iPad printing via AirPrint over a VPN

[nmoore_]

I work in an environment where we have an SA4000 cluster. We have a number of users that use iPads and would like to be able to print. I was wondering if anyone has figured out a way to make AirPrint/Bonjour work over a VPN so that printers with AirPrint capabilities could be accessible to iPads connected to the VPN. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[zanyterp_]

Do these same devices work when local? You would need to check network traffic....but I don't know of it will be possible to work since it requires proximity to pick it up.

I don't have access to anything AirPlay enable to test.

[nmoore_]

iPads and AirPrint devices typically work when connected to the same local network. Be it connecting the iPad to the wifi and the printer via wireless or wired access. As long as the printer is AirPrint capable it should work. I however do not have anything AirPlay to test it out with. I feel like in theory it should work, but using software that claims in can make a non-AirPrint device printable from an iPad as my testing base has not really proven successful. I get the feeling that since AirPrint uses bonjor, and bonjour has been known to have issues with VPN, that this may not be possible to do.

[zanyterp_]

The issues I know of with bonjour are that it terminates the tunnel; but nothing with the communication failure.

[RyanDahl_]

Running into the same issue with a single SA4000 in our network, but it works fine if we connect the iPad directly to the same network that the print server is running on.

We did experience an issue, briefly, with our wireless controller blocking multicast. We found the option to enable it and we were fine, but the SA is proving to be a stopping point for us.

We'll be moving to a new MAG in the next few weeks and I'll report back how it goes.

[zanyterp_]

does the network connect IP exist on the same network?

[RyanDahl_]

It does for us.

Network Connect assigns an IP from the same pool we draw our production IPs from; both for our workstations and private wi-fi. The guest wi-fi assigns a different range.

Printing from our private wi-fi via AirPrint works great.

Connecting to guest, using Pulse to VPN in, and then trying to print won't even show the printers.

Now, we couldn't print even on our private wi-fi until I enabled multicast in our wi-fi controller. I made sure to do that on both private and guest networks, so I wonder if it has to do with the SA4000 restricting or not passing on the multicast.

[zanyterp_]

That is very possible; you have to specifically enable multicast for the role.

You do this at Users>User Roles>roleName>Network Connect (or VPN) and choose the option for multicast.

[RyanDahl_]

After testing with our old SA-4000 and our new MAG6611, I still haven't been able to find a way to make this work. Enabling the multicast option under roles does not seem to allow it to work. I have a few more things left to try, but I wanted to add a status update.