Native redirection of printers is supported in RDP (RDP Client mode) connections and can be used with USB and network printers. When native redirection of printers is selected then a printing subsystem will be started inside RX300, RX-RDP or RX420(RDP) device. The role of this printing subsystem is to spool the print jobs received from remote terminal servers and to send the spooled print jobs to configured local printers. The RDP client, when making a connection to a Remote Desktop Session Host, informs the host what Windows printer driver should be used for the redirected printer. The redirection will succeed only when the necessary driver is installed on the session host. This is because the local printing subsystem running in RX-series devices have no print job formatting capabilities. It must receive a print job already formatted on the server-side by an appropriate Windows printer driver.

The list of Windows printer drivers installed on a Windows machine can be obtained with following command:

wmic /NameSpace:\\Root\CIMV2 path Win32_PrinterDriver GET Name

The command output will be a list of installed printer drivers with comma-separated driver properties in the form of:

Driver_name,driver_type,driver_architecture

For example:

C:\>wmic /NameSpace:\\Root\CIMV2 path Win32_PrinterDriver GET Name

Name

HP Color LaserJet CM1312 MFP PCL6 Class Driver,4,Windows x64

Canon Inkjet iP100 series,4,Windows x64

Microsoft XPS Document Writer v4,4,Windows x64

HP Deskjet 5520 series,3,Windows x64

Generic / Text Only,3,Windows x64

Canon D400-450 UFRII LT XPS,3,Windows x64

For native redirection of client printers the type 3 (Type 3 - User Mode) drivers for Windows x64 architecture should be selected. Type 4 drivers are known to cause issues with native redirection of client printers.

The list of printers created in terminal session can be obtained with following command:

wmic /NameSpace:\\Root\CIMV2 path Win32_Printer GET Caption,Comment,DriverName,PortName, PrintProcessor /value

For the USB printers forwarded with the Native redirection method the PortName property will be like TS001. This indicates that the printer uses a ‘terminal server’ printer port, which redirects the print jobs to a terminal server client. This is the expected behavior.

For example:

C:\>wmic /NameSpace:\\Root\CIMV2 path Win32_Printer GET Caption,Comment,DriverName,PortName, PrintProcessor /value

Caption=HP5520_network (redirected 2)

Comment=

DriverName=HP Deskjet 5520 series

PortName=TS001

PrintProcessor=winprint

 

Caption=Microsoft XPS Document Writer

Comment=

DriverName=Microsoft XPS Document Writer v4

PortName=PORTPROMPT:

PrintProcessor=winprint

 

PortName like USB001 (which is not the expected behavior when trying to use the Native redirection) will indicate that the listed printer is a printer created locally on the Remote Desktop Session Host, or a printer forwarded with the Generic USB redirection method, instead of the Native method.

Cheapest GDI printers should be avoided when planning native redirection of printers. More advanced printers understanding the PCL, PostScript, and/or some other high-level page description languages are advisable and should work.

The added printer will appear on the list and will be redirected to RDP sessions in RDP Client mode:

The Remote Desktop Session Host will create a session printer with the specified name and Windows driver:

Network printers supporting the JetDirect protocol (also referred to as RAW or AppSocket protocols) can be used with native redirection.

Follow the below steps to add a network printer for the native redirection:

1.       In the Peripheral device redirection settings settings group in the Peripherals section of Setup GUI select the Custom general redirection policy radio-button.

      2.       For the Printers class select the Native (RDP only) redirection type.

 

3.       In the Printers for native redirection settings group click the [ + ] button.

4.       Specify a printer Name. The name must not exceed 127 characters, must start with a letter and can only contain letters, digits, and the underscore ( _ ) character.

5.       Select Network (JetDirect) as printer Type.

6.       Provide a Network printer address. This can be an IP address, hostname, or FQDN of the network printer.

      7.       Specify a Windows printer driver name. This driver must be installed on the terminal server and will be used for rendering the print jobs forwarded to thin client device for local printing.

8.       Click the [Add] button.

The added printer will appear on the list and will be redirected to RDP sessions in RDP Client mode:

The Remote Desktop Session Host will create a session printer with the specified name and Windows driver:

To remove a printer from the list of printers configured for native redirection select the printer on the list and click the [ - ] button. Click the [OK] button to confirm the removal when asked.