JetDirects Very Briefly

"JetDirect" is HP's brand-name for print servers. There are two main types:

External JetDirects connect to the printer through a parallel or USB port; they will work with any printer - not just HP models.

Internal JetDirects are an electronic card that slots into a printer; they only work with HP printers that have an "EIO" slot. Internal JetDirect cards are popular because they provide a very neat solution with fewer trailing cables and setup through the printer control panel. There are several models.

Older JetDirects are the 600n, 610n and 615n, these are no longer made but they are quite readily available second hand. These models don't have the protocol range, security or speed of the more recent devices. In most cases these devices work perfectly well because the printer isn't fast and doesn't need network security.

Newer JetDirects are the 620n, 630n, 635n and the wireless 690n, these are still manufactured. Only the 620n is readily available second hand; it's quite fast and reliable but doesn't have security features.

JetDirects are usually bought as part of a printer and last it's whole life and beyond, which explains why they are available second hand. New JetDirects bought to replace a failed item out of warranty, or to upgrade the protocols and security are expensive items.

People usually know when they need one of the recent JetDirect models. A fast, recent printer, need for IPv6 or IPP over TLS means sticking to recent JetDirects. Most recent JetDirects can be used to upgrade older printers as well. However putting a 635n into a LaserJet 8100 won't make it  faster. The limitation on older printers is their engine speed, not the network.

HP do provide compatibility information. If in doubt replace a Jetdirect with the same model.

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JetDirects In Brief

"Jetdirect" is Hewlett Packard's name for its print server products. A print server connects a printer to a network, interpreting network protocols like TCP/IP into something the printer's internal computer can understand.

JetDirects can be:

External - a small box that turns network protocols into printer traffic on a parallel or USB cable. External print servers are handy because they can be used with any printer that has the appropriate port - parallel on older and larger printers and USB on recent models. External print servers also tend to be a bit less costly than internal models - there is more competition between suppliers. However internal JetDirect servers are more convenient, so this article is mainly about them.

Embedded - a network port built into the printer and an integral part of its hardware. Quite a few recent printers especially the "multifunction" MFP type ship with an embedded Jetdirect. The advantage is that it's "free" in the purchase price. A disadvantage is that if it goes wrong the whole logic board has to be replaced.

Internal - a network card that can be inserted into a printer. The advantage of the internal card is that it's optional, different types can be made for different networks and its a neat solution likely to be less troublesome than an external device. On the other hand there is no universal standard so they are proprietary parts and not cheap.

HP Internal Jetdirects fall into 3 types which are:

MIO - largely obsolete - a card used in older printers like the HP4Si. Some old printers go on for years - if the printer does what is wanted there is no reason to change.

EIO - still current - a small card that will fit into a slot on most of the HP printers intended for workplaces. Larger printers often ship with and EIO print server installed, but they can go faulty or may need to be upgraded. Some of the largest printers have 3 EIO slots - they can take hard disks as well as network cards.

LIO - current - a small plastic box that slides into some of the HP printers intended for small offices. There are only a few models and the appropriate one normally comes with the printer.

This article is mainly concerned with JetDirects for an EIO slot because that is where most changes are made.

Protocols

As might be expected there is a succession of devices, with later models usually having faster processors, more memory and support for more protocols and better security. 

All models support the basic transport and printer protocols. TCP/IP, IPX, DLC and Ethertalk. TCP/IP in its version 4 variant has become by far the dominant protocol. Theoretically IPv4 might be replaced by IPv6 but in practice only large organisations get some advantage from this so only recent JetDirects support it.

Different operating systems have historically used their own print protocols. Print servers therefore offer a wide choice of these - IPX for Novell systems, LPD for the Unixes and Linux, and SMB for Microsoft systems. On recent systems IPP over HTTP or HTTPS might be preferred. In practice a lot of people use direct IP printing also known as "raw" port 9100 and all the JetDirects support this.

The print server also needs configuration. The simplest way of setting up an internal Jetdirect is through the printer's front panel. Settings can also come from the network via DHCP or more recently Zeroconf utilities such as Bonjour and Avahi. Administration might be via SNMP. All the Jetdirects include a JetAdmin web server for administation.

