Printing via Terminal Services + and user printer setup

orbitalsalmon

We're experiencing printing problems with our remote users over VPN. They are tunneling into our local servers here in California, but printing back where they are in Maryland. Most of the time it's okay, but they have consistent problems printing the Item Journal register. It simply won't print on one of the computers (but it WILL print on other remote computers, and it DOES print test report each time. Only skips the final register printout each time).

Today one of the other computers didn't print the control report for our picking slip. It's been working for 7 months and suddenly skips. Navision THINKS it was printed, but no paper came out, and nothing in print queue on our terminal server.

During our initial Navision implementation, I went to G/L setup area, and selected "Printer Selections" and assigned the remote printer to each of our remote users to force them to use it. It seemed to work well except for the instances I mentioned above.

What I DID notice was the value ";Ne0*" at the end of the printer names. They changed randomly, and I'm not sure why. In other words, when I first assigned the remote printer to our remote users months ago it read "HP Laserjet 4200n MD1;Ne01". But when I checked the settings again today and clicked on the Lookup arrow, I see "HP LaserJet 4200n MD1;Ne03". There is no "Ne01". Why did it change to Ne03?

Anyone know what's going on here?

Poltergeist

Both local printers and networkprinters are uniquely identified with both the name and the ID number. While the name should be sufficient for Navision, all printers are referenced with the full name, thus including the NE0x assignment.

Let's say you have a printerserver. All printers have different names, let's say printer01, printer02 and printer03. When a workstation is connected to the printer, by means of a logonscript or manually, it also gets an NE number assigned by Windows.

No problem sofar, as long as all printers are connected in the same sequence. First connect printer01. It will be assigned with Printer01:ne00. Then connect printer02. It will be assigned with printer02:ne01, et cetera.

If the sequence is changed, so are the NE numbers. First connect printer02. It will be assigned with printer02:ne00. Then connect printer03. It will get the name printer03:ne01. And then connect printer01, which will be assigned with printer01:NE02. That's the first problem.

Second problem: local printers. These also get a NE number. However, as networkprinters are disconnected when a user log offs, the localprinters will be assigned with the lowest numbers. So, if a user connect their Epson inkjetprinter locally to the workstation, it will be assigned with the name EPSON:NE00. A faxdriver can also be used as printer driver, and will be given the name FAX:NE01. Then you connect the networkprinters, which will be assigned with NE02, NE03 and NE04.

However, when creating a report in Navision, you can assign a default printer, and only one printer. However, this always refers to the full name, this PRINTER03:NExx. And that's where the trouble starts. PRINTER03 can be assigned with NE01 on your workstation, while it being assigned NE02 on your collegues workstation. Hence: the report will not be printed (but Navision gives no errormessage).

Take a look at this: http://www.mibuso.com/dlinfo.asp?FileID=25. It might help you a bit further...

orbitalsalmon

thanks for the info, and have you used that patch yourself? do you know if this version compatable with Navision 3.70 or if it will cause any harmful effects?

Christian_Buehl

You can solve a couple of problems when using Citrix instead of Windows Terminal Server.
The problems are well known and caouse by the way the windows printer driver are working.
Just some tipps I've kept from a Terminal Server specialist:

- Install all printer drivers used on the local workstation again on the server (Doesen't matter if you really use them on the server, but they have to exist)
- GDI Printers will usually not work
- Use whenever possible the Microsoft Driver instead of the manufacturers driver
- Problems are known with Kyocera printer drivers

If nothing will work a PDF-Software (e.g. Jaws PDF-Creator, PDF-995, Acrobat...) can probably solve your problem. Print directly on the server as a PDF file. Then move the PDF to the initiator by copy and print locally (Not the best, but it works)

Poltergeist

orbitalsalmon wrote:

thanks for the info, and have you used that patch yourself? do you know if this version compatable with Navision 3.70 or if it will cause any harmful effects?

Well, I'm no programmer. But one of my collegues has implemented a same kind of solution. It's probably necesarry to adapt a thing or two, but I believe the code is quite straightforward.