Question:
I need to trace a TCP/IP print job in order to analyze the data and protocols. The commercially available "sniffers" are very expensive, and I might not be sure that the format can be read by the Intermate support department, should I need to send it in for analysis. Can you recommend a tool?

Answer:
Many Intermate print servers include trace function. If you are working with IPDS products such as the IAPS IPDS and the WinIPDS, we recommend the IPDSCapture Tool (P22).

If the trace function provided does not meet all your needs, or if you are using a product with no built-in trace function, we recommend the freely available sniffer tool Wireshark.

Wireshark can be downloaded from this web site: http://www.wireshark.org and is available for several operating systems including Windows. The website includes instructions on migrating from Ethereal, which it replaces as of June 2006.

Follow these instructions to configure Wireshark to trace IPDS

Important:
Make sure you are sitting on the same subnet as the printer you want to trace. If two separate physical networks are involved, it is recommended to install a HUB between the printer and the network and connect the trace PC to the same HUB (a switch may not work).