There are several models as follows:

600n - A basic print server with IPv4, IPX, DLC , Ethertalk, LPD, port 9100, DHCP, SNMP,  and a rudimentary JetAdmin web server built entirely around Java. The 610n isn't fast - but neither are the printers it is used in. The models are:

J3110A - 600N EIO print server for Ethernet / 10Base-T
J3111A - 600N EIO print server for Ethernet / 10Base-T, 10Base2 (BNC) and LocalTalk
J3112A - 600N EIO print server for Token Ring networks
J3113A - 600N EIO print server for Ethernet / 10/100Base-TX

The 600n is obsolete but works fine in most laserprinters. The java web pages are a nuisance - but actually very few people use printer internal web pages.

610n - All the basic printer protocols on TCP/IP, IPX, DLC and Ethertalk and raw data on port 9100. DHCP, SNMP and an improved JetAdmin without the Java obsession. Performance improved up to fourfold in printers that can benefit from it.

J4167A is a Token Ring Variant with DB9 and RJ45 connectors. 
J4169A is a Fast Ethernet device which has an RJ-45 socket and LEDs marked 10-100.

The 610n is an older model but there is rarely any great disadvatage to using it - in most older printers it outpaces the printers RIP process.

615n is Fast Ethernet 10/100TX. Again all the major printer protocols are supported. Performance is improved by use of an ASIC chip. The 615n was widely used so it is quite cheap second-hand. There are reports of an issue with devices shutting down with an "EIO error" however this seems rare and might be avoidable if unnecessary protocols are turned off.

Model number is J6057A B etc. All the models to this point are more than 4 years old and manufacturing has been discontinued. 

620n is Fast Ethernet 10/100TX. Model is J7934A. This JetDirect supports all the common protocols for Windows XP / Vista, Linux, Unix or Apple. 802.1X authentication IPP and SSL transport are also supported. HP's web site suggests the 620n will work in all EIO printers except the LaserJet 2100.

The 620n is still current and available new; it has been in use for long enough that they are available second hand as well.

625n is an early 10/100/1000BaseTX - Model J7960A. Although its a Gigabit device  the spec sheet gives throughput as 6.5Mb per second - so actually its a small improvement on the 620n. It has been discontinued and replaced by the 630n.

630n is another 10/100/1000BaseT Gigabit device, model J7997G. There are several improvements - support for IPv6 for instance and for IPP over TLS. For corporates there is even a firewall function.

If you want secure printing of payroll or sensitive corporate information the 630n or it's successor are the right choice. Neither the IPv6 or security features are needed in most cases.

635n carries things further with Gigabit Ethernet carrying IPv4, IPv6, IPP and IPSec so that data moving to the printer is secure.

680n is an 802.11b WiFi device. It has been discontinued in favour of the 690n.

690n supports IPv4, IPv6 and IPSec for layer-3 encryption. A Wireless printer card needs strong security if it is to avoid being a weakness in network security. One nice feature of the 690n is that it also has an RJ45 port for wired operation - which helps with setup even if the printer is mainly used in it's wireless configuration.

Price

JetDirects are not cheap. Most are supplied as part of an "n" model printer and add something like £60 - £100 to the purchase price. New Jetdirects on their own cost of the order £250. The Jetdirect is an HP proprietary part so there isn't any choice.

Jetdirect models through to the 620n are fairly readily available second hand, with a cost which rises with the model number and market demand. In most older printers replacing the Jetdirect with a new device like the 635n would not be any benefit and there may be compatibility issues. HP has a compatibility chart  in their "LaserJet Accessories Guide".

Where cost is an issue people have a choice of external print servers from Linksys, D-link, Netgear and several others - as well as from HP. Because there is some competition external print servers tend to be rather less expensive but less neat.

Second-hand JetDirects are good value. The typical use of a JetDirect card is just to attach a printer to the network - the web reporting and security facilities of more recent cards are often unused. However if you are buying a printer we would always recommend buying the "n" model which will have one of the recent devices pre-installed.