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Discovering and Managing Devices

Print Tracker's primary purpose is to discover your devices and collect meters from those devices. Once discovered, you can view and manage your devices remotely from anywhere in the world. Managing your devices includes configuring device settings, cleaning up old devices, reviewing device statistics, and more.

Under Construction

This guide is currently under construction. Please check back soon for updates.

Discovering Devices​

The process of discovering devices on your network involves scanning every IP address to detect whether there's a printer located at that address. By default, Print Tracker will periodically scan your network automatically to discover new devices. You can also manually trigger a scan at any time.

On-demand Scans​

To manually scan your network for devices:

  1. Using the side navigation bar, click Devices > View devices
  2. In the top-left corner, click Scan for devices
  3. Enter the IP address, range, network, or CIDR block you want to scan
    info

    This field supports values formatted as:

    • Individual IP addresses (10.0.0.1)
    • Range of IP addresses (10.0.0.1-10)
    • A single subnet using a wild card (10.0.0.*)
    • A CIDR notated network (10.0.0.1/24)
  4. Click Add devices
  5. If there are multiple installs at this entity, select the installs that you want to run the scan from
  6. Click Confirm

If the install is online, it will immediately begin scanning the network for devices. If the install is offline, the scan will begin the next time the install comes online.

Viewing Scan Progress​

To view the progress of the scan:

  1. Using the sidebar, click Jobs > View
  2. Click on the job named Custom Scan

You can view the progress of the scan as well as the logs produced by the install during the scan.

Scheduled Scans​

Print Tracker will regularly scan your network to see if any new devices have been added or if device IP addresses have changed.

To change the networks that will regularly be scanned for new devices:

  1. Using the side navigation bar, click Installs > View installs
  2. Click on the install you want to view to expand the row
  3. Click on the Settings tab
  4. Expand the Network discovery section
  5. Change the IP addresses to scan setting
  6. Click Save settings

To change when Print Tracker scans the network:

  1. Using the side navigation bar, click Installs > View installs
  2. Click on the install you want to view to expand the row
  3. Click on the Settings tab
  4. Expand the Data Collection Agent section
  5. Change the Scan for new device on days setting
  6. Click Save settings

The install will use the new settings the next time it is scheduled to scan your network for devices.

Viewing Devices​

Customizing Columns​

Including Children​

Filtering and Sorting​

Pagination​

Exporting​

New Devices​

Device Details​

Supplies Overview​

Available Meters​

Supplies Details (beta)​

Audit History​

Alerts​

Settings​

Reports​

Remote Technician​

Managing Devices​

It's important to maintain your fleet in Print Tracker, for example, if you move devices from one location to another (from one contract to another) it's important to disable or remove the old device from Print Tracker. This is especially true if you're using a 3rd part integration like the E-Automate data processor.

Enabling/Disabling Devices​

In some cases, Print Tracker may have discovered devices that you don't want to manage, and don't want to pay for in Print Tracker. These non-managed devices will continue to upload meter reads once per quarter. Non-managed devices offer an inexpensive way to get periodic snapshots throughout the year of your devices.

To disable a device:

  1. Using the side navigation bar, click Devices > View devices
  2. Select the devices you want to disable by clicking the checkboxes next to the devices
  3. At the top of the column, click the drop-down arrow
  4. Click Disable selected

To enable a device:

  1. Using the side navigation bar, click Devices > View devices
  2. Select the devices you want to enable by clicking the checkboxes next to the devices
  3. At the top of the column, click the drop-down arrow
  4. Click Enable selected

Removing Devices​

Warning

Don't remove devices that are still on the network. Print Tracker may rediscover the devices next time it runs a network scan. Consider disabling the device instead.

Remove devices that are no longer on the network, and that you don't care about seeing.

To remove a device:

  1. Using the side navigation bar, click Devices > View devices
  2. Select the devices you want to remove by clicking the checkboxes next to the devices
  3. At the top of the column, click the drop-down arrow
  4. Click Remove selected

Bulk Updating Devices​

Users can add the following pieces of custom information to any device in their account:

  • Asset ID: this is any identifier used to track or identify a device internally (e.g., equipment id, asset tag, etc.)
  • Custom Serial Number: this can be used to overwrite the serial number returned by the device
  • Custom Location: this can be used to identify the physical location of the device
  • Notes: this can be used to store any notes or other custom information about the device

To update any or all of these fields in bulk:

  1. Using the side navigation bar, click Devices > View devices
  2. Click the gear icon at the top of the table and click Bulk device update
  3. Click the Export devices button
  4. Open the exported CSV file and update any or all of the fields noted above and save the CSV file
  5. Proceed to Step 2 of the bulk device update process
  6. Import the updated CSV file and click the Import changes button

This will add the new information to any of the devices that were modified in the CSV file.

