Mac's using a Windows Print Server

Question

I am an administrator for a dual-platform school district (elementary and middle schools). We run both AD & OD, and all of our Mac's are bound to both AD & OD. Our users authenticate to Active Directory. My issue is printing from our Mac's (MacBooks to be precise). Currently, all of our PC's are printing to a Windows Print Server (Server 2003). When setting up printing on our Mac's, we use IP printing. We use IP printing because when we attempt to install printers via Windows printing, it requires authentication when printing (which I don't understand, since the users is already authenticated to the domain). The real issue is this. Because our Mac's use IP printing, the print queue is local to the machine. So, if anything impedes the print job, it pauses the printer, and in our environment, the only way to un-pause the printer and the local print queue is to log in as the local admin, clear the queue, and un-pause the printer. This is a PITA. I need to find a stable printing environment for our Mac's, and I would prefer to use our existing Windows Print Server.
Does anyone have any experience in having Mac's print to a Windows Print Server, without having the authentication issue?? I have heard of third-party products such as PaperCut, but I really don't think that's necessary for what we are trying to do.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance.
--Russ

Answer 1

I am running a very similar setup to what you are trying to do. Mine is OD and the windows server (2003 64bit) is bound to the OD.
My users on both Mac and Windows are printing to and through the windows server, so this way I see and can control everything in the print queues.
I will try and help you setup.
Firstly are the printers installed and shared out on your windows server?
If that is done logon to your windows print server and then logon to *local security policy*. Under *Security Settings* go *Security Options* and look for “*Network security: LAN Manager authentication level*” and changed it to “*Send LM & NTLM responses*”.
Okay it all and log off your server.
Now goto a Mac client you want to print from.
Go the usual way of adding the printer on a Mac but this time do not use IP printing choose windows instead then select your domain in the list. You will then see all the servers on your network now select the print server in the list. If you have shared the printers out when you installed them on the print server you will see the list of printer installed on that server.
Select the printer you would like to install at this point it may asked you for the user name and password, use the network name and password of the user that will be using that machine and tick to remember password. Because it’s coming from a windows server it will not auto select the correct driver for you. You need to select the correct driver for yourself then click add if you have any extra trays etc you need to manually select them too.
The printer will be added, the first time you goto print on this printer it will ask you for password again click to remember password.
Repeat the installation for all the printers you need to add and don’t forget to make a print after each install so you can add the remember tick on the first print.
If you are using something like keyminder on the mac’s then when the password changes from AD or OD the keychain will automatically be updated by keyminder. If you are running Snow Leopard you do not need keyminder.
Hope this helps.