Printing a specific page with an LPR TCP/IP defined printer

Q. We use an AS/400 model 720 (V4R3M0) and an IBM6400 printer. When we try to print only a particular page, the printer prints all the pages at once. How can I print a specific page?

A. The current standard for LPR under TCP/IP, which is the standard IBM uses for remote output queues, doesn't support page-range printing. However, IBM has provided a solution using special printer drivers for Hewlett-Packard and IBM printers that communicate with many HP, Lexmark, IBM, and other LAN-based printers on a different port than the one LPR uses.

To communicate with these drivers, use command CRTDEVPRT (Create Device Description (Printer)) on the AS/400 (this command works only with external JetDirect cards). The printer requires no special setup except that you must configure it to use the TCP/IP protocol. Most of the newer HP printers (HP4 and later) use port 9100 for this communication. The following command creates a printer device description for an IBM6400:

CRTDEVPRT DEVD(IBM6400) DEVCLS(*LAN)
   TYPE(3812) MODEL(1) LANATTACH(*IP)
   PORT(9100) FONT(11) FORMFEED(*CONT)
   MSGQ(QSYSOPR) PARITY(*NONE) STOPBITS(1)
   TRANSFORM(*YES) MFRTYPMDL(*IBM6400)
   PPRSRC1(*LETTER) RMTLOCNAME(xxxxx)
   SYSDRVPGM(*IBMPJLDRV)

Note that RMTLOCNAME is the IP name of your printer. I've named the printer IBM6400 here, but you can name it anything you desire. I've also specified port 9100, which is the most common port. But if this doesn't work, try port 2501, which is the port for IBM Network printers. You must have the device varied on and start it with the STRPRTWTR (Start Printer Writer) command. Now, page range and all other handy commands used with locally attached printers will work.

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Printing a specific page with an LPR TCP/IP defined printer