Off-Network Printing

The Off-Network Cloud Print (ONCP) and Off-Network Print (ONP) features solve two key printing challenges:

  1. Managing printing in a zero-trust network architecture.
  2. Providing simple and secure access to users without VPNs or web portals.

Organizations can create an isolated, secure printer network, separate from the main network used by employees, contractors, or guests. This separation adds an extra layer of security and keeps the printers in a controlled network environment. ONCP and ONP bridge the gap between networks, allowing users on the main network to still print without compromising the security of the printer network.

How It Works

Off-Network Cloud Print

ONCP utilizes AWS-hosted regional external gateways and Vasion's ONCP app, installed on the printer, to reduce infrastructure costs and help users on other networks print successfully. When a user on another network sends a job to an ONCP-enabled printer, the encrypted job goes to the external gateway. The ONCP app monitors the gateway, immediately pulls down the print job, and releases it at the printer.

Not all printer manufacturers currently support the ONCP app, so we provide an alternative method using an Internal Routing Service (IRS). The IRS Service Client is a designated device on the printer network that acts similarly to the ONCP app. It monitors the external gateway, immediately pulls down print jobs, and routes them to the correct printer.

Diagram showing the network flow of traffic for ONCP.

Off-Network Print

ONP differs slightly and allows for more redundancy within an environment, though it doesn't use the ONCP app and requires more infrastructure. ONP utilizes customer-hosted gateways.

Instead of an app, ONP relies on IRS Service Clients within the printer network to route jobs from the gateway to the printer. Multiple external gateways and IRS Service Clients allow for failover in high-availability environments.

Diagram showing the flow of traffic for Off-network printing, starting with the device, going through the external gateway then back through the Internal routing service to the printer.

Key Details

ONCP and ONP have two main components: The External Gateway and the Internal Routing Service (IRS), which have multiple configuration options to fit your organization's needs.

  • The External Gateway receives incoming print jobs from remote workstations and acts as the gateway to the secure network.
  • The IRS monitors the External Gateway to watch for print jobs. When the External Gateway receives a print job, the IRS immediately downloads the print job into the organization's secure printer network and delivers the job directly to the destination printer.
  • High Availability: Configuring multiple IRS Service Clients creates a failover schema in case an issue arises with one IRS. Priority bases assignments on the level (printer, folder, root), with assignments on a printer level taking precedence over the folder / root levels and folder-level assignments having a higher priority than the parent folder / root level.
  • ONCP and ONP require additional licensing. Please reach out to your Vasion representative for details and pricing.
  • ONCP and ONP exclusively use RAW printing on the PC platform. ONP also uses RAW printing on Mac platforms.
  • Line Printer Remote (LPR) is not currently supported.

Differences

  • ONCP currently supports Windows and mobile (iOS / Android) devices.
  • Customer-hosted external gateways are only configurable with ONP.
  • External Gateways assigned on the root / folder / printer levels only apply to ONP.ONCP automatically assigns External Gateways based on the instance region.
  • ONCP has two configuration options for the IRS.
    • Install the ONCP app on the printer object. The app functions as the IRS and removes the need for an IRS Service Client.

    • Create an IRS Service Client to route print jobs, which removes the need for the ONCP app.

      Not all printer manufacturers support the ONCP app. Unsupported manufacturers require the ONCP configuration using the IRS Service Client.

Off-Network Priority

Off-Network Priority controls where the Virtual Appliance Client will try to send the job first, either directly to the printer or to the ONCP or ONP service.

  • Off-Network Only — only sends the print jobs using the ONCP / ONP service and will not try to send the job directly to the printer. (Direct IP Printing).
  • Direct IP Primary — attempts to send the print job directly to the printer (Direct IP Printing) first. If unsuccessful, the job attempts using the ONCP or ONP service.

  • Off-Network Primary — attempts to send the job using the ONP service first. If unsuccessful, the job attempts printing directly to the printer. (Direct IP Printing).

    ONCP does not support the Off-Network Primary option.