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    Netport(R) II Print Server: Update Information - Ethernet Version

    
    

    NETPORT(R) II ETHERNET ERRATA

    
       Important changes to the Intel NetPort(R) II print server on Ethernet
    
       Lans
    
       Read these release notes for important information about using and
    
       updating NetPort II print servers.  This document also contains changes
    
       to specific chapters in The Complete Guide to installing and using the
    
       Intel NetPort on Ethernet LANs.
    
    
    
       Download the newest version of NPAdmin
    
       Download the latest version of NPAdmin software from Intel's online
    
       services.
    
    
    
       Download the newest flash software
    
       The newest version of Flash software has been released  and It is v4.32.
    
        It is available through Intel's online services.  This version adds
    
       enhancements to handle bad packets better, fix occasional DMA
    
       operations, SFTIII support, 802.2 & SNAP frame type support, delay in
    
       get nearest file server request and handle marginal traffic conditions
    
       better.
    
    
    
       NetWare fault tolarence level 3 (SFTIII) support
    
       The XL now supports SFT III to provide continuous printing service even
    
       if the primary file server goes down. With SFT III, the Netport II print
    
       server automatically attaches to the mirroring NetWare server without 
    
       losing any queued print jobs. With this update, the Netport II print
    
       server does not  require any special configuration to provide SFT III
    
       support.
    
    
    
       802.2 & SNAP frame type support
    
       This  update adds support for 802.2 and SNAP to the existing 802.3 and
    
       Ethernet II frame type protocols. The frame type the Netport II print
    
       server uses is determined by the position of the two DIP switches on the
    
       back panel of the unit.  Only one frame type can be active at a time.  
    
    
    
       Frame          Position 1     Position 2
    
       802.3          Up             Up
    
       802.2          Down           Up
    
       SNAP           UP             Down
    
       Ethernet II    Down           Down
    
    
    
       Delay in get nearest file server request
    
       Timing for Get Nearest File Server requests have  been increased from
    
       half second to five seconds.    This change decreases traffic on the
    
       network when  the NetPort II print server is in attaching mode.
    
    
    
       Unique Novell Pserver name when setting up NetPort
    
       The file server and PSERVER cannot have the same name.  When configuring
    
       NetPort II as a remote printer adapter, be sure the Novell PSERVER name
    
       is not the same as the file server name.  NetPort uses the server name
    
       (either file server or print server) to identify whether it should
    
       operate as a print server or remote printer adapter.  If NetPort locates
    
       a file server with the same name as the Novell PSERVER, it tries to
    
       attach to the file server as a print server and will not become a remote
    
       printer adapter.
    
    
    
       Use NP2UPDAT to update from a serail port
    
       To update a NetPort using a serial cable connected between the NetPort
    
       and a workstation, type the following command at the workstation
    
       connected to the NetPort:
    
    
    
            NP2UPDAT NetPortName NPnnn.UPD SERIAL
    
    
    
            Where NetPortName is the 8-digit (NPxxxxxx) ID found on the bottom
    
            of the NetPort box, and NPnnn.UPD is the software update file you
    
            want to use.
    
    
    
       For more information on serial updates, see Chapter 6 of the Complete
    
       Guide.
    
    
    
       Using a monochrome monitor with NPAdmin
    
       If you have a monochrome monitor, start the NPAdmin menu-driven software
    
       by typing this at the DOS prompt:
    
    
    
            NPAdmin \mono <Enter>
    
    
    
       Use QSCAN to set time that NetPort waits before checking queue
    
       To set the time that NetPort (setup as a print server) waits before
    
       checking to see if there is a print job in the queue, run NPAdmin and
    
       choose Manual Configuration or type:
    
    
    
            NP2CON NPxxxxxx QSCAN=n
    
    
    
       Where NPxxxxxx is the default NetPort name found on the bottom of the
    
       NetPort box, where n is the time in tenths of seconds, ranging from 10
    
       to 6000.  The default is n=40, which means NetPort checks the queue
    
       every 4 seconds.
    
    
    
       NetPort automatically re-attaches to server
    
       If the file server goes down and NetPort is in Print Server mode, 
    
       NetPort goes into attaching mode.  NetPort will automatically reconnect
    
       to the file server when it comes back up.  If the NetPort is reset while
    
       it is configured as a print server but there are no connection slots
    
       available, NetPort periodically attempts to log in as a print server
    
       until it is successful, or until the LAN administrator changes the
    
       NetPort port's mode to Available.  To change the port mode, use the
    
       Manual option (under the Configure menu) to set Port 1, Port 2 or both
    
       to Available.  For more information, refer to Chapter 3 of the Complete
    
       Guide and see steps 4 and 7 in Using Manual configuration for print
    
       server setup.
    
    
    
       If (1) NetPort is set up as a remote printer adapter and a power failure
    
       occurs and (2) NetPort comes up before the NetWare Print Server is ready
    
       for a new connection, then NetPort continually attempts to become a
    
       remote printer adapter to the defined print server.  NetPort continues
    
       its connection attempts until it is successful, or until the LAN
    
       administrator changes the NetPort port's mode to Available.  For more
    
       information, refer to Chapter 3 of the Complete Guide and see steps 4
    
       and 8 in Using Manual configuration for remote printer setup.
    
    
    
       Even though NetPort is attempting to attach to a server, it continues to
    
    
    
       allow the LAN administrator to make changes to the NetPort port's mode
    
       using the options provided by the Configure menu.  To stop NetPort from
    
       attempting to attach to a server, use the Manual configuration option to
    
       set the port modes to Available and to select a specific server in the
    
       Attached Servers window.  How does NetPort II display attaching
    
       information?  See the next section.
    
