Print Server and VPN

[TonyMan]

Trying to find out if I am completely stuck here. On my home network I connect my laptop and work at home via VPN. When my printer was on a PC I could always print. I have installed a Hawking print server and it seems that I cannot use it with the laptop. I cannot even set it up, it says it cannot find the printer. The server uses IPP and is at 192.168.1.10. If I do a trace route I see it goes off into the company server and eventually finds this address, but cannot verify if it is really my printer or not. We use the Nortel contivity client for VPN.

Is there any way I can connect to this printer when I have the VPN tunnel up?

Thanks

[omendata]

Not 100% sure if IPP works over Nortel VPN - You would have to use netbios resolution...

I think this one may require a great deal of manual reading and internet searching...

Are you using dhcp to assign your address or static?

If I remember you will need to open port 631 for PURE IPP!

Whats the model of the print server - have you read the manual?
http://www.hawkingtech.com/prodSpec.php?ProdID=93

Do you have a SI firewall?

[TonyMan]

Using DHCP, but the server manual says to use a static address so I do. It's a PSU1 (single USB server) and I am using a Linksys wireless G router. Strange thing is I cannot even reach the printer before I run the VPN tunnel. I will look at the port, but all the other PCs see it fine.

I'll also write to Hawking, maybe they have been there before.

Thanks

[omendata]

What is your vpn network ip address range.
What is your internal range?
Are they the same or dissimilar?

You may need to setup a port mapping on the firewall.
Because its a Nortel VPN I believe the Firewall is integrated?

You would need to look at the firewall and the way it translates the ip address but the fact that you can actually ping the address suggests it could be a port problem.

If you could turn diagnostic logging on the firewall when you connect you could see the result and whether port 631 is being blocked.

Using a VPN to send IPP denial of service hacks to internal networks is getting more common. PPTP is weak and has already been exploited!

SSL is the favoured choice these days for secure connection and authentication over the internet to the office as well as in E-commerce!

Im pretty sure its the Nortel box thats causing the problem.

What models are the Nortel hardware you use?
Im afraid Im mainly Cisco but its an interesting problem!
I like those ones!

[TonyMan]

I'll try to answer what I can, it's kinda late here.

I believe the VPN range is in the 166 or 167 network. Mine is 192.168.1.xxx. I am only using the Nortel Contivity software, no hardware. I can open port 631 and see if it has any effect. I found it interesting that I can't even set up the printer before the VPN client is on. I'm figuring I should try to solve that first. Maybe the port is the solution there.

As far as pinging the printer address, that concerns me. The traceroute shows it leaving my PC going to the server at work, a lot of undefined addresses, then reaching the address. I have no good feeling that it is actually my printer it reaches.

I won't work at home again until Thursday, so I will look around at opening the port then and see if I can at least set the printer up prior to using the nortel software.

Thanks, will follow up in a couple days.

[Direct1]

I installed that same model Hawking Print Server (USB sucks) for a customer. Was having problems so I called Hawking tech support. The guy actually said to take it back and try a different brand! I did and it worked. Personally, I like Netgear but others will work too I'm sure. Good luck! :t

[TonyMan]

I find that kinda funny that Hawking said that. I have written to them in the past on an issue and didn't think the answer was very good. However, in scouring the web for different servers I have come to the conclusion that these are all probably the same device make off shore with different cases and brand names on them. At least what I have seen, they all physically look the same. When you read the manuals they seem similar and they all seem to use the same software that Hawking calls PS Admin.

Who knows?

[Direct1]

If possible, can you use an Parallel port print server? Some printers have both Parallel and USB. That would be the way to go IMHO. Good luck! :D

[TonyMan]

Well omendata, a minor degree of success. Don't know if the port 631 had anything to do with it, but at least now I have the printer working with the laptop when the Nortel client is off. Just for kicks, I posted a trouble ticket with the group that does PC support, but feel the answer I'll get is, "We do not support non-company hardware".

At least now I have the printer added. when I try to click on properties it hour glasses for a while then an error message saying the printer can't be opened.

If I am not mistaken, this is what I think is happening: In trying to get to http://192.168.1.10, since the VPN is active, it goes out to my company, bypassing my network. At this point it cannot resolve that address and times out eventually.

[TonyMan]

The help desk at work said to try reinstalling the printer and setting up the port as a TCP/IP port. I tried that, but don't see an option like that on the port.

Looking back over the posting I see it was mentioned that I might need NetBIOS. I installed that not sure what to do next. It looks like 2 things installed:

NWLink NetBios, when I highlight this there are no properties to look st.

NWLink NetBIOS IPX/SPX NetBIOS Compatible TransportProtocol. When I look at the properties here I get the feeling this is all for Novell stuff.

[omendata]

Enabling all protcols increases your chances of contacting the network device!

Novell IPX si for novell but can also be used with print servers!

Netbuie is microsoft small network protocol

Netbios is a common communications system in microsoft operating systems

Keep fiddling with settings until you get some definite reason for giving up!

May be a routing issue.

[TonyMan]

Thanks again.

Tomorrow I will review the print server manual ans see what it says about the other protocols.

[Direct1]

Originally posted by TonyMan
The help desk at work said to try reinstalling the printer and setting up the port as a TCP/IP port. I tried that, but don't see an option like that on the port.

If you go into properties of your printer > Ports tab > Add a Port > you should be able to add a "TCP/IP" port. Good luck! :D