Mapping printer from a logion script by ip address

If this is active directory you could perhaps look at Site login scripts for starters.  You assign two different sites in AD Sites & services and define a subnet for each.  Then each time a user logs in from an IP in that site the group polcies for that site are processed.  You can assign a login script to the site in that way.

The alternative is to parse the output of ipconfig to get the IP address in a script, e.g.

for /f "tokens=2 delims=:" %%a in ('ipconfig ^| find "IP Address"') do set IP ADDR=%%a
for /f "tokens=1,2,3 delims=." %%a in ("%ipaddr%") do set SUBNET=%%a.%%b.%%c

Which leaves the last IP address (if more than one) in the IPADDR variable and the first three octets of it in the variable SUBNET

Having got to that point you know which subnet you are on and can sort out the printers.  Adding a printer you can use VBScript or a simple command from batch file:

rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /in /n \\SERVER\MYPRINTERNAME

There are details of all the command line switches for this here along with a sample of the VBS way of doing it.

https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/21101041/Printers-by-login-script.html

You can use /dn to delete a network printer then use /in to install the correct network printer.

One other cleverish way... If your printer is shared from a domain controller in each office and the share name is the same then you can connect the user to \\domainname.com\printer and it should print to the local one regardless - can't say I've tried that... it should work though as DNS will always give the nearest dc's IP out for \\domainname.com.

Anyway give some of that a try and come back if you want more help.

Steve

Alright.
Assume I am not so familiar with scripting.
I understand the first part and the second part. However, how do I put it together(for example) How do I have one printer added recognizing that your on 192.168.1.x versus 192.168.2.x.

Let me know if I was unclear in that response.
Thank You!

I like that. However, I get these UNC path not supported messages. I went in to the registry and changed that, however it looks like I'd have to change that on every workstation. Although, it still did not work. I runs and does nothing at all.

I do greatly appreciate the help and assistance.
Thank You

Odd.  I'll give it a try later on my own kit, at work at the moment.

Steve

Did you get a chance to test that out yet?

Sorry, have been busy.  Will look soon as  i can and update here.

Steve

Hmm, which but isn't working.  On my XP laptop the rundll32 lines workfine to install the printer from a Windows server and set the correct one as default.  Try the commands manually to see what is going on here perhaps?

Are the printers actually installed and shared from a Windows server or are you trying to connect them directly with a local printer on each machine directly to the printers?

Steve

Did you get this working then?  Curious for my own knowledge why it wouldn't work for you but does for me and others?

Steve

It has not worked yet. Here is what I am using. I have two windows servers running and the printers are directly connected to those. The other computers are going to be connected via the network. here is what your source looks like after I made a few changes, could anything I have here be wrong.

@echo off

for /f "tokens=2 delims=:" %%a in ('ipconfig ^| find "IP Address"') do set IP ADDR=%%a
for /f "tokens=1,2,3 delims=." %%a in ("%ipaddr%") do set SUBNET=%%a.%%b.%%c

if "%subnet%"=="192.168.1" goto subnet1
if "%subnet%"=="192.168.2" goto subnet2

echo On another subnet (%subnet%)
goto next

:subnet1
  echo Running on subnet 1 (%subnet%) from %ipaddr%
  rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /dn /n \\saco\HP4200
  rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /in /n /y \\lewiston-server\HP4200

goto next

:subnet2
  echo Running on subnet 2 (%subnet%) from %ipaddr%
  rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /dn /n \\lewiston-server\HP4200
  rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /in /n /y \\saco\HP4200

goto next

:next
:end

I was unclear about what to change for this -

rem Your existing logon script
net use h: \\server\share
rem etc.


So I got rid of it.

Any ideas?
Sorry for the rush....
The urgency of this solution is a bit greater, since the client is continuing to call about this fix.

Just whenever you have a chance let me know....
In a moment I will run another test and see what the error is and re-post that.

The first bit was just inferring you should add the rest onto the end of your existing login script that maps any drives or anything else.

If you can let us know what the errors are will take a look.  If you can't see the script running for some reason add

>>%userprofile%\desktop\logfile.txt   2>> &1

to the end of any lines that may be a problem and it will dump a log file into the user's desktop folder with results of running each line.

Steve

I run the script and the command prompt prompts for only a quick moment.
Then nothing happens.
I included the code to get a log file but that did not work either.

my apologies.
UNC paths are not supported < Is an error I am getting.
Although, I think i can get around that which is what I have donebut I do not think that it works stil. Again, I will try another test though

OK, another correction. That error only shows if I run the script from the netlogon shared folder. If I copy the .bat to my desktop and run it. Than it does not work and it does not show any error.

btw, the "lewiston-server"  and "Saco" are  Windows 2000 Servers

and the logon script is on a shared folder of a Windows2003 server.

I am  just trying to list to you all of the possible variables to get this to work .

Is anyone available to figure this out? I made the question answered, but it is not

The question is marked as answered so no-one else is likely to look.  You can have it re-opened if you like by posting a q at community support.

Meanwhile, run the script manually without the @echo off and post back the results here please.  When I ran the script myself using my own printer names the default printer changed as expected.

Steve