    
    
       How to view attaching information
    
       You can see information about NetPort's attempts to attach to the
    
       network by using either the Check All Ports option or the View NetPort
    
       Settings option (both options are found under NPAdmin's Port-Status
    
       menu).  If you use the Check All Ports option, the Mode column displays
    
       ATTACHING instead of PRINTSERVER, REMOTE, or AVAILABLE.  If you use the
    
       View NetPort Settings option, the Mode field displays ATTACHING-XXXX
    
       instead of PRINTSERVER, REMOTE, or AVAILABLE.  See below for details
    
       about different attaching states.
    
    
    
       You can also use the NetPort command-line utilities at the DOS prompt
    
       (instead of the NPAdmin main menu and options) to view attaching
    
       information.  To do so, type NPLIST or NPSTAT at the DOS prompt while
    
       NetPort is logging in as a print server or as a remote printer adapter.
    
       If you want to save the attaching status information in a batch file
    
       using a DOS error code, use the NPQUERY command-line utility described
    
       in Chapter 9 of the Complete Guide.
    
    
    
       The attaching status messages, corresponding descriptions, and DOS error
    
       codes are described below. This information will appear if you type
    
       NPLIST or NPSTAT at the DOS prompt or choose View NetPort settings
    
       (under the Port-Status menu) in NetPort's main menu.
    
    
    
       ATTACHING
    
    
    
            The NetPort is attempting to connect to the file server or print
    
            server.  No problems detected.  (Use error code 10 to save the
    
            attaching status information in a batch file.)
    
    
    
       ATTACHING-SN
    
    
    
            The NetPort is waiting for the LAN administrator to assign a server
    
            name.  Set the server name or set the port mode to Available. (Use
    
            error code 11.)
    
    
    
       ATTACHING-NCON
    
    
    
            The NetPort was not successful in its attempt to connect to the
    
            nearest file server.  It will retry until the connection is
    
            successful.  (Use error code 12.)
    
    
    
       ATTACHING-PSRP
    
    
    
            The NetPort cannot locate either a file server or a print server
    
            that matches the server name. NetPort will continue to search for
    
            the defined server on the network.  If a file server is located,
    
            the NetPort attaches as a print server; if a print server is
    
            located, the NetPort attaches as a remote printer.  (Use error code
    
            13)
    
    
    
       ATTACHING-PCON
    
    
    
            The NetPort's attempts to connect to the defined file server
    
            failed.  The NetPort will retry until the connection is successful.
    
             (Use error code 14.)
    
    
    
       ATTACHING-PS
    
    
    
            The NetPort's attempts to log in to the target file server as a
    
            print server have been unsuccessful for one of these reasons:
    
    
    
           1.  NetPort is not yet defined as a print server on the target file
    
              server.
    
    
    
           2.  The target file server is preventing NetPort from logging in. 
    
              This might occur when logins have been disabled, or if encrypted
    
              passwords are required.  The NetPort will continue trying to log
    
              in until successful.
    
    
    
           3.  The file server and print server have the same name and NetPort
    
              has been defined as a remote printer adapter and not a print
    
              server. (Use error code 15.)
    
    
    
       ATTACHING-RCON
    
    
    
            The NetPort's attempts to connect to the defined print server
    
            failed.  The NetPort will retry until the connection is successful.
    
             (Use error code 16.)
    
    
    
       ATTACHING-RP
    
    
    
            The NetPort's attempts to log in to the target print server as a
    
            remote printer adapter have been unsuccessful for one of the
    
            following reasons:
    
    
    
           1.  NetPort is not yet defined as a remote printer adapter on the
    
              target print server.
    
    
    
           2.  NetPort is not yet released from a previous connection to the
    
              target print server.  This might occur when the NetPort has been
    
              quickly powered down and up.   The NetPort will continue trying
    
              to log in until successful. (Use error code 17.)
    
    
    
       Corrections to the complete guide
    
       All chapter and section references are to: The Complete Guide to
    
       Installing and Using the Intel NetPort on Ethernet LANs.
    
    
    
       Locked NetWare Print Servers
    
       The following new information updates the troubleshooting guidelines
    
       currently provided in Chapter 10 of the Complete Guide.
    
    
    
       The situation/solution applies only to NetPorts setup as remote printer
    
       adapters.  This rare problem scenario will not occur for NetPorts
    
       configured as print servers.
    
    
    
       In the unlikely event that the NetWare Print Console shows a NetPort
    
       configured as a remote printer adapter to be printing, yet no jobs are
    
       coming out of the queue, try resetting the NetPort.
    
    
    
       After resetting the NetPort, the Print Server Console may still show the
    
       NetPort in printing mode, and the NPAdmin Check All Ports option (under
    
       the Port-Status menu) may show the NetPort in attaching mode.  If this
    
       occurs, reset the NetWare Print Server to allow NetPort to connect to
    
       the Print Server.
    
    
    
       Defining Operators, Enabling Form Checking and Notifying Users of Print
    
       Job Completions
    
       The following new information updates the procedure for defining
    
       notification operators currently provided in Chapter 3 of the Complete
    
       Guide.
    
    
    
       Use the Configure NetPort II for Ethernet window to define operators who
    
       are informed of printer errors, enable form checking, and notify users
    
       of job completions.  After you complete the setup on this window, press
    
       F10 to accept the configuration.
    
    
    
       Enabling form checking
    
       Position the cursor at the Form Check Field, press <Ins> and select ON. 
    
       Then press <Enter>.  If you want the printer or plotter to run without
    
       stopping for form changes, select OFF.
    
    
    
       Notifying Users of Job Completions
    
       Position the cursor at the Notify field, press <Ins> and select ON. 
    
       Then press <Enter>.  If you do not want users notified when their jobs
    
       complete printing, select OFF.
    
    

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