Desktop Printers:
Desktop printers are defined as low-volume printers typically dedicated to a single workstation. Desktop printers may be directly connected to the workstation via a cable interface such as USB or IEEE 1394 (FireWire) or via a Bluetooth wireless interface. Desktop printers are discouraged for reasons of efficiency.
Shared Printers:
Shared printers are defined as high-volume high-speed printers typically accessed by many workstations over a network. Shared printers have an embedded print server and are to be directly connected to the CWU network via Ethernet. Shared printers, especially ones of the
multifunction variety, are recommended over desktop printers.
For network-attached printers, WiFi is not a supported connection option. The CWU wireless network is designed for mobility and as a complement to the wireless network. As such it has significant bandwidth limitations and no guarantee of reliability. Network printers are stationary and can generate high-volume traffic inappropriate for a wireless network. They also require a reliable connection and cannot tolerate connectivity problems inherent in a wireless network. For these reasons, network printers will only be approved for purchase and connection to the CWU network if they have an Ethernet interface
Any network-attached printer must support the DHCP protocol for automatic acquisition of its IP address and associated networking configuration. Furthermore, it must support the Line Printer Daemon (LDP) protocol, TCP raw printing (port 9100) or Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) for accepting print jobs. Approved printer languages include PostScript 3 or higher and PCL 6 or higher.