Laserjet 3500n Printing From AS/400

[dacust]

More info is needed: I'm assuming you not only duplicated the device description but duplicated the outq as well? On the device description, is the Device Class *LAN or *VRT? I'm assuming *LAN since you are putting the IP address on the device description. Maybe a printout of the DSPDEVD and WRKOUTQD to *PRINT posted here would help. What are the symptoms? If *LAN, does it go to PND status? I'm not familiar with the HP3500n or the JetDirect EN3700, however in my experience, everything from HP IV up will print to any standard JetDirect if you specify *HP4 as the mfrtypmdl with a device type of 3812, transform(*yes), sysdrvpgm(*hppjldrv). Once you get it printing that way, you can start fine tuning mfrtypmdl, etc. to get it to behave. If you can't get it working like this, you may need to troubleshoot other places. Since you can print to it from CA, it's obviously communicating, but can you ping it from the 400? -dan

[fred@intracsystems.com]

Hi Dan, Thanks for your input. When I created the device description it automatically created the output queue, or at least I think it did. Yesterday I created a remote output queue, and associated it to a virtual printer description (which I also created), and everytime that I printed to that printer, the report would go into a "hold" status. In regard to the device description that I created for the "*LAN" device (the device which I created by copying my existing device which was working), the device class is "*LAN". In regard to the symptoms, other than not getting a report, there aren't any. The printer "varies on", the writer "starts", I send a report to the output queue, you can see it there, it says "writing", then it disappears, but nothing happens at the printer. I have been using MFRTYPMDL=*HP5, device type 3812, model 1, port 9100 (and I verified that the jetdirect was using 9100), transform "*YES", SYSDRVPGM=*HPPJLDRV, etc.. I can ping to the printer's IP address just fine from the AS/400. Previously, years ago, when I created the device description for my old printer (laserjet 4050), I had to create a workstation customizing object and associate it to the printer. This was just retrieve the workstation object for HP5 and recreate it as a workstation customization object (didn't have to change anything about it), and associate it to/with the printer. So with this new printer description, I have tried associating and not associating this customization object. I am not currently at the site to print a device description to attach to this posting. I may be able to do that tomorrow. Thanks, Fred

[dacust]

Try the statement below for creating it... Mainly take what you got but change it to *HP4. We actually found that the HP8000 has to be HP III, so you might try even older versions. In my experience when the spool file just simply dissapears, it is this type of configuration mis-match problem. The printer receives the data, but doesn't see anything in it that it thinks it needs to (or has the capability to) print. When it's done it tells the 400 it's finished, and empties the bit bucket on the floor. Below, of course substitute the CL parameters with your values. Also, this command assumes you set up a mesage queue the same name as the outq.

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Code

[fred@intracsystems.com]

Something I noticed also was that the subnet mask id we use on the AS/400 TCP/IP interfaces option is 255.255.255.0, but the subnet mask id on the jetdirect box is 255.255.0.0. Could this be causing my problem? Like I said earlier, I CAN ping the printer from the AS/400 just fine. Thanks, Fred

[fred@intracsystems.com]

Thanks Dan, I will try this tomorrow morning. Fred

[dacust]

Hmmmm. I kinow a little about IP, but some of it is still voodoo to me. There CAN be times when communications can go one way even though the mask is wrong, but cannot return. But the ping worked.... If the printer and the 400 are on the same subnet (especially on the same dumb hub) it may not matter. Of course, you want to fix it, but my gut reaction says this is not the problem. Bt since I can't see past my gut to my shoes, my gut could be "masking" something. -dan

[fred@intracsystems.com]

Hello Dan, Well, I created the device description using your instructions, and I got sort of the same results. I sent a report to the printer, I received a message to "load STD forms", and I then responded to the message with a "G". I then received a message saying the device was busy, or that I had the wrong IP address (shame on me, I forgot to write down the CPF message number). I am not physically at that site today, and I am no longer connected to that AS/400. Anyhow, I called the person that uses this printer, and she said that she was currently printing envelopes on the printer via her PC. Thus, this is probably why the printer was "busy". Her envelopes finished, I refreshed my spool file listing, and the report was gone, but nothing printed. After I created the device desc. (device name FOPRT1) I did a WRKOUTQ FOPRT1 to make sure that there was an output queue, and there was. Was I suppose to manually create or change this output queue???? Because if I was, I didn't. I then varied everything "off", and changed the MFRTYPMDL to *HPIII to see if that did anything. Varied stuff back on, sent a report, wrksplf, it had a status of PND, then it was gone, but nothing printed. I will soon have a hole in my wall from hitting my head against it. Any ideas on what I should try next? Thanks, Fred

[fred@intracsystems.com]

Another note, after I received the "printer busy" message, and once she was done with the printer, I sent another report to it, prior to changing the device desc. to *HPIII. The report acted like it printed, but nothing physically printed.

[dacust]

crtdevprt creats both devd and outq, so as long as you deleted both the devd and outq before creating it, you should be fine. If you have IBM printer support. They do a really good job of getting you to a reasonable working point. They don't always totally solve a problem, but they at least give you good info to work with. Such as they may know the exacy mfrtypmdl to use. Then if it doesn't work, at least that parameter is PROBABLY right. The "total bounce" between tests sometimes helps. Delete outq and devd, power off printer (and JetDirect, if seperate). Then power up in order : printer, JetD, test ping, then crtdevprt (the devd varies on automatically, so it's good to have the printer ready before creating).

[fred@intracsystems.com]

Hi Dan, This is the reply that I received from HP technical support. Thank you for contacting HP's Customer Care Center. The HP Color LaserJet 3500n is a host-based printer, it uses the resources of the Windows environment to format the print job for the printer. This printer is not supported in the AS/400 environment for that reason. This document defines host-based: http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport...ectID=bpl07860 The thing that I don't understand is that I thought people had "HP5" printers configured on their AS/400s. Or are these "HP5" printers different than the ones listed in HP's article? Any thoughts or comments. Thanks, Fred