Enrolling Zebra MQTT Printers

Before you begin

Set the printer’s language to ZPL. Zebra Mobile printers support CPCL, EPL, and ZPL languages.
Note: ZPL printers are backward compatible and support CPCL and EPL languages. For more details, refer Zebra's documentation.
Verify firmware compatibility with your version of SOTI Connect using the Certified Device List.
Check the printer's firmware version by entering the printer’s IP address in a web browser and accessing its administration page. If the firmware is incompatible, upgrade it to a supported version. For instructions, see Upgrading Zebra Printer Firmware.

About this task

This sections provides instructions for enrolling Zebra MQTT printers in SOTI Connect. See, Preparing Zebra Printers for SOTI Connect Enrollment [VIDEO] for additional guidance.

Setting up the MQTT Configuration

Procedure

In a text editor, create a configuration file and insert the following commands. Replace the placeholder with the ASCII value of your SOTI Connect root certificate.

{}--P_q0t8QvwCIp-9Ny1G4F6xn9TpbIxj2i2EO5D
Content-Disposition: form-data; filename="E:MQTT1_CA.NRD"; action="store"
Content-Type: application/octet-stream
Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary
                            
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
ASCII VALUE OF ROOT CERT HERE
-----END CERTIFICATE-----
                            
--P_q0t8QvwCIp-9Ny1G4F6xn9TpbIxj2i2EO5D--

Note: This command creates an

.NRD

SOTI Connect root certificate file on the Zebra printer.

Append the following commands to enable NTP server settings on the printer:
```
{}{"ip.ntp.enable":"on"}
{}{"ip.ntp.servers":"0.north-america.pool.ntp.org,216.228.192.52"}
{}{"rtc.timezone":"EST5EDT4,M3.2.0/02:00:00,M11.1.0/02:00:00"}
```
Note: Make sure the printer and MQTT Broker use the same time settings. Time mismatches can cause communication failures due to invalid certificate validation.
Append the following commands to enable MQTT and configure the MQTT server. Replace MQTTSERVER with your server’s FQDN or hostname.
```
{}{"mqtt.conn1.qos":"2","mqtt.conn1.retry_interval_random_max":"10","mqtt.enable":"on"}
{}{"mqtt.conn1.tenant_id":"zebra","mqtt.conn1.username":"","mqtt.conn1.password":""}
{}{"mqtt.conn1.server_address":"mqtts://MQTTSERVER:8883"}
{}{"mqtt.conn1.mqtt_version":"3.1.1"}
{}{"mqtt.conn1.reset_now":"on"}
```
Note:
- If using a paid version of HiveMQ, provide a username and password.
- Leave the fields blank when using the community edition.
- You can configure up to two MQTT server connections if required.

Append the following command to restart the printer:

{}{"device.reset":""}

Deploying the configuration with Zebra Setup Utilities

About this task

After preparing the configuration file, follow these steps to send the configuration file to printers:

Procedure

Open the Zebra Setup Utilities application.
Connect the printer to your PC.

Note: For details on connecting Zebra printers and installing drivers, refer to Zebra Setup Utilities.
Select the connected printer and open a direct line of communication by selecting Open Communication With Printer.
Send the prepared configuration commands to the printer.

Note: You can also save the commands as a .ZPL firmware file and deploy them using Zebra's ZDownloader Utility. See Zebra’s Documentation for steps to deploy ZPL files with ZDownloader.

Approving Discovered Printers

About this task

Once the printer communicates with the MQTT Broker, a notification appears in the SOTI Connect console indicating that a device has been discovered. Use the following steps to approve discovered printers and complete enrollment.

Procedure

In the SOTI Connect console, select the Alert icon to view discovered device alerts.

Note: Zebra printers are auto discovered as MQTT-RPC devices.
Select the discovered device(s) awaiting approval, then choose Approve to complete enrollment.

Note: You can configure enrollment rules to automatically approve discovered devices. See Creating Enrollment Rules for more details.