Connecting to network printer(s) using net use

Question

I was asked to add pinters to all users on a terminal server. There is a VPN connection between the terminal server and the network where the printer is installed.

I do not have much experience with network shares, but I managed to connect to the printer manually. (win+r > \192.168.xx.xx). After entering my credentials (Domain: ADAM.local) I see the shares in explorer, including a couple of printers. Double-clicking a printer adds it to the "printers and devices" and I am able to select it as a printer wehn trying to print a document.

I was hoping to be able to use "net use" to write a script that will connect a user to the printer on startup.

I tried using net use * \\192.168.xx.xx <password> /user:ADAM.local\printACC /persistent:yes to connect to the network share. This results in an error: System error 67 has occurred. The network name cannot be found.

Could anyone help me with the syntax and parameters for the net use command?

Solution

Terminal server maps/sets the default client printers from the desktop it connects from as default in user session.

To make this work You need to make sure that on the terminal server only the printer driver is installed. Install both 32 and 64 bit version. No need to map.

Make sure that the terminal server settings allow printer mapping. leave checkbox UNCHECKED.

The printing goes from the terminal server via the rdp protocol to the printer through the client.

Another options is to install all the printers as administrator on the server. They will be available to all users. However I do not recommend this. I think it is better to always redirect user to his default printer.

Comments

[Nixphoe]

What type of server is this? What type of server is your print server?

[Chielt]

@Nixphoe It's a terminal server on Windows Server 2008 R2. I am not sure what type of printer server it is. All I got from the tech guy @ the customer are the IP of the share, the domain and the share's account login details.

[Nixphoe]

Ah, I guess I didn't understand that requirement correctly, so the terminal server isn't on the domain?

[Chielt]

The printers are in the company building. The terminal server is in the datacenter. There is a VPN between the two. Start > Run > \\192.168.xx.xx gives me a login prompt. I then fill in ADAM\PrintACC and a password. An explorer window then pops up showing me the network share. I then double click one of the printers listed. The terminal proceeds by adding the printer to my "printers and devices". Ik also opens the printer que window. The TS is in the PROFIT\ domain.

[Chielt]

I am trying to deploy the printers using "Print Management" but the printers are not listed. Trying to add them with TCP/IP seems impossible, and they are also not detected by the wizzard...

[Bad Dos]

If the terminal server in a domain you control? Possibly adding a domain trust could solve your issue.

[Bartłomiej Zarzecki]

Your answer is wrong and does not take into account that actually the terminal server may not "see" \\server\canonip . This is not how it was designed to work.

[Chen Li Yong]

yes, I only take from my experience. people's circumstances may vary. but I just saying that it is possible for my example to works. and in case that the server cannot "see" the destination path, one must make sure he can connect to the server manually first with a username and password. maybe the username / password he supplied is wrong or something. that's what I'm saying, derived from my experience, I said it maybe other problems somewhere. I just help to narrow down the problem, and as I can't write a comment yet, so I write as an answer instead.

[Chielt]

This might have been a solution to the problem, but I will never be able to test it as the problem was nearly 2 years ago and I no longer work for the company. Also, I'm pretty sure the client would have sacked us if it took 2 years to fix their printers ;) Thanks for the help anyway.