C# Sample code to talk to a printer using SNMP to get its status.

C# Sample code to talk to a printer using SNMP to get its status.

The following code will allow you to talk to a printer (running on a specific IP Address) to query its current status.

OLEPRNLib is a COM object that appears to be installed on XP and greater machines.

On my machine I made a reference on the COM tab of the Add Reference dialog to “oleprn 1.0 Type Library“ which lived in “c:\Windows\System32\oleprn.dll“

using System;
using OLEPRNLib;
namespace PrinterStatus
{
///   /// Summary description for Class1.  ///   class Class1
{
///    /// The main entry point for the application.   ///    [STAThread]
static void Main(string[] args)
{
string[] ErrorMessageText = new string[8];
ErrorMessageText[0] = "service requested";
ErrorMessageText[1] = "offline";
ErrorMessageText[2] = "paper jammed";
ErrorMessageText[3] = "door open";
ErrorMessageText[4] = "no toner";
ErrorMessageText[5] = "toner low";
ErrorMessageText[6] = "out of paper";
ErrorMessageText[7] = "low paper";
int DeviceID = 1;
int Retries = 1;
int TimeoutInMS = 2000;
string CommunityString = "public";
string IPAddressOfPrinter = "10.3.0.93";
// Create instance of COM object    OLEPRNLib.SNMP snmp = new OLEPRNLib.SNMP();
// Open the SNMP connect to the printer    snmp.Open(IPAddressOfPrinter, CommunityString, Retries, TimeoutInMS);
// The actual Warning/Error bits    uint WarningErrorBits = snmp.GetAsByte(String.Format("25.3.5.1.2.{0}", DeviceID));
// The actual Status    uint StatusResult = snmp.GetAsByte(String.Format("25.3.2.1.5.{0}", DeviceID));
// uint Result2 = snmp.GetAsByte(String.Format("25.3.5.1.1.{0}", DeviceID)); 
string Result1Str = "";
switch (StatusResult)
{
case 2 : Result1Str = "OK";
break;
case 3 : Result1Str = "Warning: ";
break;
case 4 : Result1Str = "Being Tested: ";
break;
case 5 : Result1Str = "Unavailable for any use: ";
break;
default : Result1Str = "Unknown Status Code : "+StatusResult;
break;
}
string Str = "";
if ((StatusResult == 3 || StatusResult == 5))
{
int Mask = 1;
int NumMsg = 0;
for (int i=0; i< 8; i++)
{
if ((WarningErrorBits & Mask) == Mask)
{
if (Str.Length > 0)
Str += ", ";
Str += ErrorMessageText[i];
NumMsg = NumMsg + 1;
}
Mask = Mask * 2;
}
}
Console.WriteLine(Result1Str + Str);
}
}
}

posted on Monday, August 08, 2005 8:13 PM | Filed Under [ c# ]

Comments

# re: C# Sample code to talk to a printer using SNMP to get its status.

Hello.
I have been talked to a print by this code.
But I couldn't talk to Zebra Barcode Printer ( 140 Xi III Plus Model ).

I catched Ready Status and Out of Paper Error, but another status, for example, Printing(Running) and OffLine(Pause) status.

How can I know these status?

Posted by Park Jung Sup on 6/20/2007 4:25 PM

# re: C# Sample code to talk to a printer using SNMP to get its status.

Can you explain me what do "25.3.5.1.2.{0}" mean and what do "25.3.5.1.5.{0}"

is there any other code like this. if so can me provide the link so that i can know more about SNMP and try to handle/get status information the devices from remote location

Posted by theertendra on 8/29/2007 11:08 PM

# re: C# Sample code to talk to a printer using SNMP to get its status.

The codes that you see are called an OID and basically companies can obtain a private OID. see http://www.alvestrand.no/objectid/

There are common OID SNMP identifiers and the ones I was using in the article

The full OID for hrPrinterDetectedErrorState

.iso.org.dod.internet.mgmt.mib-2.host.hrDevice.hrPrinterTable.hrPrinterEntry.hrPrinterDetectedErrorState

or simply .1.3.6.1.2.1.25.3.5.1.2

This object represents any error conditions detected by the printer. The error conditions are encoded as bits in an octet string, with the following

definitions:
Condition Bit #
lowPaper 0
noPaper 1
lowToner 2
noToner 3
doorOpen 4
jammed 5
offline 6
serviceRequested 7
inputTrayMissing 8
outputTrayMissing 9
markerSupplyMissing 10
outputNearFull 11
outputFull 12
inputTrayEmpty 13
overduePreventMaint 14

Bits are numbered starting with the most significant bit of the first byte being bit 0, the least significant bit of the first byte being bit 7, the
most significant bit of the second byte being bit 8, and so on. A one bit encodes that the condition was detected, while a zero bit encodes that the condition was not detected.

