Looking at some VPN hardware options

Well,
I have given up on making remote location printers work over Terminal services. Seems no one has an answer.

So I'm going to bridge the 2 LANs together over a VPN tunnel. Looking for some hardware recommendations.

Remote location has 3 desktops and one printer.
Host location has 7 desktops and one terminal server running Great Plains.

Host location has static IP with T1
Remote location has DSL.

I was looking at the business class Linksys stuff.
I'm all ears.

 

Hi Scott

Jeeze it's been 3 or 4 weeks since I've had time to even log on here! Been traveling with work.

I have 22 terminal servers in my client base. Yes I agree RDP/Terminal services can be a headache sometimes.

Dedicated Hardware VPN routers are definately the way to go. Not expensive. And easy to set up.
Altho traveling between sites etc to setup does increase the overall cost especially depending on the distance.

I have used both Netgear and Linksys dedicated VPN routers. You should not have a problem.

But some clients are penny pinchers so they are not always easy to convince. Especially if there are only 3 remotes from 1 location.

I have always made them work!

So if they are a distance apart and you want to try once more, get me the below info.

First! In your own attemps have you determined that the printers will work with the firewalls off?

What ver OS Terminal server 2k or 2k3?

I assume that RDP does connect, and that it is only the printing that is the issue?

I assume the remotes want to run the Great Plains and print to their local printer, yes?

Do they ever need to print to the Host printer at the terminal server?

Does the Host print to the remote?

What brand printer,connected via direct network or usb shared from a station?

How connected to the rest of the network? Shared TCP port (with ip) or just network station share?

Finally and this is where most RDP/Printing problems come from, some printers especially the newer usb printers require exact matching printer drivers installed on the server. IE if the server is using a Microsoft detected printer driver and the station is using a factory downloaded driver, RDP printer will likely not be dedected.

So the same driver should be downloaded and installed to the server to match workstation.

OK I am headed for some well deserved R&R to movies to see 10,000 BC!
Will leave in about 45 mins and not return till 6:30-7 PM EST.

Mike

 

Hi Mike,
You fired a bunch of questions at me so let me see if I can absorb it when I have a few min.

The scenario is like this:
There are 3 retail stores.
The main store in Montgomery with the server.
Store #2 in Prattville with 1 PC.
Store #3 in Auburn with 3 desktops and one printer.
Auburn is where the problem is. The desktop that has the Brother all in one printer installed via USB can connect to Montgomery via RDP and run Great Plains and print invoices fine.

That desktop has the Brother all in one shared out to the other 2 desktops and can print locally fine.
But if those 2 desktops connect to Montgomery they cant see the brother printer. Even while the desktop hosting the printer is connected to Great Plains.
Auburn is 50 miles away so It's a major pain to get over there unless I have a plan first.

Even if I go VPN I'll have to jump through the phone companies hoops to get the DSL modem bridged so I can get a WAN IP.

 

Yep

Correct.

No but that will work fine.

No

Just shared out but I have had this same problem with another person that had a HP 4050 TCP/IP printer.

The problem started when the printer was replaced. The old printer was serial.

You may be on to something Mike. I didn't do anything at the server.

 

Hi Scott

OK! First do nothing on the server!

As you stated the one station does print via RDP, that confirms no problem on the server!

Of all the printers you could have I have had more problems with Brother USB Multi Function printers. And Multifunction printers of all brands have some issues with sharing both local and remotes.

But the issue is still the printer drivers but instead of the server it is the work stations.

Here is what I would do.

I assume you shared the printer from the one that works, then browsed and let the printer install to the other 2 from the share.

When windows says "the proper driver for this printer is not installed please wait etc" it gets the basic driver only to print from the shared printer.

If you did that I would un-install the mapped printers on these 2 stations then use the same full install (Cd or share) that you used to install on the computer that actually has the printer and works, to the 2 stations.

Some of these new printers require that you install the software and only connect the printer when prompted by setup.

Some will allow you to "continue without connecting" others will not install unless they can detect the printer at that time.

So you may have to actually physically connect the printer do the full install and then put it back to the original PC.

Once the full featured driver is installed from (CD) then remap the share but this time the share will use the full driver already installed instead of loading a minimal driver from the share.

This should do it but if not I have other options from there!


Mike

 

It did say that and I fed it the CD and browsed to the correct directory.

