TOPIC ---------------------------------------------
Apple Tech Comm has received a number problem reports recently concerning to
AppleShare Print Server 2.0. The problem is "double printing" a print job or
not printing all pages of a long print job (more than 10 pages) and restarting
the print job. Here are two examples:
Example #1
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If the spooler is chosen, the job is accepted and starts to spool to the
printer. If the job is less than 10 pages, the print process completes
with no problems. If the print job is greater than 10 pages, the print
spools to the printer and stops at about page 6, and the print job repeats
(from page 1). Our guess is that the LaserWriter times out and the print
spooler restarts the job.
Example #2
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AppleShare Print Server seems to have a problem. When a single-page
document is sent to print with multiple copies, it seems to double the
print request. That is, request 25 copies, receive 50 copies.
There is no indication in the print queue that two jobs are being printed,
nor is there any mention of it in the print log. The problem occurs when
printing from several Macintoshes so I know it is not the software on one
particular Macintosh that is at fault.
DISCUSSION ---------------------------------------------
It sounds as if the networks involved in these cases are poorly terminated.
Poor termination can result in LaserWriters timing out. When connected to the
print server, timing out prevents the print job from being closed out. Because
the print server thinks the job failed before completion, it resends the entire
job, which results in double printing. Apple Tech Comm has experienced the
same problem and eliminated it by cleaning the network connections.