IPP Mail Archive: Re: IPP> Re: PRO - Issue 32: Use of Basic & Digest Authentication

Re: IPP> Re: PRO - Issue 32: Use of Basic & Digest Authentication

don@lexmark.com
Thu, 22 Apr 1999 14:22:54 -0400

You said:

"so by whatever means, you set the printer's master password"

In most cases (99%), the answer is CLEAR TEXT password over the wire.

**********************************************
* Don Wright don@lexmark.com *
* Director, Strategic & Technical Alliances *
* Lexmark International *
* 740 New Circle Rd *
* Lexington, Ky 40550 *
* 606-232-4808 (phone) 606-232-6740 (fax) *
**********************************************

moore%cs.utk.edu@interlock.lexmark.com on 04/22/99 02:10:51 PM

To: paulmo%microsoft.com@interlock.lexmark.com
cc: moore%cs.utk.edu@interlock.lexmark.com,
Robert.Herriot%pahv.xerox.com@interlock.lexmark.com,
ipp%pwg.org@interlock.lexmark.com (bcc: Don Wright/Lex/Lexmark)
Subject: Re: IPP> Re: PRO - Issue 32: Use of Basic & Digest Authentication

> How do I enter valid userid and password combinations into the net card of a
> printer?

how do you set the printer's postscript password?
how do you set the printer's ip address, netmask, or default router?
how do you tell it what DNS servers to use?
how do you tell it what domain name to answer to?
how do you allow users to do firmware updates?
how do you install new fonts?
how do you tell it not to let j.random unauthenticated user print 1000
page documents?

basically, most net appliances need some minimum degree of
configurability. some do this by uploading a config file
using bootp/dhcp which is keyed off the ethernet hardware id.
some store the information in NVRAM and let you set it by
printing a postscript file with magic gook in it. or the
printer starts out not knowing what its ip address is,
learns it from the first thing that sends an IP packet to
its Ethernet MAC address (you preload the arp cache on some
other machine if you have to), and then it allows you to telnet
to it, or talk to its web server, and configure it.

so by whatever means, you set the printer's master password,
during initial configuration, and from then on having the
printer's master password lets you telnet to the printer,
or visit its maintenance web page, and add/delete users.

Keith