 

Hi Scott

Yes there are 2 senerios.
1. The printer is not known on the station and you get the message "The printer is not installed....etc please wait while the printer is installed" and it get its driver directly from the share.

2. or it can not retrieve the driver from the share and asks for the install CD. A sure sign of a more complex driver. It still gets only a minimal driver this way. I still advise a full install.

Ok after thinking about it.

RDP is set as default to only print to "local" or usb ports. Not to a network share!

Normally I would get around this problem by using a printer that can be mapped to an lpt port and use the net use command. Most MFP's have issues with this and your specific printer will not print to an lpt port.

Here is your answer, a registry setting for the XP client that will allow network printers.

First 2 links just for insight, last link you can download the registry file to merge.
http://forums.techarena.in/showthread.php?t=861231

http://www.tech-archive.net/Archive...ndows.terminal_services/2006-02/msg00201.html

Download registry file to do it here
http://www.aperion.com/downloads/remote_desktop/index.htm

Good luck let me know!

Mike

 

Getting a printer that you can set up to use a TCP/IP printing port is definitely the way to go.

Scott, I think you are working too hard to get that all-in-one USB printer working. It would be a lot cheaper to just install a network ready small laser printer. For example, an HP LaserJet 1022N would work a treat and not break the bank (looking on the HP US site - it looks like the 1022N is no longer sold your side of the pond. Equivalent appears to be a P1505N)

BTW, I whole heartedly agree with mflynn. Hardware VPN solution is definitely the way to go. Take care to get proper VPN routers. "VPN enabled" routers can often just allow VPN tunnels through rather than providing the VPN end points.

I'm not a great fan of Linksys routers, but Netgear have always been reliable for me. Have a look Draytek routers too if you are on a tight budget.

 

It's been over a month since I did this but I remember after browsing to the printer share I got a message that the share didn't have the correct driver which didn't make sense because all three machines were XP Pro. SO I threw in the CD and pointed to the XP driver.

 

Thanks guys.
I was leaning towards the VPN route but that still may not solve the issue unless the printer was physically connected to the server.
Man I'll have to chew on this.

Thanks guys.

 

Hi Scott

I don't understand what to chew on?

Since RDP does not consider "any" port that is not "lpt" "com" or "usb" as a" local device" it will not work until it is reg'ed to include all print devices.

The Registry file in my post # 7. Easy to do. Backup the Key as it is then import the Registry file.

Do not do the TSPDRW mentioned as it is for the server and we have proved that is OK. Besides the TSPDRW may be a little dated!

You should be able to do this remotely. Try it first without the full printer install as I suggested first.

If it does not work then a full printer install before giving up.

Now one of the links did mention that this worked for him on XP but not Vista, he even has your printer. Now if the station is Vista still do it, as his problem with Vista may have been specific to him or to Vista UAC or the firewall.

Now as Reggie said a more "standards" printer such as an HP that will allow you to net use to an lpt port and actually print from dir >lpt will allow the printer to to work in RDP.

The brother printer will allow mapping with net use but still will not print.

I think you will find the registry merge will fix your issue on the Brother and the HP you mentioned. But you still may need to do full printer install.

OK before I posted this I re-read the entire thread and noticed in your post 9 that the computers are in fact XP. And in your post #10, no "VPN or not" the printer will not have to be physically connected to the server. The server only needs the driver installed. The driver on the server and work-station must be exact matches tho!

The server needs no changes as it is printing back to the one station that has the printer physically attached.

Knock it out today and let me know!

Mike

 

Mike it's a 50 mile trip and this dang day job gets in the way.

Not sure when I will be heading over there.

 

Hi Scott

Geeze you could do this remotely if you had RDP or VNC access.

In this case VNC would allow you to connect then run RDP within VNC session and allow you to download the reg patch and install it the test it.

I thought this was your day job!

OK let me know.

Have a good day!

Mike

 

Mike,
They got a local guy to come to the rescue on the printer project.
Probably read this and became the hero.


On the VPN subject I used 2 Linksys WRV54G Wireless VPN routers and they worked like a champ!

I already knew both WAN IPs and both subnets. I configured both routers at my house, drove to the sites, plugged them in and they were connected!

From the 192.168.1.x subnet I can ping devices on the 192.168.2.x subnet and vise versa without any problem what so ever.

 

10-4

Fantastical!

I was wondering!

Mike