How-To for DLink DP-311P print server & CUPS

[Jim Avera]

This is a step-by-step description of how to configure CUPS
to work with a D-Link DP-311P wireless print server.

There are a few posts on the internet asking for help, but no answers which I co
uld find.  So I thought I'd post my results here to maybe
save somebody the trouble I went through.  The key undocumented fact
is that the lpd print queue name is "lp1".

Well, here are the details of how to get it to work:

1. Configure the server with your wireless network parameters
   (IP address, etc.).  If you have a Windows laptop (or desktop
   with wireless card) available, it is best use it for this
   initial configuration; follow D-Link's instructions exactly --
   they are poorly written and the procedure is arcane, but it does
   work.  It may help to read "If you don't have Windows" below
   to understand what is going on.

2a. On Linux: Verify that you can ping the print server.

2b. Open CUPS in a browser, at http://localhost.localdomain:631

2c. Configure the printer in CUPS as a "LPD/LPR" service, with URI
      lpd://(ip address of print server)/lp1

    The queue name "lp1" seems to be hard-wired (that's Ell Pea One).

    Download the real PPD file if available for your printer.

That's it.  You should be able to print a test page.

--- If you don't have windows available ---

The initial configuration of the DP-311P print server requires
connecting to it via an "ad hoc" wireless connection (no Access Point),
because the server has no wired network connection for bootstrapping.
Therefore you need a wireless card in your computer which is supported
in 'ad hoc' mode under Linux (unless you can coerce your
wireless router to operate in ad-hoc mode, which is unlikely).

This may require some fairly exquisite Linux magic,
which is why I recommend configuring the print server using a
wireless Windows laptop if possible.

The basic procedure is as follows:
   1a. Power off the print server.  Set the slide switch to
       "Config" mode, then power on (connected to the printer).

       In this mode the print server connects in "ad hoc" mode
       with SSID "WLAN-PS", Channel 1, WEP disabled, and has a
       fixed IP address of 192.168.0.10

   1b. Temporarly change the computer to have a compatible
       static IP and netmask, e.g. 192.168.0.50/255.255.255.0

       Then connect in 'ad hoc' mode to the print server
       using SSID 'WLAN-PS', Channel 1, and no WEP ("open network").

       Verify the connection with
          ping 192.168.0.10

   1c. Open http://192.168.0.10 in a browser.  Here you
       can specify the IP address and WEP key which will be
       used in normal operation later.

       The DP-311P only supports WEP encryption (including 128 bit),
       so you must use WEP on your wireless network.  Sorry, no WPA.
   1d. Power off the print server, move the slide switch back to
       the Normal (not "Config") position, and re-connect power.

   1e. Restore the normal IP address in the computer (e.g. DHCP),
       restore the normal wireless config, and re-connect to your
       normal network.

(END)