Networks

Ask something
Question Locked

User accounts on Xp Print Share?

0 helpful
9 replies

by onlinegeek101

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.
I am trying to set up a make shift print server to buffer jobs between network access to the printer. I am doing this by putting an older xp dell tower between the network and the printer. I have the printer shared to a localgroup named printClients in which I will add user accounts for those who I want to allow access to the printer. This printer will have to be accessed by macs, xp macines, and vista/windows 7 machines. I have the sharing enabled on all machines and I also have the security settings setup on the printer to allow the printClients user group to print. I was able to add the printer and print when supplying a username from the mac with no problem. I moved over to the pc that has Xp on it and I am running into issues. I added the PC and when prompted for username and password I provided my administrator rights. I told it not to remember my password and following a successful test page I logged off then back on. Now I wanted to test my user accounts to see if they worked. The problem is I am not prompted to enter account information now when I try to print, I simply get a access denied prompt from the os. How can I get it so that the os will prompt me for credentials upon print request. Also when I tried to perform the same thing on the windows 7 machine, I can see the printer on the network but when I try to add it, there are no compadible drivers. The printer is a HP Laserjet 1320tn, and I cannot seem to find windows 7 drivers online that I can add under the additional drivers option on the XP print "server". I can however add the networked printer if I remove it from being behind its PC "print server" and just use it as a network printer. Any idea's?

9 replies

by robo_dev

The login issue you are seeing has to do with the security policy settings of the XP box that is your print server.

Unless this is a special printer, you should use the guest account and/or setup the sharing so no authentication is required.

It's hard to explain, but, I believe your authentication issue is that the userid/password is the same, yet there is really a 'local login' which uses cached credentials and a workgroup login which does not. Here is how to fiddle with the XP login policy:

We will have make a small change, in order to connect with another account:

Start> Control Panel> Administrative Tools> Local Security Policy

In the window [Local Security Settings], go to:

Security Settings> Local Policies> Security Options

Select the [Network access: sharing model and security for local accounts]

Right-click> Properties

And choose the value [Classic - local users authenticate themselves]

by onlinegeek101

So are you advising me here to turn off authentication? That is actually one of the reasons for this "print server". I am trying to log printer use so we can monitor traffic. Pretty much this is my exact issue an I need a work around for it. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/312055
Glad I found this out, thanks billy gates for telling me to avoid this bug by doing exactly what I'm trying to avoid.

by tobif

Are your windows computers on a domain?

I've read somewhere, that Windows computers have a tendency of automatically supplying the current login name on their local computer. In a home network, that may be convenient, but in a larger setting, I'm afraid that can be a bit tricky.

That Win7, is it a 64-bit system?
Then there may be problems with mismatching drivers, if the printserver is a 32-bit system.

by onlinegeek101

I already tried that, but actually that site only links to like an exe and a driver file download via FTP which fails always, Nice broken link hp. I tried manually navigating their ftp server looking for something similar but no luck. I was able to get it to print eventually because I have had the printer installed directly before so the drivers were on my system. I just spoofed it as a local printer at address \\compname\Printername but this work around won't work for other users who are trying to add this shared printer in the future.

by tobif

If, by chance, the allowed people always log on from specific computers, then you could try:
- assign fixed IP / static allocation to those computers
- put the 40$ print server on a separate subnet
- apply rules for what ip addresses are allowed to communicate with the print server...

by onlinegeek101

Basically I have users who join and leave the network, but I have information on who this might be because they all have account names. I wanted them to be able to add the printer at there digression but use there names only to add and print. So they can be tracked

This discussion is closed to new replies.