SUPERSCRIPT 870 NETWORK USER’S GUIDE Click Here to Go to Table of Contents Click Here to Go to Index June, 1998
Proprietary Notice and Liability Disclaimer The information disclosed in this document, including all designs and related materials, is the valuable property of NEC Technologies and/or its licensors, as appropriate, reserve all patent, copyright and other proprietary rights to this document, including all design, manufacturing, reproduction, use and sales rights thereto, except to the extent said rights are expressly granted to others.
Read the Getting Started section to understand NIC requirements. Introduction and Package Contents . . . . . . . . . 2 Hardware and Software Requirements . . . . . . . 3 Printing Tools on the 870 Network Options CD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Then install the NIC in your printer. Preparing the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Installing the NIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Testing the NIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Introduction ™ The NEC SuperScript 870 Network Interface Upgrade Kit contains a network interface card (NIC) that allows you to connect your SuperScript 870 printer to a network. This makes it the ideal printer for workgroups and small offices. Supported Printing Environments The NIC comes with software for using the printer on several network operating systems or protocols, including • Microsoft® Windows® 95/98, Windows NT® 4.0, and Windows for Workgroups • NetWare® versions 3.x and 4.x • Mac™ OS 7.
Network Printing Tools On CD Hardware Requirements NEC provides network printing tools on the 870 Network Options CD that comes with this kit. These include • SuperScript MAP utility for Windows 95/98, and Windows NT 4.0 setup • Windows IPX peer to peer software for Windows 95/98 and Windows NT 4.0 • Windows IP peer to peer software for Windows 95/98 and Windows NT 4.0 • BOOTP Lite-32 for Windows 95/98 and Windows NT 4.
Installing the NIC in the Printer The instructions on this page are illustrated on page 5. First, Prepare the Printer 1. 2. 3. 4. Turn off the printer, remove the power cord from the rear panel of the printer, and disconnect the printer parallel cable from the port (A). Position the printer so you are facing the side and back corner where the parallel cable port is located. Make sure that you have enough room to work. Press the Top Cover Release button and lift Cover (B).
NIC INSTALLATION Installing the NIC A B C D Top Cover Release Button E Interface Cable F G Brace Mounting Tab H I J 5
NIC Features Network Settings Page Each time you turn on the printer, the NIC prints a Network Settings page. Three ways to print a Network Settings page are • Hold down the Operator Panel button for about 10 seconds. • Go to the NIC Home Page, click Network Administration, click Configure Status Page, then click Generate Now. (The NIC Home Page is described beginning on page 8.) • In the SuperScript 870 Utility for MacOS, select Print Settings Page from the Utilities menu.
If you change NIC settings, you may need to reset the NIC for the new settings to take effect. To reset • Go to the NIC Home Page, click Network Administration, then click Reset in the System column, or • Turn the printer off and then on again. Restoring Factory Default Settings You can reset the NIC to its factory default settings. This means that the NIC clears data such as names and IP addresses. It does not lose its serial number or Network Address.
Using the NIC Home Page Your NIC has a built-in web server and home page. The NIC Home Page allows you to perform network administration tasks, including monitoring and configuration. It contains links to online documentation and the NEC web site for more information about the SuperScript 870 printer and the latest printer drivers. Going to the NIC Home Page You must assign an IP address to your NIC. Then you can use a web browser, such as Navigator or Internet Explorer, to access the NIC Home Page.
NIC HOME PAGE The NIC Home Page Printer Status Setup Printer Network Print Details How To Use This Printer Supplies Network Administration Status Energy Saving You can view the NIC Home Page from Windows, MacOS, or UNIX. Use a web browser, such as Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer. The URL is the IP address you assign to the NIC, for example, http://131.241.45.65.
Change Password: Changing any NIC parameters using the NIC Home Page requires a password. Click here to change your password. The default password is sysadm. Your password can contain letters, numbers, and punctuation, and is case sensitive. note: If you forget your password, you can restore factory defaults manually. See page 7. Protocol Functions The Protocols feature is for setting up network options and parameters.
The Management Access Program (MAP), runs only under Windows 95/98 and Windows NT 4.0. You use MAP to list SuperScript 870 network printers connected to your network. Then you select one to go to its NIC Home Page for network administration options. note: To have full use of the NIC Home Page or MAP, you need Administrator rights. You may want to load the program to an area of the file server restricted to users with Administrator rights.
Running MAP and Selecting a NIC a. In Windows 95/98 or Windows NT 4.0, press the Start button. Select MAP from the program group you specified during installation. When MAP starts, a list of all available units on the network is displayed by unit serial number. The unit listing will be divided by TCP/IP units and IPX/SPX units. See the illustration at right. note: If a unit is enabled for both IP and IPX, it will appear in both lists. b. c. Click on a unit in the list to display its NIC Home Page.
