[rescue] printing alternatives?

[Arno Kletzander]

Lionel Peterson <lionel4287 at verizon.net> wrote:
> >From: Mike Hebel <nimitz at nimitzbrood.com>
> >Date: 2007/07/06 Fri PM 12:23:33 CDT
> >To: The Rescue List <rescue at sunhelp.org>
> >Subject: Re: [rescue] printing alternatives?
> >(...)
> > It'll work but unless you're printing a buttload of documents you 
> > might be better off getting a cheap JetDirect box.  I think I paid all 
> > of $29 shipped for my external parallel one off of Flea-Bay.
> 
> Little Netgear and D-Link units work well also, I personally have a 
> great fondness for internal print servers, but most of my printers seem 
> to be vastly under-utilized workgroup printers from another era (LJ2100 
> and LJ5 Si/MX currently)...
> 
> Lionel

As the topic is just being discussed, I'll take the opportunity to ask about some print servers I stumbled across recently...

Two of them are Pacific Data Products DirectNet internal units for HP LaserJet 4 printers. There is a sticker on the solder side reading "Pacific DirectNet (MAC address) 017808 Novell/Unix"; the backpanel has a BNC socket, an RJ45 socket, a button labeled "Status" (which makes the printer spew out a page with setup information and network statistics when pressed) and two LEDs (red/green). A 72-pin SIMM connector is provided on the board. They do not have any further designation like "EX" or "PS" to them (those seem to be external models). 

Last is an external "Castelle LANcom 2P" unit, powered by a wall-wart. This one has two parallel ports, a BNC and an RJ45 socket and three LEDs. If I connect it to a printer, it will repeatedly produce error messages to the effect that it can't find its server. I did try to find out what it's searching for but it seems ethersnoop can't make sense of the packets it sends out.

Despite extensive searching of the web, I was not able to retrieve any documentation or software pertaining to these items; any pointers are welcome.

TIA,
Arno Kletzander
-- 
GMX FreeMail: 1 GB Postfach, 5 E-Mail-Adressen, 10 Free SMS.
Alle Infos und kostenlose Anmeldung: http://www.gmx.net/de/go/freemail