Printing from DOS to Network Printer

[fleetwood]

Here's one for the network gurus.

We run an old DOS program from within Windows XP.
Having just replaced our old laser printer with a brand spanking new one, I find myself with a printer with network card and usb port, but no parallel port.

Having purchased said beast, I have now discovered that DOS programs only know how to write to LPT1 ports, having no recognition for either a USB or ethernet connected printer!

A little research revealed a workaround in the form of:

NET USE LPT1: \\MY_SERVER\PRINTER /PERSISTENT:YES

So far so good.

My question is, how do I find out what I enter for the MY_SERVER part of the above line?

I realise that PRINTER is the share name of the printer, but the printer and PC's are connected via a Network switch, and not directly to each other.

Is MY_SERVER the name of the network switch, and if it is, how do I find out what the share name of said switch is?

Question 2:
How often do I need to run the line
NET USE LPT1: \\MY_SERVER\PRINTER /PERSISTENT:YES

Each time I want to print something?
Once per machine reboot?
Once and it remembers even after machine is switched off?

[hb1]

Add the printer to a PC using Windows and Share it...

the path will then be \\mypcname\printersharename

the Persistent switch should make this contant

[fleetwood]

Thank you for the quick reply.

I shall give it a go as soon as I get in the office tomorrow

A follow on question from the above:

I am telling the PC to share the printer, yet the printer is not directly connected to the PC, it on the network.
If I have the PC printer set up set to DO NOT share (ignoring my DOS query for a moment), does this have any affect on any WinXP PC connected to the network being able to see and print to the networked printer?
Is the 'share this printer' instruction purely for the benefit of the DOS program, or does it serve some other purpose?

(sorry if I'm being thick here!)

[hb1]

No you do not need to share the Printer on one PC for the other PC's to access the printer, the Printer has it's own network card and the Windows PC's will connect to it as such.

The Share this printer setting is there primarily for printers connected via Parallel Ports or USB but the setting can also be used on network printer.

[fleetwood]

Thanks again for your help