This object is useful for alerting an operator to specific warning or error conditions that may occur, especially those requiring human intervention.

The best way to see what is around is to look at a MIB Browser
http://www.ireasoning.com/mibbrowser.shtml

If you download the tool above there is a free version and you would then load the Printer-MIB.MIB to get information like above.

Posted by Chris Crowe on 8/30/2007 4:44 AM

# re: C# Sample code to talk to a printer using SNMP to get its status.

My SNMP program is the simple program and write in the C# language. But I faced the problem that I need to type the IP address for my slave before I can get the MIB of my slave, how I can detect my slave's IP address directly without type the IP address? Can you give me some guidelines? Furthermore, I need some coding that write in C# that can show the status for my slaves, such as my slave is on or off. I hope that you can give me some guidelines. Thanks.

Posted by jelly on 1/12/2008 4:43 AM

# re: C# Sample code to talk to a printer using SNMP to get its status.

Hi All,

Can anybody can guide me how can i get all the printer names which are all attached in a Network ?

Posted by SEN on 5/2/2008 6:46 PM

# re: C# Sample code to talk to a printer using SNMP to get its status.

nice peace of code, thanks for sharing. unfortunately oleprn.dll isn't documented anywhere...but nevertheless i think i can use it for simple snmp queries.

seems to me as if you forgot to
snmp.close();
after querying.

Posted by andre on 7/3/2008 11:50 PM

# re: C# Sample code to talk to a printer using SNMP to get its status.

hi ,
I need to know whether the printer(dymo label printer) status active or not which was installed on the network (192.168.1.18\dymolabel shared) from the other machine.
the above example doesent work for me as i cant get the OID for the dymo label printer.
Can any one help me how to do the above requirement please

Posted by srinivas on 8/8/2008 2:47 AM

# re: C# Sample code to talk to a printer using SNMP to get its status.

after snmp.open at the following code
uint WarningErrorBits = snmp.GetAsByte(String.Format("25.3.5.1.2.{0}", DeviceID));

I am getting error "HRESULT E_FAIL has returned from a call to a COM component"
Can any one help me why I am getting the error!!

Posted by Ramesh on 9/4/2008 12:19 AM

# re: C# Sample code to talk to a printer using SNMP to get its status.

>> I am getting error "HRESULT E_FAIL has returned from a call to a COM component"

I just got this one too and when pinged it the printer was down.
Make sure the printer is up.

Posted by Victor on 10/2/2008 8:14 AM

# re: java Sample code to talk to a printer using SNMP to get its status.

i am going to develop simulator printer,so i need to develop printer mibs for virtual printer to operate them by snmp operation like set,get and trap by specifying oids.

Posted by vinay on 2/12/2009 3:01 AM

# re: C# Sample code to talk to a printer using SNMP to get its status.

hello everyone,
can anybody guide me to write the code in C# to access the of various node status in LAN using SNMP protocol.If any one is interested please mail me.

Posted by Sagar Mirajkar on 3/2/2009 3:15 AM

# re: C# Sample code to talk to a printer using SNMP to get its status.

hai thnks for giving this code to get status . I need more information about Printer like
1. whether Printer is Printing or not,
2. whether it is on Or off,
3.how many copies printed.

Can u help me

Posted by XXXXXXX on 3/17/2009 10:18 PM

# re: C# Sample code to talk to a printer using SNMP to get its status.

hello
Is it possible to use snmp on network to get informations (counter) from shared printers ?

Posted by jd on 3/17/2009 10:37 PM

# re: C# Sample code to talk to a printer using SNMP to get its status.

ya is it possible

Posted by XXXXXXX on 3/18/2009 12:20 AM

# re: C# Sample code to talk to a printer using SNMP to get its status.

can u reply quickly? i need to develop an appliacation controlling printer pls

Posted by XXXXXXX on 3/18/2009 12:40 AM

# re: C# Sample code to talk to a printer using SNMP to get its status.

you said it is possible to retrieve information from a shared printer (not à network printer) but how.

for a network printer i send an smtp request to the printer's IP with oid : 1.3.6.1.2.1.43.10.2.1.4.1.1

but for a shared printer i have to send it to the computer?

Posted by jd on 3/19/2009 3:55 AM