BASIC SETUP OF CERTEX 3200

The Certex 3200 electronic check signer is designed to work primarily with data coming from a PARALLELPORT of a computer. The device becomes attached in-line between the computer and the printer using two PARALLEL PRINTER CABLES. The device also can accept data from a computer’s serial port but it will TRANSLATE the serial data and send the print jobto the PARALLELPORT on the printer.

As the Certex 3200 is put in place on the parallel port, it must be POWERED ON in order to pass data to the printer. Turning the device off with the key-lock will stop all jobs from reaching the printer. When the Certex is turned on, the device can BUFFER ordinary print jobs but may slow printing and occasionally it can cause problems with certain types of output. If the Certex 3200 is installed (as described) it is best that the printer be dedicated to check printing or perhaps perform check printing with only light report printing. It is not advisable to install the Certex 3200 on a large printer that is used extensively for general office printing if all jobs are to be sent though it’s parallel port.

NETWORK SETUP OF CERTEX 3200

Alternately, the CERTEX 3200 can be used on a network printer. If attached properly, the performance of the office printer will not be affected. The Certex 3200 must be attached to the network printer using an EXTERNAL NETWORK PRINT SERVER such has the Hewlett Packard JetDirect 170x . Such devices are designed to connect to the printer through a parallel interface. They sell for as low as $100.00. The Certex 3200 is placed between the external print server and the printer and can intercept data and sign the checks as they are printed. This setup does not solve the issue of reduced performance and problems associated with buffering of certain print jobs.

Ideally, the network printer to be used for check signing is attached to the network using both an INTERNAL network card andan External print server connected to the Certex 3200. Under this scenario the same printer appears available on the network as TWO separate printers. One is used for check signing and the other is used for ordinary print jobs. This allows ordinary or complex print jobs to entirely bypass the Certex 3200 and maintains printer performance. It also enables extra security as users can be restricted from using the network printer that is associated with check printing.

Presented by:
Sean D. McCown, Business Solutions Consultant

American Solutions for Business
16 Kingston Road, Unit #8, Exeter, New Hampshire 03833
Tel: 888-968-3030 - Fax: 603-778-8083
Web Site:
Email:
Business Hours: 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. ET, Monday - Friday