Hello all i have a small network with 1 server Windows 2003, Standard and 5 clients WinXP Pro connected to a switch on a domain with 1 lpt printer that is shared throughout the network... I currently have the lpt printer mapped out on all the clients using the following command net use lpt1: \\server\printer /Persistent:yes Now i would like to know is there a net use command to keep a persistent connection with a usb printer attatched to the sever just like the lpt one. Thanks in Advance Eddie

Eddie, I think you have a bit of confusion over what the lpt1 in your net use command is doing. That part of the command has nothing to do with the port where the printer is attached to the server. The command above is mapping a "virtual" lpt1 port on the workstation to the share on the server. That share on the server could be any type of printer, serial, parallel, USB, network. As long as the printer is shared on the server, then you could map a lpt port to it. A bigger question is why are you doing this? Do you have a specific application that requires that you have a lpt port? Most applications today use windows printer settings and don't care about lpt ports. Unless you have a specific application that you know needs lpt ports then I would not map it. Instead, just use the "printers and faxes" inside of XP and add a network printer, using \\server\share as the target.

i think it still doesnt fix the problem. i too have the same problem as Eddie. lpt can be shared but when its says the port is dot4_000 i cannot share with people in the network. seems like the printer does not show up in the shared resources although i make the printer as shared. The net use lpt1: \\server\printer /Persistent:yes the command above applies to dos version programs to interact with i suppose as i'm using the command to get along with UBS software. So i guess there should be a command so that i can share the printer with all.

I just had the same issue and found a workaround. On the machine where the usb printer is installed, move it to LPT1 and share it. This will make it visible on the network so others can add it to their workstations. It won't print while hooked up to LPT1 but once all the users have added the printer, switch it back to the DOT4_000 and it will now work for all.