HP Designjet Printers - Wireless Network Card Support

nota:

The HP Jetdirect 680n wireless print server has been discontinued and is no longer available. There is no replacement at this time that will currently work for the 10ps/20ps/50ps, 500/800 series or the 5500 series. The information for using a wireless Jetdirect 680n is still included in this document, although the 680n has been discontinued.

• In Infrastructure mode, all wireless communications from a network device goes through an Access Point, which is a network component that acts as a network hub, bridge, or gateway to connect wireless devices to wired networks. Infrastructure mode is referred to as a Basic Service Set. An Access Point has a fixed throughput capacity, and therefore, wireless performance will depend on the number of wireless devices connected to an access point and the types of data transfers of each device.

  Figura : Infrastructure mode examples

  
• In Ad Hoc (Peer - to - Peer) mode, the wireless devices on a network communicate directly with each other, and Access Points are not user. Ad Hoc mode is referred to as Independent Basic Service Set (IBBS). Although network performance depends on the type of users and devices, Ad Hoc mode is typically used on very small networks (for example, up to six wireless users and devices).

  Figura : Ad Hoc mode example

  

• In Ad Hoc mode, the Jetdirect wireless print server will scan all available channels for the network specified in the Network Name (SSID) field. If the network is detected, the print server will configure itself to work on the same channel as the network. If the network is not detected, the print server will actively transmit and advertise itself in channel 10 (by default). It is possible to configure the print server to do this operation in channel 11.
• In Infrastructure mode, the channel will be determined by the Access Point to which the print server connect. The print server will adapt its channel to the one required.

• Network name - Wireless devices are configured with the name of the network to which they will connect. The Network name is also called the SSID (Service Set Identifier). The default value is hpsetup.
• Authentication - Authentication is used to validate the identification of each device or computer that is attempting to communicate. The authentication methods supported by Jetdirect wireless print servers include: Open System, Shared Key, and EAP/802.1x. For details about these authentication methods, see the Jetdirect Administrator's Guide, Appendix B.
• Encryption - Used to ensure a secure communication. Jetdirect 802.11b Wireless print servers support both static and dynamic encryption protocols. For more information about encryption in wireless Jetdirect print servers, see the Jetdirect Administrator's Guide, Appendix B.

• Install the Jetdirect hardware
• Print a Jetdirect configuration page
• Configure the wireless connection
• Configure the network connection

• The communication mode (network topology)
• The network name
• The communication channel
• The authentication method
• The encryption type

nota:

This information will be very important when configuring the card for the first time.

• Ad Hoc mode
• Network name: hpsetup
• Channel 10
• Authentication: Open system (no authentication)
• Encryption: No encryption

• IP address: 192.0.0.192
• Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

• NO DHCP or BOOTP - Manual IP address
• IP address: any that follows the IP protocol rules
• Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

• Route ADD 192.0.0.192 MASK 255.255.255.0

• The network where the printer will be connected has a DHCP or a BOOTP server. This is the simple case, as once the printer is connected to that network, it will get the IP parameters automatically.
• The network has no DHCP or BOOTP server and the IP parameters need to be configured manually.

1. Connect the printer to the network (this is done by configuring the wireless connection and changing the wireless parameters to set up the wireless network parameters in the network card).
2. The Jetdirect print server will get its IP address from the network's DHCP or BOOTP server.
3. Print a configuration page. It will contain the IP address of the printer.
4. Use the MacroInstaller or the Install Network Printer Wizard Software to configure a port in your computer with the IP address of the printer.

1. In this case, the IP address needs to be configured manually. To do so, you can use either the MacroInstaller or the Install Network Printer Wizard that comes in your Jetdirect CD.
2. In both SW you have two options: "search for printers in the network" or "specify the printer's address."
   1. If you search for printers in the network, after a while, a list with all the available printers will appear. To identify your printer from others of the same mode, you can use the Hardware Address, which is included in the Jetdirect Configuration Page.
   2. If you want to specify your printer by its address, as there is no initial IP address set, you will need to specify the Hardware address. This information is included in the Jetdirect Configuration page.
3. Set the final IP parameters of the Jetdirect card (IP address, Subnet Mask, Gateway) to ones that suit in your network.

nota:

For detailed information about Wireless concepts, installation of the printer in the network and the usage of the Jetdirect Embedded Web Server, please refer to the specific documentation of the Jetdirect wireless print server.

