How do I set up printing on a Mac/Win mixed network?

Question

Computer networks

At work, I've been struggling with network printing for a week now: I just can't win. There are 2 computers based on Windows on the network, and about a dozen poppies. The printer is connected to a Windows server based on Win Server 2008. I tried two printers: Canon LBP6020 and HP P1102W, both work fine when connected via USB, but transferring them to a Windows server, I can’t set up printing from poppies.
So the list of problems and what I tried:

1. Macs do not always see the Windows network. It all works extremely through F, then the computers are not visible, then the entire workgroup, then the connection cannot be established
2. I tried to write it manually through CUPS, specified the URL smb://server/Printer, the documents go to print, but when they get into the queue on Windows, they are immediately deleted, there are no errors in the server logs.
3. I raised LPD support on the server and tried to configure it through it, the result is the same.
4. On the HP P1102W, both of the above methods lead to the Could't open fifo (0) error, sometimes the printer goes into a paper-out panic, but if you close the printer utility window (which opens on the server when the printer runs out of resources), printing may fail ( maybe not pass)
5. I tried setting up the P1102w to print over WiFi, everyone was happy, but every 2 or 3 days the network settings on the printer are reset. As I asked, HP is aware of the problem but so far silence.

Good people, tell me a reliable cross-platform solution for printing? Or is it just big money?

Answer 1

Buy a USB-LAN print server and not suffer?

Answer 2

For poppy, share the printer via bonjour or avahi if Linux