Network Configuration Options There are several ways you can configure your Windows workstation to access the 870 network printer, depending on which version of Windows you are using and your system configuration. To the right, under “Network Configuration Options,” are possible scenarios. Windows 95/98 • If you have a NetWare network, see page 20 for NetWare 4.x setup, or page 22 for Netware 3.x setup.
TCP/IP Setup in Windows 95/98 and Windows NT 4.0 First, Install the TCP/IP Protocol 1. 2. 3. In Windows, open the Network control panel. If TCP/IP Protocol is not installed, add it, and configure the workstation’s TCP/IP settings. Restart. The new protocols and services will not be available until the system is restarted.
Accessing the 870 network printer from Windows for Workgroups is only supported over a NetWare network. First, Install the TCP/IP Protocol You must obtain from Microsoft a special TCP/IP protocol stack that is compatible with Windows for Workgroups. Follow the instructions provided with that utility to install it. Second, Assign the IP Address and Other TCP/IP Parameters to the NIC Here we provide instructions for using BOOTP Lite to set the IP address manually.
Windows Peer to Peer Printing Setup Peer to peer printing allows Windows 95/98 and Windows NT 4.0 computers to print directly to a networked printer without an intervening file server. Below are the main features of peer to peer printing. • Runs on Windows 95/98 and Windows NT 4.0 workstations or servers “out of the box.” • Runs on networks with or without a NetWare file server. • Implements peer to peer direct printing between Windows computers and networked printers.
1. 2. In Windows 95/98 or Windows NT 4.0, press the Start button, select Settings, then select Printers. In the Printers window, double-click Add Printer. This launches the Add Printer wizard which prompts you to make selections. note: SuperScript 870 printer drivers are provided on the Solutions CD that comes with the 870 printer. When the Add Printer wizard asks how the printer is attached, select Local printer. Specify NEC as the Manufacturer and NEC SuperScript 870 as the Printer. 3. 4.
More Windows Information The following procedure can be used to set up the lpr spooler for a Windows NT 4.0 workstation/server. field, enter PORT1 (the word “PORT” must be in uppercase). Click OK, then click Close to assign that newly created port to the SuperScript 870. 10. Click on the Sharing tab in the NEC SuperScript 870 Properties window. 11. Click on the radio button Shared and enter a name for your SuperScript 870 printer. 12. Click OK to apply these settings to your printer. 1.
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) allows automatic assignment of IP address and other IP parameters for attached devices. The NIC works with DHCP in the following way. At power-up, the NIC broadcasts a DHCP request for an IP address. If a DHCP server is present, the request will be processed, and an IP address will be returned to the NIC. Upon receipt of the IP address, the NIC resets, and prints a Network Settings page. This shows the new IP address (and subnet mask, and default gateway, if any).
Basic Setup for NetWare 4.x First, use NWADMIN to attach the Printer 1. Log in to NetWare 4.x with administrator rights and open the NetWare Administrator window. 2. Create Printer Object. a. Highlight the Organizational Unit or Organization where you want to create the print service in the Directory Tree. From the Object menu, select Create. b. In the New Object window that appears, scroll down the Class of New Object list, select the Printer icon and click the OK button. c.
Second, Install the Printer Driver In Windows, use the Add Printer feature to install and configure a SuperScript 870 printer driver in each workstation that will access the network printer. note: SuperScript 870 printer drivers are on the Solutions CD that comes with the printer. Specify that the printer will be attached as a Network Printer, and set the Port to the printer queue you just created. (The Windows NT 4.0 driver installs automatically to LPT1:.
3. NetWare 4.x (NDS) Configuration a. On the NIC Home Page, click the Network Administration button to display options for configuring the NIC. b. Click on NetWare Setup in the Protocols column. c. In the NetWare Configuration dialog box that appears, enter a name in the Print Server Name field, enter a name in the Preferred NDS Context field, and enter a name in the Preferred NDS Tree field. (Leave the Preferred File Server field blank.) d. Enter the password and click on the Accept Settings button.
5. Assign the Print Queue. a. Select Queues Serviced By Printer and press ENTER. Highlight the desired printer on the Defined Printers list and press ENTER. b. Press INSERT to display the Available Queues list. Select the desired queue and press ENTER. Assign a Priority level (recommended choice is 1) and press ENTER. c. Press Alt-F10 to exit PCONSOLE. 6. Confirm Successful Configuration. a. Turn the printer off and on and wait for a Network Settings page to print.
