When a user is connected with the available remote print server, the Widows XP client tries to locate the driver for this print server locally. If the driver is not found then the remote print server sends the .cab driver’s setup files, which contain the driver for this printer and the user is prompted to download the printer drive to which the client is connected to.
Finally when the appropriate driver is installed on the client computer and the user is connected to the remote print server he/she can send the printing requests by using the internet printing protocol (IPP). Typical the port # 80 and 423 are used for this communication by using the IPP and HTTP protocols. Internet printing feature is automatically enabled in Windows XP when IIS (internet information server) is installed by a Network Administrator in a Windows XP operating system.
Configurations
Configuring Internet Printing in Windows 2000 Server
Internet printing works with the IIS and IIS is automatically installed when you install the Windows 2000 server. However if it is not installed by default then you can install it by doing the following steps.
1. Click start > Setting > Control Panel > Double Click Add /Remove programs
2. Click the Add/Remove Windows components.
3. Select the IIS in the Windows components box and click next.
4. Click next and then finish.
5. Close all the boxes.
6. Install printer(s) through the Add Printer icon in the control panel so that remote client can access it.
Installing the IPP on Client Computer
1. Open the Add-on folder in the Windows XP and Windows ME CD-ROM
2. Double click the wpnpins.exe file and when the installation is complete restart your computer.
How to connect with the remote printer?
Option 1: Connect through browser
1. Open the web browser and go to the URL.
2. Click connect under the printer action.
Option 2: Connect through Add printer wizard
1. Click start > Control Panel > Settings > double click Printer and Faxes.
2. From the left or file menu click “Add a printer”
3. Click next and choose this option “A network printer or a printer attached to another computer”.
4. Click next and choose this option “Connect to this printer on Internet or on a home or office network.
5. Type the http address of the remote printer as following
http://servername/printers/myprinter
6. Select the manufacturer and the model of the printer and click next.
7. Click finish and press Ok.
To view the list of the available printers on the remote print server use the following command
http://print_server/printers/
print_server is the name of the remote print server and printers show the available printers on the remote server.
To view the specific print server’s web page use the following command
http://print_server/printer/
print_server is the name of the print server and printer is the name of the printer to which, you want to connect to.