How to Use
a Printer
This page explains how to use a USB printer (or a USB device
with
printing capability) connected to a device server using
SharePort Utility.
SharePort Utility has a feature
that detects print jobs and
then
automatically connects to, prints to and disconnects from the printer
(or
USB device
with printing capability) if it is connected to a device
server.
You will
not have to click the Connect
button
in the SharePort Utility's main window before you print a
job.
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- The printer auto-connect function may not be
available for
some USB devices with printing capability. In such
cases, please
connect/disconnect to/from the USB device manually by clicking the Connect/Disconnect buttons
in SharePort Utility.
- To use the printer auto-connect function,
SharePort Utility
must be running. Please be sure to start SharePort Utility before you
print a job.
For those who print frequently, it is recommended to set SharePort
Utility to automatically start at PC startup. For details, refer
to SharePort Utility Optional
Settings.
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- If you have
configured the printer auto-connect setting from the message below,
which pops up from SharePort Utility when a new printer is discovered,
you do not have to configure the following settings since they would
automatically be configured.

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How to enable the printer auto-connect function:
-
Select a printer in SharePort Utility's main window and
click the Properties
button
. When the properties dialog is displayed, click the Optional settings
tab.
-
Check Enable auto connect, select Connect
automatically only for
printing and click OK.

Enable auto connect
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Enables the auto connect
feature.
When checked, one of following options also needs to be selected.
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| Automatically connect this device when it is
available (Sharing disabled) |
Automatically connects
to the USB device when it is detected. |
| Connect automatically only for printing |
Automatically connects to the USB device and
disconnects from it after the print job is finished.
Allows you to print without worrying about Connect/Disconnect
operations.
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- If the USB device driver is not
installed on your PC or the USB device has never been connected to
your PC via SharePort Utility, the following window is displayed.

To enable the Connect
automatically only for printing setting, the USB device
driver
needs to be installed on the system. Check Enable
auto connect, select Connect automatically only for
printing and then click the Configure button to
install the USB device driver. After
the driver is installed, the window will be displayed as in step 2.
- If the last part of a job is not printed
completely while the printer auto-connect function is active,
click the Confirm button
to open the printer monitoring dialog. Extend the time period
in Time before
disconnecting after print job is sent field.
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The printer auto-connect function has been
enabled.
All the jobs output to the printer you have selected at step 1 will
be printed automatically.
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- Some printers may
show an error
message on their printer status monitor after a job is printed.
In such cases, close the
printer status monitor manually as it has no effect on
printing.
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