Wireless/AirPrint printing from iOS and android devices

Discussions about Internet service providers (ISPs), the Meetinghouse Firewall, wired and wireless networking, usage, management, and support of Meetinghouse Internet
harddrive
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Re: Wireless/AirPrint printing from iOS and android devices

#31

Post by harddrive »

Yesterday, I delivered a Xerox Phaser 3320 to my stake center. The stake presidency wanted to be able to print from their tablets and phones. From Xerox, they didn't support that printer and it wasn't pretty. So I took time to look on the Internet and I found an app called Hammermill print. It discovered the Xerox and the HP printer/copier that I have hooked up to the network. So I might suggest that you look at that app. What I like about the app is that you can print from email, files, dropbox, text, pictures, calendar and a host of other applications. It is a free download and free to use.

It is available for both Android and iOS.
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johnshaw
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Re: Wireless/AirPrint printing from iOS and android devices

#32

Post by johnshaw »

IOS has always been the issue for me, Android can print to network printers with no problems, glad to know about Hammermill
“A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom.”
― Thomas Paine, Common Sense
aslade
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Re: Wireless/AirPrint printing from iOS and android devices

#33

Post by aslade »

harddrive wrote: I took time to look on the Internet and I found an app called Hammermill print. It discovered the Xerox and the HP printer/copier that I have hooked up to the network. So I might suggest that you look at that app. What I like about the app is that you can print from email, files, dropbox, text, pictures, calendar and a host of other applications. It is a free download and free to use.

It is available for both Android and iOS.
Our stake financial clerk pointed me to the Hammermill app as well. But when we both tried it on iOS, sadly, the app crashed when we were connected with the LDSAccess network. I'm hoping it will work better for Android users. Has anyone happened to have found it working for them on Apple iOS? I'm running iOS version 9.3.4 on and iPhone 6s. I have version 1.7.3 of the Hammermill app, the latest version. The app works fine on my wifi at home. So far, it's only at the church buildings that it seems to have trouble. Perhaps it struggles with something the firewall imposes on it?
russellhltn
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Re: Wireless/AirPrint printing from iOS and android devices

#34

Post by russellhltn »

aslade wrote:Perhaps it struggles with something the firewall imposes on it?
My guess is that it's hitting a filter problem. I'd contact the developer. It's clearly not doing some needed error trapping.
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Packjeff
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Re: Wireless/AirPrint printing from iOS and android devices

#35

Post by Packjeff »

For what its worth, my ward recently purchased a Lantronix xPrintServer Network Edition that will let you hook it straight up to your network and then it auto-discovers all the printers on your network and lets you print to them from any iOS device. This particular device is no longer being produced because Lantronix has come out with a new version that handles both iOS and Android. The new device is $200US but since it works for every printer connected to the building network, you could easily split the cost with the other wards in your building. Our version worked great for about 3 weeks and now it wont let us see any of the printers. In doing some testing, Ive narrowed the problem down to the network (rather than the print server, printer, or iOS device) Ill do some more digging and testing and get back to you guys if i ever find a solution, because this print server worked way better than we had anticipated... back when it worked. So if i can get it working again, i would highly suggest it. But in the mean time, Is anyone aware of what airprint ports or protocols might be getting blocked by the current build of the church's public firewall?
Packjeff
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Re: Wireless/AirPrint printing from iOS and android devices

#36

Post by Packjeff »

So according to your knowledge, are we able to AirPrint from our devices from a church equipment/firewall standpoint? Because i cannot figure out why my wards xPrintServer worked for a good 3 weeks perfectly, and then stopped. When i take it home to my personal network, it starts working again. And according to WireShark, its sending and receiving all of the necessary network packets. When i ran the Apple BonjourPrinterWizard application on our clerk computer, wireshark showed that those same packets were being sent and received, but the printer wizard didnt show any printers. it was only after i temporarily allowed port 5353 through the clerk computer firewall that i was able to discover those printers. The fact that wireshark was seeing those same packets when i did the bonjourPrinterWizard on the desktop and when i try to find an airprint printer on my iPhone makes me think that something is being blocked. Its like its being blocked client side (on the iPhone) since i can see those packets going through. When you join the wifi network from your device, does the network somehow also make the client adhere to a set of rules of what it will and wont accept?
aslade
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Re: Wireless/AirPrint printing from iOS and android devices

#37

Post by aslade »

We've had some success with printing from mobile devices in our stake. Here's what we've found works.

