A+ Core 1 3.7: Multifunction Devices — Class Notes

Class notes · Professor Messer A+ Core 1 (220-1201) · Section 3, lesson 3.7

Quick reference: the short version of this lesson lives in the A+ Core 1 Section 3 resource sheets. This opens the printer material in Section 3 under objective 3.7 (printers and multifunction devices) — a change of subject from the Section 3.5 motherboard and CPU lessons.

Learning objectives

By the end of these notes you should be able to:

1. Set up a multifunction device physically and install the right drivers.
2. Explain page description languages and match the driver to the printer.
3. Update device firmware and choose the right wired or wireless connection.
4. Share a printer via the OS or a print server.
5. Configure print features — duplex, orientation, trays and quality.
6. Secure output with authentication, badging, secured prints and auditing.
7. Use the device as a scanner, including scan-to destinations.

1. What a multifunction device is

A multifunction device (MFD) combines several peripherals in one unit — commonly a printer, scanner and fax, and often a copier. It may connect over wired or wireless networking, have a phone line for the fax, and accept print jobs from mobile devices over the web. With so many capabilities in one box comes plenty that can go wrong — and as the technician, you are the one who installs and repairs it.

2. Physical setup

At home an MFD may be about the size of an ordinary printer; in an office it can be large, needing its own space out of the walkway. Wherever it goes, it needs a power connection, usually a wired network connection, and a location accessible to everyone who uses it.

3. Drivers

Installing the hardware is only half the job — each workstation must be configured to print to it, which means installing the correct printer driver for that exact model on everyone’s computer. As with a standalone printer, the driver must match the operating system, and crucially the bit-width: a 32-bit OS needs a 32-bit driver, a 64-bit OS needs a 64-bit driver (the same rule from the CPU Features lesson). Using the right driver is also what unlocks the device’s full multifunction capabilities — check the documentation and confirm the driver matches the model.

4. Page description languages

An MFD renders a page using a page description language (PDL), and two are common:

The workstation sends the document in the chosen language; the printer interprets that language, renders the page from it, and prints the result. The driver must match the language: a PCL printer needs a PCL driver, a PostScript printer needs a PostScript driver. Some printers can use either — so select the driver that matches how the printer is configured.

5. Firmware

An MFD has no operating system you normally log into; at power-on it loads its own device OS, the firmware, which controls printing, scanning and faxing. Manufacturers release new firmware to fix bugs or add features, and you install it to upgrade the device. The firmware and its instructions live on the manufacturer’s website — and because every device has a different upgrade process, always follow that documentation.

6. Wired and wireless connections

Ways to connect to an MFD:

  Wired:     USB (Type A at the PC, Type B or USB-C at the printer)
             RJ45 Ethernet   (can use more than one at once)
  Wireless:  Bluetooth  (short range - be close to the device)
             802.11 infrastructure (via an access point - shared)
             802.11 ad hoc         (point-to-point, no access point)

Wired. A USB connection is familiar, but note the ends differ: your computer uses Type A, while the printer often uses Type B or USB-C. Alternatively you connect to the network via an RJ45 Ethernet port on the back. Many devices allow several interfaces at once — e.g. a USB Type B to a computer and an RJ45 to the network simultaneously.

Wireless. Some MFDs support Bluetooth, which has limited range, so you must be close. More common is 802.11 Wi-Fi in infrastructure mode, where the device joins an access point and everyone on the network can reach it. Some also support ad hoc mode, a point-to-point link with no access point — useful for a single computer talking to an MFD where there is no AP.

Note (beyond this lesson): 802.11 ad hoc for printers has largely been superseded by Wi-Fi Direct, the modern point-to-point way to connect directly to a printer without an access point.

7. Sharing the device

Many people need one MFD, and there are two ways to share it.

OS printer sharing. From a computer directly connected to the printer, the operating system’s printer properties has a sharing tab where you give the printer a network name. The weakness: if that host computer is turned off, nobody can print.

Print server. Most organisations instead use a print server — usually a service running inside the printer itself, though external print servers exist. Workstations send jobs to the print server, which manages the printing to the MFD. A web-based front end (or client software) lets you view the queue and administratively add or remove jobs.

Direct share vs print server:

  Direct:  PC (shares printer) --> MFD
           if that PC is off, nobody can print.

