Unable to connect to iPrint Appliance over port 515

  • 7015371
  • 16-Jul-2014
  • 24-Nov-2014

Environment

Novell iPrint Appliance 1.0.1

Situation

With iPrint printers configured for LPR support, devices should be able to establish a connection to the iPrint Appliance over the LPR/LPD port (515), but cannot.

Resolution

Upgrade to the iPrint Appliance 1.1.  With the iPrint Appliance version 1.1, port 515 is allowed be default.  If using a version prior to 1.1, you can manually allow port 515 by taking the following steps:
  1. Determine if you need the iPrint Appliance to be reached over the LPR port
    • See the "Additional Information" section of this TID.
  2. Ensure a printer agent is LPR enabled
    • Details on how to confirm this are listed in the "Additional Information" section of this TID
  3. Allow port 515 within the iPrint Appliance firewall configuration
    • Open a terminal session to the iPrint Appliance (through putty or otherwise)
    • At a terminal prompt, type:
      • yast
      • Arrow down to Security and Users
      • Hit tab while Security and Users is highlighted
      • Arrow down to Firewall and hit enter
      • Arrow down to Allowed Services and hit enter
      • alt + d
      • alt + t
      • add the 515 port number to the list of TCP Ports
      • alt + o
      • alt + n
      • alt + f
      • alt + q
  4. Verify external devices can connect over port 515 to the iPrint Appliance
    • Telnet is enabled by default on Windows XP.  For Windows Vista and later:
      • Open the Control Panel
      • Open "Programs and Features" or "Programs"
      • Click the "Turn Windows features on or off" link
      • Check the box for "Telnet Client" entry.
      • Click OK
    • Open a CMD prompt
    • Type the following:
      • Syntax:
        • telnet <IP or DNS iPrint Appliance> 515
      • Example:
        • telnet iprintappliance03.mycompany.com 515
    • If a blank, black window with a blinking cursor appears, you have successfully connected of port 515

Cause

The iPrint Appliance version 1.0.1 default firewall configuration blocks port 515.

Additional Information

iPrint Printers listen on port the IPP port (631).  By checking the LPR box, an additional process runs on the iPrint Appliance server (ilprsrvrd) which allows that iPrint printer to also listen on the LPR port (515).  LPR enabled iPrint printers allow LPR clients (such as a Unix host, or Microsoft LPR client) to submit print jobs to iPrint printers over the LPR port. 

This feature can be managed by going to iManager -> iPrint -> Manage Print Manager -> Services.  Look for the LPR column of check boxes.

NOTE: This LPR feature should not be confused with the printer agent configuration to communicate to network printers over the LPR port which is set in the Gateway Autoload Command.  The Gateway configuration to connect to a network printer over port 515 does not require the iPrint server to listen on port 515.  You can view the Gateway Autoload Command by going to:

iManager -> iPrint -> Manage Printer -> Configuration

By using "PORT=LPR" in this Gateway autoload command, the iPrint Appliance will not listen on port 515.  Instead, it will connect to a network printer over port 515.