RDC or Better way?

[Guest MiamiDOM]

We are opening an office in another city, where one of our managers and

staff will work. They will also work from home on occasion or from a motel

room.

They are planning on connecting to get email and files via Terminal Server.

The real issue is that we do not want to have a separate printer,

(especially legacy, as most computers don't have LPT ports any longer). New

printers are mostly USB, which RDC does not support w/o redirection.

And, we need a multifunction device on one or two of the units, which would

be shared.

I am wondering if there is a better way to allow these remote users to work,

have access etc, yet have a way to connect them to the office files, but

still print locally, to a FUNCTIONING multi-function printer, or a networked

printer in their office?

Could I use a separate print server, with an outside IP address and use a

form of Internet printing?

Sorry if I seem naive, but my first foray into TS/RDC.

Thanks

[Guest TP]

Re: RDC or Better way?

 

Hi,

 

The Remote Desktop Client supports printers connected to

USB ports--has for many years. I recommend using the

client that is included with your 2003 server, the install

file for it is located on the server's hard drive here:

 

C:\WINDOWS\system32\clients\tsclient\win32\msrdpcli.msi

 

Otherwise you will need to make a change to each user's

registry, detailed here:

 

Printers That Use Ports That Do Not Begin With COM, LPT,

or USB Are Not Redirected in a Remote Desktop or Terminal

Services Session

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/302361

 

As far as using MFCs is concerned there are some that will

work fine for printing purposes only. If you want broad

compatibility with almost all MFCs and other printers then

you will need to purchase a third party Universal Printer

Driver solution or wait for Windows Server 2008.

 

-TP

 

MiamiDOM wrote:

> We are opening an office in another city, where one of our managers

> and staff will work. They will also work from home on occasion or

> from a motel room.

> They are planning on connecting to get email and files via Terminal

> Server. The real issue is that we do not want to have a separate

> printer, (especially legacy, as most computers don't have LPT ports

> any longer). New printers are mostly USB, which RDC does not support

> w/o redirection.

> And, we need a multifunction device on one or two of the units, which

> would be shared.

> I am wondering if there is a better way to allow these remote users

> to work, have access etc, yet have a way to connect them to the

> office files, but still print locally, to a FUNCTIONING

> multi-function printer, or a networked printer in their office?

> Could I use a separate print server, with an outside IP address and

> use a form of Internet printing?

> Sorry if I seem naive, but my first foray into TS/RDC.

> Thanks

[Guest MiamiDOM]

Re: RDC or Better way?

 

Thanks, I was under the understanding USB printers on USB ports did not play

well.

Can a LPT printer installed in the remote office on a free standing print

server be used by the RDC clients there?

I assume I would have to install the print drivers on my TS, but apart from

that, anything else?

Thanks

 

 

"TP" <tperson.knowspamn@mailandnews.com> wrote in message

news:eqmYNvOEIHA.3848@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> Hi,

>

> The Remote Desktop Client supports printers connected to USB ports--has

> for many years. I recommend using the client that is included with your

> 2003 server, the install file for it is located on the server's hard drive

> here:

>

> C:\WINDOWS\system32\clients\tsclient\win32\msrdpcli.msi

>

> Otherwise you will need to make a change to each user's registry, detailed

> here:

>

> Printers That Use Ports That Do Not Begin With COM, LPT, or USB Are Not

> Redirected in a Remote Desktop or Terminal Services Session

>

> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/302361

>

> As far as using MFCs is concerned there are some that will work fine for

> printing purposes only. If you want broad compatibility with almost all

> MFCs and other printers then you will need to purchase a third party

> Universal Printer Driver solution or wait for Windows Server 2008.

>

> -TP

>

> MiamiDOM wrote:

>> We are opening an office in another city, where one of our managers

>> and staff will work. They will also work from home on occasion or

>> from a motel room.

>> They are planning on connecting to get email and files via Terminal

>> Server. The real issue is that we do not want to have a separate

>> printer, (especially legacy, as most computers don't have LPT ports

>> any longer). New printers are mostly USB, which RDC does not support

>> w/o redirection. And, we need a multifunction device on one or two of the

>> units, which

>> would be shared.

>> I am wondering if there is a better way to allow these remote users

>> to work, have access etc, yet have a way to connect them to the

>> office files, but still print locally, to a FUNCTIONING

>> multi-function printer, or a networked printer in their office?

>> Could I use a separate print server, with an outside IP address and

>> use a form of Internet printing?

>> Sorry if I seem naive, but my first foray into TS/RDC.

>> Thanks

[Guest TP]

Re: RDC or Better way?

 

If the printer is installed on the local workstation, and you

use the client version I mentioned, and you have TS

compatible drivers installed or mapped on the server,

then Yes.

 

If you want to *not* have the printer installed on the

local workstations you will need to establish a VPN

(or open the printer server's port on their firewall)

and then install the locally printer on the TS.

 

-TP

 

MiamiDOM wrote:

> Thanks, I was under the understanding USB printers on USB ports did

> not play well.

> Can a LPT printer installed in the remote office on a free standing

> print server be used by the RDC clients there?

> I assume I would have to install the print drivers on my TS, but

> apart from that, anything else?

> Thanks