Basic Setup for MacOS Complete these basic tasks to begin printing. 1. a. Install SuperScript 870 MacOS Software Insert the 870 Network Options CD in your drive and double-click the SuperScript 870 Installer icon. b. The installer prompts you to select installation preferences and creates the SuperScript 870 Folder on your hard drive. 2. Choose the Printer a. Select Chooser from the Apple menu and make sure the AppleTalk Active button is selected. b.
The Network Options CD contains MacOS driver software that allows your printer to deliver high-speed performance at lower cost than competing printers. Adobe Memory Booster™ helps your printer handle most complex print jobs without added memory.
Print Job Setup Printing a document To print a document from your MacOS computer 1. Select Print from the File menu. 2. A Print dialog box appears that allows you to select the options you want (shown below). 3. Select options and click Print to print the document. The print options are described below. Number of Copies In the Copies field enter a value from 1 to 999 to specify the number of copies to print. Page Range Use the Pages fields to specify which pages of the document to print.
Destination Select the print job destination here. Printer: Your document is printed out on your printer (the default). File: The print job is saved as a SuperScript 870 file under a name and location you specify. You can then print the file from a remote system with an 870 printer attached. To print it out from MacOS, select Print SuperScript 870 File from the SuperScript 870 Utilities menu.
Imaging Modes This setting controls the printing of text and graphics. You can select an imaging method from the menu, or allow SuperScript 870 to select the best method automatically. To manually control the imaging mode, choose one of the following menu options: Auto Select Best Mode: Allows SuperScript 870 to select the imaging method automatically. This option works well for most print jobs. Optimize for Word Processing: Ensures the fastest printing for documents that contain mostly text.
The Page Preview icon shows the results of your selections. Page Setup Dialog Box Page Setup Options Click the Options button on the Page Setup dialog box to display these settings. Flip Horizontal: Check this to print a mirror image of the page image. Options Default Settings Page Preview and Printable Area This icon shows the effect of the selections you make. Click it to display the dimensions of paper you select. The inner rule shows the printable area for that paper size.
Flip Vertical: Check this to print the page image upside-down. Invert Image: Check this to print the white areas of the document black, and the black areas of the document white. Precision Bitmap Alignment: Check this to improve the quality of screen resolution bitmap images placed in your document. The Page Preview icon shows the results of your selections. Default Options You can set default page setup options to be used for all documents printed on your NEC SuperScript 870 printer.
MACOS PRINTING SuperScript 870 Utility for Printer Management Change Printer Settings Check Printer Status 31
Name Printer If you have more than one SuperScript 870 printer on your network, you should rename your printer. From the Utilities menu, select Name Printer and enter a new name in the dialog box. You will have to turn your printer off and then on again before continuing. Change Printer Settings From the Utilities menu, select Change Printer Settings. In the dialog box that appears, select from the options described below. To restore all settings to their default values, click the Defaults button.
Print Demo Page Select this command from the Utilities menu to print a demonstration page that illustrates your SuperScript 870’s capabilities. Print Settings Page Select this command from the Utilities menu to print pages that provide a summary of your printer’s settings and network information. Print SuperScript 870 File Select this command from the Utilities menu to print a document that was previously saved as a SuperScript 870 file, using the Destination/File option in the Print dialog box.
Launching the Spooler The Spooler is launched automatically when you print a document (if background printing is on). To view the Spooler window, select SuperScript 870 Spooler from the Finder menu in the upper right corner of your screen. You can also open this window when there are no documents being printed (or when background printing is off), by double-clicking on the SuperScript 870 Spooler icon in the Extensions Folder inside the System Folder.
MACOS PRINTING Stopping the Printer You can pause the printer temporarily to remove a print job from the Waiting list or change the order of print jobs. If a document is being printed when you pause the print queue, the printer finishes it before stopping. To stop the printer: Select Stop Printing from the File menu when the Spooler window is displayed. To resume printing: Select Resume Printing from the File menu when the Spooler window is displayed.
Basic Setup for UNIX UNIX setup consists of 1) setting the IP Address on the NIC, and 2) setting up one of two printing modes, either Printer-based lpd: Here, the printer appears as a resident host running a line printer daemon. The printer can print the username and filename on its banner page. In this mode, a printing daemon must be installed on each host that you want to print jobs.
8. The printer NIC will not respond to this ping command but it will read its IP address from the packets. Turn the printer off and back on again and then use the ping command again to verify that the printer NIC obtained its IP address. If the printer NIC has the address, the result is a confirmation message: 192.9.200.200 is alive 9. Remove the entry from the ARP cache using the following command. Specify the printer NIC either by its IP address or by its name.
based lpd then filters the data and prints the job according to information contained in the control file and its own printcap file. The NIC lpd recognizes printer emulations, such as PCL and ASCII, and formats the data so it can be printed on the 870 printer. Using the NIC Home Page, you can set the NIC port to PCL, ASCII, or Other. The SuperScript 870 cannot print PostScript files. The following sections give specific lpd setup instructions for various systems.
