New TCP/IP Printing Options in the Windows Standard Port Monitor

Windows 2000 offers an alternative to LPR ports when you want to print to network print devices over TCP/IP. The new port monitor is called Standard Port Monitor (SPM). SPM is installed by default when TCP/IP is installed in Windows.

SPM is more robust because it uses Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to read the configuration of the target print device and determine its status. If SPM cannot configure the target print device using the SPM default TCP ports and SNMP, it uses the LPR protocol if it is supported by the target device (however, it is still installed as an SPM port).

Unlike LPR, SPM uses port 9100 by default for the destination port, and randomly selects any open source port greater than 1023 as the source port.

To install an SPM port:

1. Click Create new port in the Add Printer Wizard.
2. Type the Internet Protocol (IP) address (or host name) of the target device (the port name is automatically filled in, but you can modify the port name if you do not like the suggested port name).
3. When you continue the wizard, SPM attempts to make its initial query about the device and configures the device, based on the SNMP responses. If the printer model and options are learned using SNMP, you do not have to choose the printer, and the printer is automatically configured.

In Microsoft Windows NT, the only way to natively print to a print device over TCP/IP is to install Microsoft TCP/IP Printing. This component was by default an RFC 1179 compliant Line Printer Daemon (LPD) and Line Printer Resource (LPR). In Windows 2000, you can still have the same LPD/LPR (this is called Print Services for UNIX and is installed under Other File and Print Services). For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Most Hewlett-Packard Jet Direct print servers work with SPM using the new port 9100 protocol. Please check with the manufacturer of your print server to see if this configuration is supported for the respective print device.

The third-party products that are discussed in this article are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.

For additional information, see the following Microsoft WebCast: