Using Multiple Network Adapter Cards

If you are concerned that your local area network (LAN) might not have enough bandwidth to handle the additional traffic that installing additional printers can create, you can create a secondary network that is essentially dedicated to driving printers. To set up this configuration, the system that your InfoPrint Manager server is installed on will have to have two network adapter cards installed in it, one for each network. Print data comes into the InfoPrint Manager server over the LAN and is transferred to the secondary network to be printed.

When you set up the secondary network, keep these points in mind:

  • In the system that your InfoPrint Manager server is installed on, the primary network adapter card should be the one that connects to your existing network.
  • In the system that your InfoPrint Manager server is installed on, the secondary network adapter card connects to a network that contains only printers. This network is isolated; no IP forwarding is recommended.
  • The IP addresses for printers on the secondary network must not be resolvable on the primary network.

    It is recommended that you use private IP addresses for your secondary network card and your printers, for example, addresses that follow either of these formats:

    • Class A IP address: 10.xx.xxx.xxx
    • Class B IP address: 192.168.xxx.xxx

  • In the properties for the secondary network adapter card, you should not set a Default Gateway, DNS, or WINS. If these fields are filled in when you configure the card, clear the default values.
  • On the printers that you connect to the secondary network, do not specify a Default Gateway. If you must specify a Default Gateway, enter the IP address of the secondary network adapter card.

Parent topic: Administrative Procedures: Configuring InfoPrint Manager