Use the following steps to install, using lpsystem: 1. lpsystem -t bsd Enter the NIC print server host name from the /etc/hosts file. Your system may want its IP address instead of the remote host name. 2. lpadmin -p -s !PORT1 note: There is no space after the remote host name. 3. Enable 4.
Installing and Printing on Solaris 2.x 1. Run the Installation script by typing: nicinst. Once the operating system has been identified, the script downloads the files for your particular system, to the /usr/nic directory, and prompts you for information as needed. 2. Type cp /usr/spool/lp/model/standard /usr/nic/port1_interface 4. note: Use of this default interface in most cases will suffice for generic or routine printing of most PCL and ASCII files.
Type the following command. lpadmin -p -v /dev/null -i /usr/nic/port1_interface note: lpadmin configures the printer name and associates it with a given device and printer interface program. There is no /etc/printcap file involved with this method of configuration. Next, you need to initialize the printer. 7. Type the following commands. accept and press ENTER. enable and press ENTER.
5. Your screen will now display the information you provided the install script. For example, Node name of the NIC: superscript Printer name to be used: Do you want to accept this configuration? Type: yes and press ENTER. 6. The script automatically starts the daemon for the newly configured printer. It also displays the path you should use if you ever need to restart the daemon.
Check NIC Status Lights Use the checklists in this section to identify the cause of printing problems. If a problem persists, contact NEC Printer Technical Support at their web site (www.nec.com/nectechsupport) or phone 1-800-632-4650. Check the NIC’s status lights to ensure that there is no error condition. The two status lights, amber and green, are located on the interface panel on the back of the printer. The green light should be lit and steady.
Review Recent System Changes Troubleshooting for NetWare Verify that any hardware changes (installations, modifications, removals), to the printer or network, were done correctly. If you added a new software application, make sure the program is compatible and installed correctly on the network. See your network protocol documentation to confirm. Use MAP and the NIC Home Page/Network Administration options to troubleshoot in an IPX environment (see page 8 for instructions on using the NIC Home Page).
Computer Checklist • Is the network loaded onto the computer? See your NetWare documentation. • Is the application set up to print to the printer? Are you using the correct driver? • Is the workstation connected to the correct print queue? Print a file and verify that the file goes to the queue. • Are the print queues assigned to the NIC-connected printer also assigned to another network printer? If they are, the print jobs may be going to that printer.
• • The password assigned to the NIC through PCONSOLE does not match the password assigned using the NIC Home Page. Use the NIC Home Page to update the password stored in the NIC’s memory. Use PCONSOLE to check if the print jobs are being sent to the printer. Be sure the print job is in the print queue and waiting to be printed. Computer to NIC Connection Checklist To make sure the computer is communicating with the NIC, perform these tests.
Numerics H 10/100 Base-T connection 3 870 NIC 2 A hardware connections troubleshooting 44 hardware requirements 3 ARP 18 I B installation requirements hardware 3 software 3 systems 2 installing the NIC 4 IP address assigning in UNIX 36 assigning in Windows 95/98 14 assigning in Windows for Workgroups 15 assigning in Windows NT 4.
orientation 28 page scaling 28 page size 28 precision bitmap alignment 30 print preview 29 printable area 29 MacOS print job settings cover page 27 destinations 27 halftones 28 imaging 28 number of copies 26 page range 26 paper source 27 print colors as 27 print order 27 resolution 26 toner usage 26 trailer page 27 MacOS printer settings auto continue 32 energy saving 32 horizontal offset 32 jam recovery 32 manual feed time out 32 vertical offset 32 wait time out 32 ii MAP configuring a NIC for NetWare 21
P password 10 PCONSOLE 22 peer to peer printing adding the printer in Windows 17 installing software 16 IP 16 IPX 16 moving a printer 17 removing software 17 printer drivers SuperScript 870 for Windows 2 printer status 10 printing to file 27 protocols 10 R resetting the NIC 7 restoring factory defaults 7 RJ-45 connectors 3 S setup printer 10 shielded twisted pair cable 3 software requirements 3 Spooler (MacOS) setting preferences 35 spooler (MacOS) 33 status page (see network settings page) 6 SuperScript
FCC Statement (For United States Use Only) Federal Communications Commission Radio Frequency Interference Statement. WARNING: Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment. NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
