Argecy
Computer Corporation 27280 Haggerty Road
Farmington
Hills, MI 48331
Phone: 248-324-1800
Lifetime purchasing and sales and support of new and refurbished commercial computing
equipment since 1985
Internet Remote Printing
Software
Print for FREE across the
Internet!
TROY XCD's PrintraNet software
allows Windows 95/98/NT users to print jobs on a printer equipped with
a TROY XCD print server at a remote location by using the Internet as the
transport mechanism. This means that a user in Chicago could print a job
on a printer in Paris at virtually no cost, because there are no long-distance
toll charges associated with the Internet. And because it's based on E-mail
protocols, there are no problems with Internet firewalls.
PrintraNet can handle a wide
variety of remote printing applications, including:
-
Fax replacement PrintraNet
is a great alternative to fax machines, not only because of the lower communications
costs, but also because documents can be printed out at a much higher resolution
(600 dpi or even 1200 dpi, compared to about 200 dpi maximum for a fax)
and, if the printer supports it, can be printed out in color.
-
Remote Proofing PrintraNet
is great for graphics designers, architects, and others who need to send
concept drawings and preproduction proofs to their clients.
-
Remote Production Printing
PrintraNet
allows users to send documents to be printed out on high-speed or special-purpose
printers located at another site.
-
Distribution of Documents
between Companies PrintraNet is ideal for distributing hardcopy information
between different companies. For example, a manufacturer could use PrintraNet
to send sales information to its dealers in color and at the highest possible
resolution. Because of its use of E-mail protocols, PrintraNet minimizes
configuration and security issues.
-
Legal Documents PrintraNet
is useful for sending legal documents and other information where it is
not desirable to allow the recipient to modify the contents of the document.
-
Replacement of leased and
dial-up lines If you are using leased or dial-up lines exclusively
for printing, replacing them with the PrintraNet remote printing approach
is a "no-brainer". The cost of Internet access is so low that the payback
is very quick, especially when printing to international locations.
The printer at the remote site
can be connected to any TROY XCD Ethernet or Fast Ethernet print server
except for the XConnect II Lite. The print server can simultaneously handle
PrintraNet print jobs and print jobs from NetWare, Windows NT, Windows
95, Warp Server, TCP/IP, AppleTalk, DEC LAT, and/or Banyan VINES computers
on the LAN.
Simple to Configure
The PrintraNet software is easily
installed using an Installation Wizard. This creates a virtual port which
can be accessed similar to the standard LPT1 parallel port. You use the
normal Windows Print Manager to add a printer, and connect that printer
to the virtual port. You can then print from virtually any application
program by simply selecting that printer as the destination.
You can configure multiple
PrintraNet virtual ports on a single PC to handle several remote printers.
It even has an address book to send to multiple recipients at once.
Easy to Use
Once the PrintraNet software
is installed and the new printer is added, you can transparently access
this printer as if it were a local printer. No special training is required,
since there are no changes from the normal Windows printing procedure.
How it Works
PrintraNet works by converting
the print job from an application program into an E-mail message via MIME-encoding.
The E-mail message is then sent through either a MAPI or WINSOCK interface
on the Windows system to an E-mail server, which then forwards the message
over the Internet. The MAPI and WINSOCK compatibility means that PrintraNet
can be used with most common E-mail software packages.
Note that the Windows system
can be either on a Local Area Network, or it can be connected via a modem
to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) via the Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP).
After the E-mail message
is received by an E-mail server at the receiving end, it is then transferred
via the POP3 protocol to a TROY XCD print server. This print server decodes
the message and prints it out on the printer. As an option, the print server
can send an acknowledgment back to the sending Windows system when the
job is complete.
Note that another advantage
of PrintraNet is that the remote printer does not need to be on-line when
the Windows system sends a print job. This is particularly advantageous
if the remote site is connected to an ISP via a dial-up line connection.
Prerequisites
PrintraNet requires the following
prerequisites:
-
Windows 95/98 or NT PC
with at least 8MB memory (16MB recommended for maximum performance) at
the sending site
-
Software on the Windows PC that
supports either MAPI or WINSOCK connections
-
E-mail server with SMTP support
at the sending site, or access to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that
has SMTP capabilities
-
TROY XCD print server with V3.4
or later firmware at the remote site
E-mail server with POP3
support at the remote site (SMTP support also required if job acknowledgment
feature is enabled)
