UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

We have an automated job to send files to a printer/queue on the network using the "rlpr" command.
This job works most of the time, however it has not worked for the past few days.

The error message showing up in our logs is as follows:

/usr/local/bin/rlpr: error: check_ack: timed out waiting for ACK to our job request
/usr/local/bin/rlpr: fatal error: unable to send job request to lpd

Does anybody have any idea on what might be causing the problem? or where we could start to look to troubleshoot?
Our O.S. is HP-UX 11i v3.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

---------- Post updated 07-18-13 at 09:36 AM ---------- Previous update was 07-17-13 at 10:17 AM ----------

Bumping up my post. This is still an issue.

Sounds like a network or printer problem. Does rlpr work interactively? Any firewall around? iptables?

Thanks for responding DGPickett. Yes there is a firewall which the Network guys call a "Stateful" firewall. I don't believe that I have heard the term iptables around here, however.
"rlpr" is not working from the command line either. It times out 10 seconds after issuing the command on the command line.

The target printer is up and is working for different users in the company, but from our Unix box, the IP of the printer can be pinged, but "rlpr" is timing out.

You can try a telnet to the lpr port of the printer, to see if it connects. Firewalls can be selective. The firewall admins should be able to see your packets denied in their logs, too, if they are the problem.