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From: "=?Utf-8?B?am9uZXNyag==?=" <
[email protected]>
Subject: Browse for a network printer
Date: Mon, 19 Apr 2004 03:41:06 -0700
When my users browse for a network printer, it seems to take five minutes
for the network printers to appear. This just started happening recently.
Has anyone else had this problem. You may e-mail me directly at
(e-mail address removed).
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Hi Raymond,
The functionality for Printer Browsing dates back to the NT days and was
unfortunately not designed with scalability in mind. In workgroups and
small networks it can be a fast way to find printers, but in larger
networks the performance of Printer Browsing greatly diminishes. Machines
in a network are elected as Printer Master Browsers (5, plus 1 for every 20
machines in the network), but there is no actual mechanism for remembering
which machines have been designated as Print Master Browsers.
What has probably happened in you network is that a PMB that used to be
heavily used is no longer a PMB, and now your users are experiencing delays
as their workstations continue to attempt to obtain a list of available
printers. Naturally, this process produces increased network traffic, which
further enhances the issue. There is a known issue with printer browsing
that is resolved with Service Pack 4, see Q322953.
Printer browsing is not a recommended method in a Windows 2000 network. If
you have Active Directory implemented, use Printer Publishing (ie: "List in
Directory")
- This policy setting controls whether or not print spoolers will
announce their shared printers to the PMB:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Printers >
"Printer browsing
- This policy setting controls whether or not clients can browse for
printers when using the "Add printer" wizard:
User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel >
Printers > "browse the network to find printers"
--
JASON HALL
Performance Support Specialist,
Microsoft Enterprise Platforms Support
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