Network Protocols; Network Addresses - HP 615N - JetDirect Print Server Setup Manual

Note that peer-to-peer printing can be configured on a client-server
network. For example, a small workgroup might use peer-to-peer
printing even though it is connected to an enterprise-wide
client-server network.

Network Protocols

Regardless of the network type (client-server or peer-to-peer),
your computers and printers must use a common language,
or "network protocol" to communicate with each other. The most
common protocols are IPX (Internet Packet Exchange), made
popular by Novell NetWare networks, and TCP/IP (Transmission
Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), made popular by the Internet.
The HP Jetdirect print server supports these and other popular
network protocols.

Network Addresses

Each device, such as a printer, on a network must be identified by
a unique address. Networks with devices that have the same
address will cause communication failures. If your network is small,
preventing duplicate addresses is relatively easy. But for large
networks, a significant effort must be made to prevent duplicate
addresses.
Network addresses are typically stored on the device. The way
addresses are assigned to each device depends on the network
protocols used on the network:
If the device supports operation on an IPX network, assigning an
address is relatively easy – it's done automatically.
If the device supports operation on an IP network, assigning an
address may be more complex, especially for large networks
where communications with other networks is desired. In
addition, there may be many additional IP parameters that need
to be assigned and stored on the device.
ENWW
Introduction to Network Printing 28