Android (Samsung brand tablet and phone):
• Successfully printed to Xerox Phaser 3250 using the "Print Hammermill" app available for free in the Google Play store
• Didn't try on other printer types. But the success on the 3250 implied to us that it likely would work on the other Xerox brand printers as well.

iOS (iPhone and iPad):
• Successfully printed to Xerox Phaser 3250, Xerox Phaser 3320, and Xerox WorkCentre 3615
• Worked with the following apps available for free in the Apple App Store: "PrintDirect" by EuroSmartz Ltd and "Dragon Printer" by Ting Yu Chen

Windows and Mac Computers/Laptops:
• Successfully printed to Xerox Phaser 3250, Xerox Phaser 3320, and Xerox WorkCentre 3615
• Worked using print drivers present in the OS connecting to the desired printer as a networked printer.

Printing to the 3250 and 3615 worked just fine by connecting an Ethernet cable from the printer to the meetinghouse network. It seemed we had to sometimes had to power cycle the printer to cause it to acquire an IP address on the user network. For the 3250, hold down the button on the top of the printer for about 5 seconds to cause it to print out a status page that indicates the IP address that it acquired.
Printing to the 3320 worked with the printer connected to Ethernet or to WiFi.
I anticipate that we will recommend to wards that want to have printing available from Laptops, phones, and tablets, that they acquire a simple switch to install in the clerk office. The switch would be connected to the meetinghouse network and to the printer and computer via Ethernet cables. Then we can provide them with a little training on obtaining compatible apps and how to use them to print limited-use temple recommends and other items of significance from LCR.

This isn't as straightforward as being able to use AirPrint would be. But it appears to be a viable solution for a relatively low cost. For less than $20 to purchase a switch and a few Ethernet cables, the free apps allow bishoprics and clerks to print to the existing printing equipment provided by our FM group.
russellhltn
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Re: Wireless/AirPrint printing from iOS and android devices

#38

Post by russellhltn »

aslade wrote:For less than $20 to purchase a switch and a few Ethernet cables, the free apps allow bishoprics and clerks anyone who knows how to print to the existing printing equipment provided by our FM group.
Since you didn't mention any security, in reality it's anyone who knows how can do it. Correct?
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aslade
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Re: Wireless/AirPrint printing from iOS and android devices

#39

Post by aslade »

russellhltn wrote:
aslade wrote:For less than $20 to purchase a switch and a few Ethernet cables, the free apps allow bishoprics and clerks anyone who knows how to print to the existing printing equipment provided by our FM group.
Since you didn't mention any security, in reality it's anyone who knows how can do it. Correct?
Right. In this case, the "security" is that it doesn't require connectivity to the clerk computer (it's not acting as a print server, so it can even be turned off) and the printer is kept within a locked office with a limited number of known individuals having physical access. Someone with malicious intent or even ignorance could cause trouble by spamming the printer with print jobs if the printer is left powered on more than it needs to be. That would result in wasted paper and toner resources. But at least the sensitive data on the computer and on the official documents printed out would be secured behind a locked door.

Of course, the other aspect of security to at least consider is that the apps and their developers would also need to be trusted. I also think the PDF documents should be immediately deleted from the devices after they are printed.

There's no perfect solution to the issue of security. But having this discussion is a good step so that we are all at least aware of the issues and can take reasonable steps to mitigate risk.

Also, one other thing to consider is to train bishoprics and clerks to communicate clearly with each other about use of the printer. It won't happen often, I hope, but it seems possible that a check could be spoiled and need to be voided if a financial clerk is in the middle of a print job from MLS at the same time a counselor in a separate interview room sends a recommend to be printed.
russellhltn
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Re: Wireless/AirPrint printing from iOS and android devices

#40

Post by russellhltn »

aslade wrote:It won't happen often, I hope, but it seems possible that a check could be spoiled and need to be voided if a financial clerk is in the middle of a print job from MLS at the same time a counselor in a separate interview room sends a recommend to be printed.
That's certainly one concern. Another is that someone may print out something and then go to the clerk's office to ask for it - starting a pattern of free printing that might be more convenient than using the library. It may not be a problem now, but as members of the extended bishopric get released and go to other callings, it might be.

While it's nice to be able to print from one's own device, there is some Pandora's box aspect that should be considered as well.
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