Warning

This process will overwrite any data that has already been input into these custom fields. These changes are permanent and irreversable.

Non-Managed Devices​

Non-managed devices are devices free of charge, but only upload meters once per quarter. Non-managed devices are useful for getting periodic snapshots of your fleet throughout the year for devices where you don't need alerts, or frequent meter reads. See Enabling/Disabling Devices for more information.

Locally Connected Devices​

In some cases, devices may not be connected to the local network, and subsequently, will not be discovered by Print Tracker. In these cases, you may still be able to track the devices using Print Tracker by connecting the device directly to a computer with Print Tracker installed. Print Tracker supports two different methods of connecting directly to devices.

  1. USB-connected devices are connected to a computer using a USB-cable. Print Tracker is only able to collect the number of black and color pages printed by the device since it was discovered by Print Tracker. Print Tracker is unable to collect meter readings or supply information from USB-connected devices (see full comparison below).
  2. USB+ devices are connected to a computer using a USB-to-Ethernet adapter. A USB-to-ethernet adapter is connected via USB to the computer, and an ethernet cable connects the printer to the adapter. Using patent-pending technology, Print Tracker is able to collect full meter readings and supply information.
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You should use the USB+ connection whenever possible. USB-connected devices are only supported on Windows computers, and return very limited data.

Connection Method Comparison​

USB+USB-Connected Devices
MetersYesLimited
SuppliesYesNo
Remote TechnicianYesNo
AlertsYesVolume only

USB+ Devices​

Print Tracker uses a proprietary, patent-pending technology to connect to your devices using a USB-to-Ethernet adapter. Follow these steps to get started:

  1. Purchase a USB-to-Ethernet adapter
  2. Install Print Tracker on the computer that will be connected to the device
  3. Register Print Tracker
  1. Configure the adapter and device

Purchasing an Ethernet Adapter​

You can use any off-the-shelf ethernet adapter so long as it is able to connect to your computer -- some computers have USB Type A ports, and other computers have USB Type C ports. Most adapters are about $10.

Configuring the Adapter and Device​

Note

Unlike macOS and Linux computers, Windows computers require one additional manual step to configure the adapter and device.

  1. Open localhost:1301 on the computer where Print Tracker is installed.
  2. Under the section titled Managed Ethernet Adapters, click the Find your adapter button.
  3. Plug one end of the ethernet cable into your device, and plug the other end into the USB-to-ethernet adapter.
  4. As directed, plug the USB-to-ethernet adapter into your computer and wait for it to be recognized by Print Tracker. If the adapter was already plugged in, then unplug, wait a few seconds, and then plug it back in.
  5. When your adapter appears in Print Tracker, click the Select button.
  6. Print Tracker will assign its own IP address to the device. You can change this IP address if you want, but it's not necessary. Click the Done button.
  7. Windows devices do not support automatic printer configuration. Follow the instructions on the screen to manually configure a static IP address on your printer.
  8. Click the Done button once you've configured the printer.
  9. It may take a few minutes for Print Tracker to discover your device, once it does, click Finish.

USB Devices​

Locally connected devices are printers or copiers that are connected to a computer using a physical cable (e.g., USB cable). Because these devices are only visible to the computer they are attached to, a Print Tracker agent must be installed on each computer with a locally connected device.

To begin tracking a locally connected device:

  1. Download and install the generic installer on the computer connected to the local device
  2. During the registration process, select the option to monitor devices connected by Local (USB)
  3. Enter the DataLink Code
  4. Click Activate

Print Tracker will automatically look for any devices connected to the host computer through a USB connection and add them to your account. USB connections prevent collecting full meter readings from the printer but Print Tracker will track the total, black/white, and color pages printed from the time the device was added to Print Tracker.

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Locally connected devices are unable to collect data from the printer MIB so will be unable to report supply information or collect meters directly from the device

If the device has already been in operation, you can enter a starting page count to account for the pages already printed by the device.

To enter a starting page count on a locally connected device:

  1. Using the side navigation bar, click Devices > View devices
  2. Open the desired device
  3. Click on the Starting Page Count tab
  4. Enter the number of total, total black, and total color pages
  5. Click Save starting page settings

Network Topology Scanner​

Troubleshooting​

Troubleshooting