How do I configure an IBM 6400?

[GlenKerner]

you should be able to set it up as a network printer. You use the MAC address of the nic card and not the I/P address. I have included the set up we have for our IBM 6400 using an external Lexmark Print server (why print servers when they are basically external NIC cards I'll never know). <hr width=50 align=left>Code ('http://www.mcpressonline.com/mc/showcode@@.6ae7217b/1')

[Guest.Visitor]

There are a ton of parameters and some of this depends on the features installed. You will definitely need the manual that walks you through configuring and saving of profiles. If you do not save the set and also designate this saved set as the power on default next time you power off they will be gone. We have 6400's that are IP driven and other that are Native. They can also print very usable barcodes.

[Guest.Visitor]

In addition to saving your configuation on the 6400 in a custom set, you will have to setup the connection to the AS/400 as a 'remote output queue,' although depending on your requirements, you may have some problems with this set up. IPDS and/or AFP printer streams may require the use of PSF/400 (a licensed IBM program), or they may not work at all. There are issues regarding page range support which require the use of a special 'exit program.' We had a problem where there was 'ghost data' in the buffer each time the printer finished printing a spool file (not related to the banner page setup on either the AS/400 outqueue or the jetdirect box). This may be corrected by updating the firmware on your Jetdirect, but may not be. In our situation the problems outweighted the benefit. You may be spending a lot of time with IBM software support just to find out that from their point of view the Jetdirect setup is 'NOT TESTED and NOT SUPPORTED (BUT SHOULD WORK).' A pretty flimsey setup if you ask me! We also wasted a bunch of time trying to set this up as a LAN DEVD since the printers support (to some extent) SNMP. Even IBM thought it would work, but we found out it DOES NOT (so don't waste your time on that one). Hope this info is of some value in your quest.

[SoggySand]

Can someone please help with advice on getting the device/OUTQ settings correct to talk to an IBM 6400 and JetDirect as a network printer. I've heard it can be an ugly task to get right, and we've had no luck at all, but I'm sure there are many of you who have pulled it off. Thanks in advance.

[anders.grimsberg@axis.com]

The best way to connect a matrix to a AS/400 over IP is with the protocoll TN5250E, easy setup, pagerange, real IBM printer. Axis, IO and MPI have external printservers that handle this protocoll.