Airlink APSUSB2 Manual - Page 5

1 1 INTRODUCTION The Print Server is a compact print server which connects to your Ethernet or Fast Ethernet network anywhere you wish to locate printer services. It manages the flow of print files from your workstations or file servers to its connected printers, delivering print jobs to high-performance printers much faster than a file server or a PC acting as a print server can. Print Server Features The Print Server improve network printing services in three ways: ♦ The Print Server picks up the workload of managing print file traffic to its connected printers. This provides workload relief to your file servers, and allows the file servers' full capacity to be used for fi le access or other direct services to network users. On peer-to-peer networks, workstations can print directly to the Print Server without increasing the load of another workstation or server. ♦ The Print Server's parallel printer ports are IEEE 1284 compliant high-speed bi-directional ports, which can transmit to high-speed laser printers much faster than a PC's parallel printer port. High-speed laser printers connected to the Print Server's parallel ports can be operated at their full capacity. ♦ Because the Print Server is very portable and inexpensive compared to a PC-based print server, and because the Print Server connects to your file servers through the network, printers can be deployed to locations of maximum convenience to users. The Print Server offers extraordinary flexibility, operating with all major network operating systems and protocols: ♦ TCP/IP UNIX lpr/lpd (HP-UX, SunOS, Solaris, SCO, UnixWare, IBM AIX) Windows NT/2000, Windows 95/98/Me, Windows XP