Q: connect mac client to mac printer share across subnets
I need to share printers from a Mac. I need to connect
Mac clients on different subnets to the Mac shared printers. I installed
a Mac mini, connected to printers via HP JetDirect Socket (port 9100), and
shared them. I was able to print from the Mac mini, and connect Mac
clients on the same subnet to the shared printers with Bonjour and print.
I moved the Mac mini to its intended location on another subnet. I
immediately learned that Bonjour does not publish services across
subnets. I could not find documentation on how to connect to a Mac shared
printer across subnets, but I did find some third party documentation (only some incomplete
documentation from Apple) on how to implement DNS-SD Service Discovery. I
enabled DNS-SD and was able to publish the printer shares across subnets, but I
was still unable to connect to the printer shares from a Mac client. I
found some third party documentation (none from Apple) on how to manually connect to a Mac
printer share by specifying the IP address of the server, specifying the CUPS
default IPP protocol, and the print queue name. I was unable to connect
to the shared printers. I receive ping replies from my Mac mini, and port
scan reveals that port 631 for IPP, CUPS default, is open. Printer
sharing is configured so everyone can print. I am able to connect to the Mac
mini with VNC Screen Sharing. I don’t see how this can be a network
issue.
Macs don’t seem to like to connect to our Windows
shared printers because of our PaperCut software, and connecting Mac clients to
Windows printer shares and authentication is beyond the average user,
exacerbated by Macs not behaving the same as Windows when bound to an Active
Directory domain.
I called Apple support, they escalated to Apple Enterprise
support. Apple Enterprise support said they couldn’t help me beyond a
single network with no subnets, but Apple Engineering might be able to solve
the problem for $695.
Why do I need to pay $695 to learn how to connect Mac
clients to Mac shared printers, something that should be easy and intuitive and
have documentation readily available? Windows printer sharing is easy and
intuitive and documentation is readily available, and services are published
across subnets without have to implement DNS-SD.
OS X Mavericks (10.9.4)
Posted on Sep 4, 2014 2:48 PM
Thank you for your reply. I followed the instructions in the sybaspot.com site and in some of the included references to set up DNS-SD. DNS-SD worked, but I couldn't connect the Mac client to the Mac shared printers.
I also found http://www.papercut.com/products/ng/manual/ch-mac-printing-10-8-9.html#ch-mac-pr inting-10-8-9-sharing-printers.
I expanded my search and found this: http://support.apple.com/kb/PH13940, last modified May 8, 2014. I started work on my project February 2014. Apple Support could have told me about this document.
PH13940 says: "The computers must be on the same local network as your Mac". Apple must not consider multiple subnets one network.
PH13940 says: "Printer sharing is for printers attached directly to your Mac. You don’t need to share network printers, because they are already shared on the network."
Apple must define "network printers" as any printer with a network interface. Microsoft defines network printers as printers shared by another computer. TCP/IP ports are local ports on a Windows computer, so TCP/IP connected printers are local printers that can be shared. Multiple users on a Mac all see the same connected printers. Multiple users on Windows all see the same local printers, but network printer connections can be different for each user.
Apple must not see any value in accounting for printing and assigning the cost to the user or department. We need to account for printing and cannot have any users bypassing the system by printing directly to printers. I have created Access Control lists on the printers to limit connections to the specific IP addresses of our print servers.
The documents about setting up DNS-SD and IPP connections must have assumed USB connected printers on a Mac. The odd thing is that I was able to share a network printer from the Mac mini when the client Mac was on the same subnet. Is PH13940 wrong?
I am Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer 1999 and Apple Certified Technical Coordinator 2013.
Posted on Sep 5, 2014 11:58 AM