Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!casbah.acns.nwu.edu!uicvm.uic.edu!u12570
From: U12570@uicvm.uic.edu (Ed Garay)
Newsgroups: comp.periphs.printers
Subject: Re: Wanted: info on Laserjet IIIsi and networks.
Message-ID: <91158.145157U12570@uicvm.uic.edu>
Date: 7 Jun 91 19:51:57 GMT
References: <md.675968159@achilles>
Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago
Lines: 50


  In article <md.675968159@achilles>, md@doc.ic.ac.uk (Mark Dawson) says:
  >Can anyone clarify the network options for the Laserjet III si?
  >
  >I am considering buying one of these and would like to connect it
  >to my SUN's using an ethernet rather than a serial line (which I doubt
  >would keep up with the printer).  However, it seems that the printer
  >only knows about PC networks.  I would appreciate some illumination
  >of this problem.  Has anyone direct experience of this?

To the best of my knowledge, the current Ethernet board offerings
from Hewlett Packard do not address TCP/IP connectivity; not even
those new Ethernet boards recently announced.

I have been told repeatedly that HP is indeed working on a direct TCP/IP
connection for the LaserJet IIISi. Perhaps, it will be available by the
end of the year. Who knows.

Fortunately, there are, at least, two offerings from third-party companies:
XYplex (from Forsboro, MA 1-800-338-5316)  and Microplex (from Vancouver,
Canada, 604-875-1461, eMail: fff@microplex.com (Fred Fierling)).

Both products: the XYplex MX1400 and the Microplex NetPrint M200
sound good, but we don't have either of them yet.

The XYplex MX1400 is a print server that lists for under $2K.
It has a BNC Ethernet port, four printer ports (2 serial and 2 parallel),
and one "management" port. It comes with some software that needs
to be downloaded to their 18" x 24" x 2" box.

The Microplex NetPrint M200 lists for $995, and will be going in beta
test this month. I was told it should hit the market by the end of July.
It has two Ethernet ports, one high speed parallel port capable of
handling 50 kilobyte-per-second throughputs (:-), and two serial ports.
They provide some software (host spooler) that is required to drive
their 8" x 6" x 2" box. Their software currently runs on SCO Unix,
Xenix and SunOS, and they are interested in porting it to VM (;-)

Naturally, these two products are not specific to the HP LaserJet IIISi,
or to the LaserJet family at all. You can pretty much connect any ASCII
printers to these TCP/IP interface products.

Hope this helps.

--- Ed Garay
    University of Illinois at Chicago, Computer Center

P.S. -- Btw, IMHO, the HP LaserJet IIISi has the best 300dpi laser print
quality to date, and makes an excellent PCL/PostScript/Duplex/17ppm/fast
distributed printer, all for under $5K (;-)