  Server:  PCs --> Print server --> MFD
           the server queues and manages all jobs (web front end).

8. Print features

8.1 Duplex

Duplex printing puts output on both sides of the page automatically, saving paper. Not every printer supports it, and it may need extra hardware in the printer to work.

8.2 Orientation

You can print portrait (the long edges at top and bottom) or landscape (the long edges at left and right). The page does not physically turn as it feeds through — the printer simply lays the image down in the orientation you chose.

8.3 Paper trays

Larger MFDs have multiple trays, and you choose which to print from. Trays often hold different paper types and sizes — plain paper, letterhead, envelopes, and so on. In the example device:

If output comes from the wrong tray, check the tray setting on the job.

8.4 Print quality

You can also set the quality of the output: the resolution (e.g. 600 x 600 dpi by default), and colour vs grayscale. A lower resolution saves toner on a laser printer. For colour, a colour-saving mode uses less ink, and the colour quality can be reduced from true colour to save resources.

9. Access control and secure output

A shared MFD sitting in the open raises two problems: who may use it, and how to keep printed output private.

User authentication and permissions. You can limit who prints, often through the printer sharing or the print server, by setting rights and permissions for individual users or groups — separating who may print from who may manage the device.

Badging. Because a central printer is usually out in the open, sensitive output should not sit in the tray. With badging, you send the job but the printer holds it; it prints only once you physically visit the printer and badge in to authenticate, so the output appears while you are standing there.

Secured prints. Similar in effect but without a card: you define a passcode/PIN, send the job, then enter the PIN at the printer to release it. Windows supports PIN-protected printing — set a PIN in Windows, walk to the printer, enter it, and the job prints.

Auditing. Printing costs money, and high-resolution colour costs more, so organisations audit who prints and how much. Many printers keep an audit log — in the device or in the OS that shares it, usually under security monitoring, or in the Windows Event Viewer.

Secure release printing:

  Send job --> held in the queue (not printed yet)
           --> you walk to the MFD
           --> authenticate: badge OR PIN / passcode
           --> the job prints while you stand there

9.1 Worked example — deploying an office MFD securely

1. Place and connect the device out of the walkway, on power and RJ45 Ethernet.
2. Update firmware from the vendor site first, following their process, and change the default admin password.
3. Install the correct model-specific driver (matching each OS’s bit-width) and the matching PDL (PCL or PostScript).
4. Share via a print server so printing does not depend on one PC being on; set permissions for the right users/groups.
5. Enable secured prints (PIN) or badging so sensitive documents are not left in the tray, and confirm the audit log is capturing usage.
6. For scanning, point scan-to-folder at a share using a least-privilege account (Section 10 / Security).

10. Scanning

An MFD is an input device too. Most are flatbed scanners: place a physical document on the glass and it produces a digital copy. Many add an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) so you can load a stack, press one button, and scan every page to a file.

Where the scan goes has several options:

• Scan to email — convenient for small jobs; large attachments can overwhelm an inbox.
• Scan to folder / scan to SMB — sends the file to a network share. SMB is Server Message Block, the standard Windows file-sharing format; the scan lands in a Microsoft share you then open from your computer. Better for large jobs.
• Scan to cloud — to an external service such as Google Drive or Dropbox: load the paper, press a button, and the file goes to your cloud drive.

Note (beyond this lesson): SMB runs over TCP port 445 (see the Ports topic) — relevant because a scan-to-folder destination means the MFD stores credentials for that share.

11. Security perspective

Printers and MFDs are one of the most under-appreciated risks on a network, precisely because they are treated as appliances rather than the computers they are:

• An MFD is a networked computer. It runs a firmware OS, has a network stack, often a web admin interface, and internal storage — and it is frequently left unpatched with default credentials. Treat it like any host: update firmware, change default admin passwords, disable unused services (including the fax line and protocols you do not use), and put printers on a segmented VLAN rather than the flat user network.
• Scan-to destinations hold credentials. Scan-to-SMB stores a share credential, scan-to-email stores SMTP details, and scan-to-cloud stores a cloud token — all on the device. A compromised MFD leaks whatever it holds, so use a least-privilege service account for scan-to-folder (never a domain admin) and scope the share tightly.
• Physical output is a leak channel — which badging/secure print close. The lesson’s own features are the control: badging and PIN secured prints stop sensitive documents sitting in the tray for anyone to read or take, and the audit log (or Event Viewer) gives you a record of who printed what.
• Internal storage caches documents. Many MFDs have an internal hard drive that retains scanned and printed images; a device sold or scrapped without wiping or removing that drive is a classic data-leak finding.
• The print path itself is an attack surface. The Windows Print Spooler has had serious vulnerabilities (the PrintNightmare family), and printer drivers run in the kernel — so a malicious “printer driver” or an abused Point-and-Print install is a full compromise (the same kernel-driver risk as the Expansion Cards lesson). Patch the spooler, restrict who can install drivers, and get drivers only from the manufacturer.

