Simple Network Management Protocol

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) printing provides excellent support for resource sharing and problem handling by using two separate TCP/IP ports for communication, one to send print data and another to track job status.

Using two separate TCP/IP ports for communication allows SNMP printing solutions to display error messages or status while a job is printing. SNMP also uses IBM® Shared Connections to ensure that sockets are released after every copy of a printed document. This allows the system to efficiently share a printer with other users. Additionally, since SNMP supports both PostScript and Print Job Language (PJL) print data, it offers excellent hardware and application compatibility.

SNMP printing requires the printer and print server or network adapter to support the Host Resource Management Information Base (Host Resource MIB), and for full functionality, the Printer Management Information Base (Printer MIB). Not all printing hardware will support SNMP, so you should carefully check for compatibility before implementing this solution.