Before you setup your IPP printer, itās worth asking: is the IPP printing protocol the best choice for me? Emphasis on the for me bit.Ā
See, thereās no right or wrong answer here. Which protocol you adopt for your network printing will ultimately depend on a bunch of factors, including the size of your network, how many users there are, and considerations like printer security and printer compatibility. Short version: IPP printers are amazing, but IPP isnāt the only protocol out there.
In this article, weāre going to run through some of the benefits of IPP printing, and compare IPP against some of the other popular printing protocols. Apologies in advance for all the acronyms, OK?!Ā
What is an IPP printer?Ā
An IPP printer operates via the IPP protocol. IPP stands for āInternet Printing Protocolā. Itās basically a secure protocol for network printing via the internet. In other words, instead of physically hooking your printer up to your computer, or running dozens of ethernet cables all over the place, IPP allows multiple computers to print wirelessly ā and even remotely ā over a single network.Ā
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What are the benefits of an IPP printer when it comes to network printing? Ā
IPP has become the go-to printing protocol for many larger organizations because it simplifies the whole set-up and sync process. With an IPP printer, administrators can manage print settings and troubleshoot issues from a single location ā everythingās run through the network. There are other benefits too:
Cross-platform compatibility āĀ IPP works across different operating systems and platforms, including macOS, Windows and even Linux. So you donāt have to worry about printer commands getting lost in translation.
Ā Remote printing āĀ With an IPP printer, users can print from anywhere, as long as theyāre connected to the network. This is obviously amazing for branch offices, remote workers, or staff who are printing from the road.
One protocol to rule them allāĀ Printing is complicated enough without dozens of protocols running side-by-side. IPP is an industry standard protocol, developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), so you know itāll work across different printer brands and software platforms.
How network printing compares: IPP vs LPD
LPD stands for Line Printer Daemon, and itās been around for over 40 years. Based on the old-school Berkely printing system, LPD is another network printing protocol, making it similar in many ways to IPP. So which is better? Well, as always, that dependsā¦
IPP printing āĀ IPP has more robust features than LPD, which makes it generally better for modern, complex print environments. Admins and users can quickly check job attributes, status queries and error reporting. The downside is that IPP isĀ a bit more complex to implement, and some older printers wonāt support full IPP capabilities.Ā
LPD printing āĀ LPD is known for its simplicity, which is a good and bad thing. Itās incredibly easy to setup and troubleshoot, but it also lacks a lot of modern features. LPD is a great choice if youāre looking for minimal overheads: just efficient, basic print jobs. As an older protocol, itās also widely compatible with different printers and operating systems.Ā
How network printing compares: IPP vs SMB
SMB (Sever Message Block) is technically a communication protocol that includes printing, rather than a dedicated printing protocol. It means you can use it for other stuff, like file sharing across devices. Very handy on certain networks.Ā
IPP printing āĀ IPP has way more print job management capabilities than SMB, making it the better choice for networks that do a lot of complex printing. Itās also generally more secure than SMB, allowing authentication and encryption, which is pretty much essential for networking printing these days.
SMB printing āĀ If you need printing and file sharing capabilities, SMB could be the way to go. Itās an incredible versatile protocol, although itās generally used in Windows networks, rather than macOS or Linux. Keep in mind, SMB has some limitations: it doesnāt have standardized printer discovery, and itāll struggle if youāre mixing different platforms and operating systems.Ā
How network printing compares: IPP vs JetDirect
JetDirect is HPās proprietary network printing protocol, so if youāre running a lot of HP printers, it could be a good option. It allows remote and wireless printing, just like IPP, and seamless integration with the entire HP catalogue.Ā
IPP printing āĀ IPP still wins this battle when it comes to advanced features and functionality. If you want really granular control over your print jobs and functions, IPP is probably the way to go. But it does depend on your hardware, too. If youāve got a lot of HP printers, especially older HP printers that might not be IPP-compatible, JetDirect will be the way to go.Ā
JetDirect printing āĀ JetDirect obviously wins the compatibility battle, but only for HP printers. Youāll run into compatibility issues trying to print other manufacturers across JetDirect. For HP users, however, JetDirect is great: itās easy to setup and troubleshoot, and even offers legacy printing support for older models. Keep in mind, using JetDirect will basically lock you into the HP ecosystem (which is, of course, why they created it).
Need help figuring out the right printing protocol for your office? Our team can help.
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