Summary

• An MFD combines printer, scanner, fax and more; it needs power, a (usually wired) network connection, and an accessible spot.
• Install the model-specific driver on each workstation, matching the OS and its bit-width (32-bit OS -> 32-bit driver, 64-bit -> 64-bit).
• PDLs: PCL (HP) and PostScript (Adobe); match the driver to the printer’s language.
• Firmware is the device OS; update it from the vendor site per their process.
• Connect by USB (Type A at PC, Type B/USB-C at printer), RJ45 Ethernet (often several at once), Bluetooth (short range), or 802.11 infrastructure (via AP) or ad hoc (point-to-point).
• Share via OS printer sharing (host must stay on) or a print server (queue + web front end).
• Features: duplex (both sides), orientation (portrait/landscape), paper trays (types/sizes, a default), and quality (resolution, colour/grayscale, colour/toner saving).
• Secure output: user authentication/permissions, badging, secured prints (PIN), and auditing (device log / Event Viewer).
• Scan on a flatbed (or ADF) to email, a folder/SMB share, or the cloud.

Glossary

Review questions

1. What functions does a multifunction device typically combine?
2. What three things must a driver match for an MFD to work fully?
3. Name the two common page description languages and who created each.
4. What is firmware on an MFD, and where do you get updates?
5. Which USB connector types appear at the computer versus the printer end?
6. Distinguish 802.11 infrastructure mode from ad hoc mode.
7. What is the main weakness of sharing a printer directly from a computer?
8. What does a print server add over direct sharing?
9. What is duplex printing, and what might it require?
10. In the example, which tray is the default and what does it hold?
11. How does badging protect sensitive output, and how does a secured print differ?
12. Where can you find a printer’s audit log on a Windows system?
13. Name three scan-to destinations and when scan-to-folder beats scan-to-email.
14. Scenario: a decommissioned office MFD is being sold. What data risk must you address first?
15. Scenario: users on a 64-bit OS can’t access the MFD’s advanced features. What driver issue would you check?

Answer key

1. Printer, scanner and fax (and often copier) in one unit. Many peripherals, one device.
2. The model, the operating system, and the OS bit-width (32/64-bit). Right driver unlocks full features.
3. PCL (Printer Command Language) by Hewlett-Packard, and PostScript by Adobe. The two common PDLs.
4. The device’s own operating system; updates come from the manufacturer’s website, following their process. Follow the docs — every device differs.
5. Type A at the computer; Type B or USB-C at the printer. The ends differ.
6. Infrastructure uses an access point so everyone can reach the device; ad hoc is a direct point-to-point link with no AP. Shared vs direct.
7. If the host computer is turned off, nobody can print. Availability depends on that PC.
8. A queue and management (web front end/client) that handles jobs independently of any one PC. Centralised, always-on printing.
9. Printing on both sides automatically; it may need extra hardware in the printer. Not universal.
10. Tray 1, holding letter paper. The automatically selected tray.
11. Badging holds the job until you badge in at the printer, so output isn’t left in the tray; a secured print does the same but releases with a PIN/passcode instead of a badge. Both are pull/secure release.
12. In the Windows Event Viewer (or the printer’s own security monitoring/audit log). Records who printed what.
13. Email, a folder/SMB share, and the cloud (e.g. Google Drive/Dropbox); scan-to-folder suits large jobs that would overwhelm an inbox. Match destination to size.
14. The internal storage may cache scanned/printed documents — wipe or remove the drive before disposal. MFDs retain data.
15. A wrong or generic driver — confirm the correct model-specific, 64-bit driver is installed. The right driver unlocks full features.