will allow one week before I close this question
with the following recommendation:
- delete
if there is any objection to this recommendation then please post it here within 7 days.
thanks,
lrmoore@nw
EE Cleanup Volunteer
with the following recommendation:
- delete
if there is any objection to this recommendation then please post it here within 7 days.
thanks,
lrmoore@nw
EE Cleanup Volunteer
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