Note that peer-to-peer printing can be configured on a client-server network. For example, a small workgroup might use peer-to-peer printing even though it is connected to an enterprise-wide client-server network.

Network Protocols

Regardless of the network type (client-server or peer-to-peer), your computers and printers must use a common language,

or “network protocol” to communicate with each other. The most common protocols are IPX (Internet Packet Exchange), made popular by Novell NetWare networks, and TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), made popular by the Internet. The HP Jetdirect print server supports these and other popular network protocols.

Network Addresses

Each device, such as a printer, on a network must be identified by a unique address. Networks with devices that have the same address will cause communication failures. If your network is small, preventing duplicate addresses is relatively easy. But for large networks, a significant effort must be made to prevent duplicate addresses.

Network addresses are typically stored on the device. The way addresses are assigned to each device depends on the network protocols used on the network:

●If the device supports operation on an IPX network, assigning an address is relatively easy – it’s done automatically.

●If the device supports operation on an IP network, assigning an address may be more complex, especially for large networks where communications with other networks is desired. In addition, there may be many additional IP parameters that need to be assigned and stored on the device.

ENWW

Introduction to Network Printing 28