• Install the Jetdirect hardware
• Get the current wireless parameters
• Configure the wireless connection
• Configure the network connection

• The communication mode (network topology)
• The network name
• The communication channel
• The authentication method
• The encryption type

nota:

This information will be very important when configuring the card for the first time.

• Using the provided software
• Using the printer's front panel

• Ad Hoc mode
• Network name: hpsetup
• Channel 10
• Authentication: Open system (no authentication)
• Encryption: No encryption

• IP address: 192.0.0.192
• Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

• NO DHCP or BOOTP - Manual IP address
• IP address: any that follows the IP protocol rules
• Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

• Route ADD 192.0.0.192 MASK 255.255.255.0

1. Access the Printer configuration menu in the printers front panel.
2. Scroll to I/O config and press Enter.
3. Scroll to Config card and press Enter.
4. Select Configure Network = Yes and continue.
5. Select Configure TCP/IP = Yes and continue.
6. Inside the Link configuration section, it will be possible to change all the relevant Wireless parameters.

1. Access the Printer configuration menu in the printers front panel.
2. Scroll to I/O config and press Enter.
3. Scroll to Config card and press Enter.
4. Select Configure Network = Yes and continue.
5. Select Configure TCP/IP = Yes and continue.
6. Here, it will be possible to change the relevant TCP/IP parameters, including IP config method, IP address and Subnet Mask.

nota:

For detailed information about Wireless concepts, installation of the printer in the network and the usage of the Jetdirect Embedded Web Server, please refer to the specific documentation of the Jetdirect wireless print server. See the "References" section at the end of this document for links to this documentation.

• The BlueTooth wireless protocol operates in the same radio frequency band as IEEE 802.11b (the protocol used by Jetdirect wireless print servers), so, theoretically, there could be interference problems if a customer is using BlueTooth devices (like some mobile phones, PDAs, and cameras) together with 802.11b ones. After extensive testing we've checked that we can only observe significant problems if the BlueTooth device is placed very close to the printer (a few centimeters). Anyway, in order to avoid problems it is recommendable to avoid deploying Bluetooth and 802.11b networks at the same time.
• Jetdirect 380x is not detected by Windows 2000 when installing the printer through AppleTalk (works as designed), while Jetdirect 680n, on the other hand, can be configured on a Windows 2000 computer through Appletalk. This difference is due to Appletalk configuration for both cards. Jetdirect 680n reports the Appletalk "LaserWriter" and the printer's name. Jetdirect 380x reports the Appletalk type as "Deskwriter" and the printer's name. When Windows 2000 searches printers on an Appletalk network, it looks for the "LaserWriter" type, and so, Jetdirect 380x is not detected and cannot be used. Appletalk is not a recommended protocol in Windows 2000.
• Users cannot roam between access points if the IP address changes at the handover. The connection is basically cut off when the handover occurs. Note that this is due to an inherent problem with IEEE 802.11b roaming.
• Click to print times are longer than with wired Jetdirects.

• Sending raster from the driver (Avoid out of memory option)
• Sending raster from a Raster Image Processor (RIP)
• Sending raster files with a direct connection

• The printer should not be further than 40 meters from the access point (infrastructure mode) or the client (ad-hoc mode). While IEEE 802.11b specification allows for a larger coverage area, you can only guarantee good enough throughput if the printer is within 40 metres of the transmitter.
• There should be no walls or other obstacles between the printer and the access point (infrastructure mode) or client (ad-hoc mode). Even if the radio signals will penetrate most office walls, the quality of the signal (and thus, the throughput) directly depends on the material the wall is constructed with.
• It is not recommeded to use BlueTooth equipment together with IEEE 802.11b networks (even if, as stated above, the negative effects can only be noticed when the BlueTooth transmitter and the IEEE 802.11b received are very close, in the order of centimeters).