WPSA-100 Expert Help Needed

[xcopytech]

What is machine software level

[Rootuser]

062.121.001.04300

This is the latest from Xerox directly.

[Rootuser]

I figured this thread would die. Seems like very few if any Xerox people, including actual Xerox techs, understand the WPSA-100 even though it's a Xerox product, and as I'm learning people outside of Xerox tend to know their products better than they do.

For posterity and closing this out:

The WPSA-100 has a couple versions of firmware. It is made by a company called Lantronix who makes print server devices. The hardware is firmware locked to support only Xerox machines and it recognizes these printers through their firmware signatures. The problem comes around when the firmware on the copier/printer side changes and the WPSA-100 doesn't recognize it as a valid device to enable AirPrint on. It will act as a wireless print server for of any of its listed printers, but enabling AirPrint is specific to only printers listed as not having it from the factory, and even then it's hit or miss.

To make the WPSA-100 enable AirPrint more often, you should alternate firmwares on the printer/copier until you find one that works reliably and will allow you to enable AirPrint.


Alternate solution:

Ditch the Xerox WPSA-100 (it's garbage). Just RAW print to your devices if you need to. iPhones and iPads etc can be manipulated to raw print for free. If you want a more robust, and plug-n-play solution for you or your users (whole offices, buildings, whatever) read on:

To enable wireless printing on any Xerox machine that doesn't have it, or any other printer, device, whatever for that matter, just use a cheapie wireless bridge from Amazon. Vonets makes quite a few and they are sub $25. If you plan to print a lot or plan to print very big files, or have many users accessing the copier/printer at the same time, upgrade to the 1200 mbps or better version, but for just a few folks, a cheapie is fine. They are simple wired to wireless bridges that even an idiot like me can setup. This will get you wireless. People complain about them on Amazon that they are difficult to get working. A: RTFM and B: Be as smart as a 6th Grader and you'll be fine. They are super simple.

If you need to enable AirPrint on a Xerox device that doesn't happen to have it (like I did), you can use a couple of solutions. There are a number of software solutions out there that enable it and cost a couple bucks but are for one device at a time only. On the hardware side Lantronix (among others) makes a device called the xPrinterServer. This acts as a AirPrint server that can auto-discover printers on its compatibility list (which is huge, and includes many Xerox devices, including my 7545).

There are a few versions of the xPrinterServer : Office Edition (version 1 and 2), Cloud Edition (discontinued) and Home Edition (discontinued).

The difference are:

The Home Edition supports only 2 connected network printers, and focuses mostly on USB printers and supports up to 8. Supports 8 printers on Google Cloud Print as well, which is worthless, since Google Cloud print is no longer supported by Google. The compatibility list is shorter, and the configuration options are minimal. Routinely on eBay for ~$40. Has been discontinued.

The Cloud Edition: Skip it unless you find one super cheap. Still can connect 8 USB printers, and unlimited network printers, but user management is done by Google Cloud Print which is no longer supported. If you need user management, avoid this one. If you just need to hook up printers, it works fine and has a long compatibility list. Has been discontinued.

The Office Edition: Most robust. Has a ton of configuration options, from user management to to Active Directory integration to proxy server configuration etc. A long list of compatibility and supports 8 USB printers, unlimited network printers, supports Google Cloud Print (almost worthless), and easily can add off list printers manually by using generic drivers that you can upload. You can also fool it into using other drivers by changing signatures, but that is beyond reach for some people and a real edge case. You can find on eBay for ~$50 or less if you search.

The Office Edition 2: The latest version supports everything the Office Edition does/did and also supports generic cloud printing (not limited to Google). Still updated regularly. You do lose native PCL, PCL5, PCL6 and BR-3 support in favor of Postscript only, whereas the Office Edition supports all of these print languages, but quite frankly, only older printers need true native PCL support for example, and not many Brother printers anymore need BR-3 as almost everything works fine with Postscript native.


Final note: These print servers need to be wired into the network, but, you can make the entire print server wireless by using the Wired to Wireless Bridge ideas I mentioned above and it works fine. Also you can use the xPrintServer as more than just an AirPrint server and use it to do other things, but that is outside of the manufacturers support but it's amazing what this thing can do.


I setup all my printers with AirPrint for $55. xPrintServer Office Edition version 1 on eBay for $30 including shipping. $25 for Wired to Wireless bridge from Amazon including shipping and tax. This was half the cost and 10x the functionality of the Xerox WPSA-100.