RDC or Better way?

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MiamiDOM

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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
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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