HP M401DNE Laser CF399A#BGJ manual Bidirectional communication, Enterprise AutoConfiguration

Table 2-3Automatic discovery and driver configuration through bidirectional communication1

Connection type	Add Printer Wizard install	Common installer
Network	Yes	Yes
Direct connection	No	Yes

1The table applies to Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.

Bidirectional communication

In environments that support bidirectional communication, the computer communicates with the product during installation, determines the physical configuration, and then configures the driver accordingly.

Bidirectional communication is the capability of the product to respond to data inquiries from the computer and report information back, such as what type of print paper is available or what accessories are connected to the product. Bidirectional communication depends on the network operating system and on the type of connection that exists between the computer and the product. If the connection does not have this capability (that is, if it has no bidirectional mode), it can only accept commands from the host and cannot report information back to the host computer.

Enterprise AutoConfiguration

Enterprise AutoConfiguration (EAC) uses bidirectional communication to provide autoconfiguration functionality for installation of the print driver over a network, whether you use the installer on the printing-system software CD or the Add Printer Wizard to install the driver. Driver installation that includes EAC is configured with the same settings as the physical configuration of the product. Configuration occurs without user interaction.

If bidirectional-communication software has been installed previously, EAC is not activated, and the pre-existing bidirectional-communication software is used to configure the print driver.

If bidirectional communication software has not been installed, EAC installs bidirectional- communication software that allows it to communicate with the product and automatically match the print driver with the actual product configuration. EAC is activated during installation of the driver or whenever the Update Now feature is used.

If the product configuration changes after installation, the driver can be automatically updated with the new configuration in environments that support bidirectional communication by using the Update Now feature. For more information, see Update Now on page 53.

The following tables show the availability of EAC for various operating systems and network environments that support bidirectional communication.

ENWW HP LaserJet software components for Windows 51