ppt - Tax-Aide for CA2

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Guide to Printer Sharing

AARP Tax-Aide

Sonoma/Napa District

Bill Dornbush, TC

This session

 Copy of presentation is on the web site: http://www.aarpca2.org/tcreferences

 Interactive – please

 Share your problems and solutions

 You may know 90% of this, but you may learn the 10% that makes this season easier

Revised based on comments during the discussion

All methods

 PLUS

 Once configured, good for season as long as configuration doesn’t change

 MINUS

 Printer driver must be loaded on laptop for each printer type

 Right version for OS, bits (32/64)

 Those with personal laptops may have difficulty switching between default printers – and networks

Types of sharing

 Printer switch or network

 Laptop server or printer server

 Wired or wireless

 There is as much that is the SAME between these methods as there is DIFFERENT

Parallel Port Switch

Parallel

Switch

Parallel Port Switch

 Obsolete: many laptops and printers don’t have parallel ports

 PLUS

 No software or hardware changes needed

 No network is required

 MINUS

 You must have parallel ports

 You may need to operate switch to change laptops

 Cables are required – setup, safety issue

 Limited to 4 laptops per printer

USB Port Switch

USB

Switch

USB Port Switch

 Obsolescent: There are better ways

 PLUS

 Simple: No software or hardware changes are needed

 MINUS

 You must operate switch to change laptops

 You must use the same USB port each time to avoid duplicate printers in Windows

 Cables required – setup, safety issue

 Use BLUE or GREEN MASKING tape to secure cables to floor

 Limited to 4 laptops per printer

Wired Network

Network

Switch

??

Switch vs. Router

 Switch: Connects network devices together.

 Routes packet from one device to another based on the data packet destination.

 Cannot connect its LAN to another network

 Router: Switch and more:

 Has a gateway to the Internet or another LAN

 May provide DHCP server, firewall

 May provide wireless access point

Wired Network

 Laptop hosts printer, or

 Printer Server hosts printer

 Great choice for Client/Server TaxWise

 PLUS

 No network configuration needed

 Secure and stable

 Network manages print queue

(all network configurations)

 MINUS

 Requires (router or switch) and cables

 Potential safety hazard

Wireless Network

??

Wireless Network

 Laptop hosts printer, or

 Printer Server hosts printer

 PLUS

No cables

Easier setup of site each session

 MINUS

Requires router (dedicated or Quetec type)

Must configure each network device

Network may not be stable or may experience interference

 Try using other WiFi channels than the default 6 (set on router)

Security issues

 Best practice: Use best encryption available

 WPA2 -> WPA -> WEP

WEP/WPA Security

 WEP security has been cracked:

 For 50% of cases, in one minute

 For 95% of cases, in two minutes

 WPA security has been cracked, but it takes a lot longer

 WPA2 security has not yet been cracked

 To improve security:

 Turn off SSID broadcasting

 Use MAC security as well

Laptop Server (wired/wireless)

Two-laptop network

Network

Crossover

Cable

USB

Cable

Laptop server

 Applies for both wired and wireless

 Laptop serving printer may be different from laptop serving TaxWise or network

 PLUS

 No additional hardware needed

 MINUS

 Laptop must be present at each session

 Setup may be tricky due to laptop:

 printer sharing security issues: Windows, firewall

Load right OS/bit version of driver from server laptop to client laptop

Printer Server

Server

Printer server

Printer server can be wired or wireless

Network can be wireless and printer server can be wired

Some routers include printer server via USB port

Both USB and parallel port models are available

Printer server can be built-in to printer

Network can be wired or wireless

PLUS

 Not dependent on laptop, so setup is easier: no security issues because of laptop

MINUS

 Extra device (printer server) needed

Configuration is a little different, uses “Standard TCP/IP Port”

Built-in may not be usable with future versions of Windows

Daily startup for wireless printing

Insert and/or enable wireless adaptor

Connect to the wireless network

Check default printer for Windows is set to the site printer

Check default printer for TaxAide is set to the site printer

Print a test page

If you only use your laptop for TaxAide, your settings should not change from session to session. Otherwise, CHECK EVERY TIME.

What if it doesn’t print?

 Is everything plugged in?

 Did you change any software on your laptop? A new version of your firewall or security software, for example.

 Try disabling your firewall and try again

 Try printing from another application to Windows

 If you can print from another application, check the

TaxWise setup

Network Router

 Check the site router (box or laptop)

 Make sure that Status and WLAN lights are blinking (if this site has a router based network).

 If this site uses one laptop as the router, check its status (Quetec > Manager > Tools > Status)

Network Security

 Check that your wireless security is set properly (how to do this varies by type of laptop and network adaptor, usually right-click on Wireless Network Icon in System Tray and select Status > Properties.)

SSID: carol (NOT Tax…)

Network authentication: Open

Data encryption: WEP/WPA/WPA2

Network key: taxaidetaxaid (or similar 13 characters)

What else?

Laptop hosting shared printer – Make sure it is on the network. When you position the mouse pointer over the

Wireless Network Connection icon in the system tray

(lower right of the computer screen), you will see a message like “Wireless Network Connection (carol), status

connected.”

If the laptop hosting the shared printer has Firewall software, confirm that the firewall allows access to the shared printer. To see the firewall settings, use:

Start > Settings > Control Panel > Security Center

Shared printer

Shared printer – in the

Printers window, it must have the “shared hand” symbol at the bottom of the printer icon

If all else fails…

 Turn off all devices

 Power up in sequence:

 Router

 Laptop/Server hosting printer

 Printer

 Your laptop

Recommendations

 Set up and configure printer sharing arrangement

BEFORE the first day of counseling

 Install printer drivers before distributing laptops

 If wireless network, install wireless adaptors before distributing laptops

 Prepare your sites for wireless problems – they will probably experience at least one during the season

 Train them on how to troubleshoot

 Use one person at each site as contact so that they will acquire experience troubleshooting with you

Discussion

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