Detecting Network Print Jobs
-
Hi all, I'm doing work for a client of mine who would like to have a siren or light notify the user when a print job is detected in his warehouse. Unfortuantely, the printer has an embedded print server, which is connected to a hub/router/switch using RJ45 cabling. I'm a software developer with some good electricial experience. What do you think is possible? Wiring up a light/siren is no problem, its detecting the print job on the printer. Since the RJ45 line is a serial pipe, there will occasionally be traffic on the pipe that is NOT a print job, so tapping one of the lines into a relay just wont work. Just curious to see if anybody thinks this is possible. Mike
-
Hi all, I'm doing work for a client of mine who would like to have a siren or light notify the user when a print job is detected in his warehouse. Unfortuantely, the printer has an embedded print server, which is connected to a hub/router/switch using RJ45 cabling. I'm a software developer with some good electricial experience. What do you think is possible? Wiring up a light/siren is no problem, its detecting the print job on the printer. Since the RJ45 line is a serial pipe, there will occasionally be traffic on the pipe that is NOT a print job, so tapping one of the lines into a relay just wont work. Just curious to see if anybody thinks this is possible. Mike
Mike Doner wrote:
Just curious to see if anybody thinks this is possible.
I'm only answering because no one else has had any ideas for you. If this is a Microsoft AD domain, set up a print queue (talk to the local network admin), once all of the computers are printing through the queue, it’s fairly (as memory serves) to audit the queue. Any time a user prints write app that monitors the queue and provided it’s the correct printer sound the alarm. Simple enough, huh Alternatively, and I have no idea how on earth you would do this but, couldn’t you just set up a small infa red deal where the paper is spit out of the printer? Any time the beam is broken sound the alarm. Similar to the way small business have enunciators at the doors to let clerks know someone has come in.
I'd love to help, but unfortunatley I have prior commitments monitoring the length of my grass. :Andrew Bleakley: