benos Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 Matt Burkett recently discarded an old P16/600 Laserwriter printer that I snagged before bigJoni could chuck it. Which may have been a mistake on my part because I've spent about 1000 hours trying to make it (even try to) print. bigJoni said it used to work at Burkett's old location, before he moved to the new place. And supposedly, he simply never plugged it back in after the move. So it should stll work, in theory. Burkett also said it was plugged into his ethernet network; however, whether I plug the ethernet cable into my Linksys router or a standard, ethernet hub, no type or color of lights light up on the router or the hub. (It is plugged in and powered on.) So can anyone say for sure if it's junk, or do I need some sort of other device that will "see it"? I've heard the term "print server" thrown around, but I don't know what a print server is or why I might need one? thanks, be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outerlimits Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 brain...what version of osx are u running? if yer using panther (10.3), make sure yer up to date to 10.3.8. go into yer network preferences and configure built-in ethernet. you might wanna check to ensure appletalk is active as well. the last thing to do is to add the printer using osx's print utility. you should be able to see it there, which means you can then add it to yer network. i'm kinda guessing here, but that's what to do with all the printers i've hooked up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.Hayden Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 OK, I'm not a Mac guy, but if you hook it into a hub, and you get nothing... that's bad. When I setup printers to be independant of the OS, usually you just make them lpr/lpd printers. Each client has to be configured seperately, but you don't need a print server this way. Hopefully your printer will use dhcp, get an address (usually found in a printed "setup page", or on a menu. Or some, like Lexmark have utilities that wil lsearch the network for printers. Of course for Apple... this may be a complete wrong-way detour... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted March 8, 2005 Author Share Posted March 8, 2005 Thank you. Unfortunately I've done those steps (about 20 times each), but I can't make the printer show up under Appletalk (printer list) in the Print Utility. Which, since I no lights come on when I plug the printer into the router or hub, is not a big surprise. Our very own Mac wizard, Geoff Linder, said that if no lights come on (on the router) when you plug in the printer, the printer ain't talkin' to the router. (I'm paraphrasing of course.) ;-) It would seem that if I plug the printer into a simple Ehternet hub, which is plugged into the back of the computer, and the printer does not automatically show up in under any settings in the Print Utility, it ain't gonna happen. The only time it does show up is if I select IP Printing in the when "adding printer," and then only if I enter an IP address, but no matter how many thousand different ways I configure the printer's address, the router can't resolve the address so it won't print. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted March 8, 2005 Author Share Posted March 8, 2005 Hopefully your printer will use dhcp, get an address (usually found in a printed "setup page", or on a menu. Or some, like Lexmark have utilities that wil lsearch the network for printers. I was gonna go that route, but sadly I can't make it print the setup page, cause it ain't got no buttons anywere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AikiDale Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 Can you connect the printer directly to the Mac and see it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 On stuff like this the time divided by value multiplied by hassle factor usually allows a half hour for something to work. Then if the requirement factor is below 10, it’s out in the back with the beer cans for it at my place ;-) Seriously though, it may just have a hard IP set to a different subnet and router setting and until you access it with a utility and change it, or emulate that configuration on your router it just ain’t gonna show on the clients list in a router or as a valid IP printing device in CUPS (UNIX printing). Sad to say, but sometimes the hassle factor alone makes perfectly good stuff into junk :-( -- Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted March 8, 2005 Author Share Posted March 8, 2005 it may just have a hard IP set to a different subnet and router setting and until you access it with a utility and change it, or emulate that configuration on your router it just ain’t gonna show on the clients list in a router or as a valid IP printing device in CUPS (UNIX printing). That's where I think we're at. There doesn't appear to be a way to get the printer to print its test/startup page (to get the IP address), if that was at some point turned off in the Apple Printer Utility, which I can't find to download. (It normally prints whenever you turn on the printer.) "Some" lights "flicker" on the router (although not the port's light) every time you plug in the ethernet connector (from the printer), so something is coming down the line. They same lights flicker if the printer is plugged into the router and you just switch off the printer. I found a Printer Repair Utility on Versiontracker... but of course it's a $20 gamble. Although it looks like an excellent tool, if it wouldn't fix this particular problem I doubt I'd ever need it. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn jones Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 brian, check this link out. http://ipsc.invisionzone.com/index.php?sho...st=0entry5591 lynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted March 8, 2005 Author Share Posted March 8, 2005 Lynn, I can't see anything cause I'm not a member. Can you tell me what's there? thanks, be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted March 8, 2005 Author Share Posted March 8, 2005 One last question/possible workaround for any network geeks... In addition to the Linksys router I'm currently using, I also have an SMC router/print sharing router, which has a parallel port connection on it. The printer also has a parallel port. So, would there be any chance of it working if I connected the SMC router to the Linksys router (via ehternet) and then connnected the printer to the SMC router via a parallel cable (that I'd have to buy)? be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.Hayden Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 Brian, you should be able to do this.. I've done it with different gear, but there should be no reason you can't, but hopefully someone who knows the SMC equipment can answer definitivly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 Brian, Are you sure you're using the right kind of ethernet cable to connect the printer? There's two kinds: straight and crossover. If you're connecting directly between the printer and your 'puter, you need a cross over. If you're plugging the printer into a hub, you'll generally need a straight cable. How do you tell the difference you ask? Well, you need an ohmmeter... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted March 9, 2005 Author Share Posted March 9, 2005 Thanks. I'm hip to the crossover thing. Burkett said it was plugged into a router (as best as he can remember), so the cable is not a crossover cable. Which really wouldn't matter because I've plugged into every ehternet orifice it can be pugged into, in the office. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 Well...all that's left is the rubber chicken and the ball-pein hammer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 I also have an SMC router/print sharing router, which has a parallel port connection on it. The printer also has a parallel port. So, would there be any chance of it working if I connected the SMC router to the Linksys router (via ehternet) and then connnected the printer to the SMC router via a parallel cable (that I'd have to buy) Now that sounds like it might work. If you set the SMC to grab a hard IP in the range the LinkSys is dishing out and the SMC recognizes the printer, you are in (do not set the SMC to look at the LinkSys via DHCP as this will not allow a consistent IP for UNIX to address the printer). I just gave away an Ethernet to Parallel print server device and about 100 feet of parallel printer cables and adapters. The place to go for a cheap parallel cable is to a surplus electronics store or a computer recycling center that sorts and recycles stuff. New ones are still pricey. I will look to see if we have any more laying around. Funny thought, I just gave all that junk away along with an old HP Laserjet III we used to have hanging on our office network. I wonder if the guy I gave it to is going through anything similar trying to get it going? -- Regards, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skywalker Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 Brian, are you sure it's not a case of mouse-induced printer jam? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn jones Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 (edited) brian, skywalker posted what i was going to post. Edited March 9, 2005 by lynn jones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Boudrie Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 Brian, Are you sure you're using the right kind of ethernet cable to connect the printer? There's two kinds: straight and crossover. If you're connecting directly between the printer and your 'puter, you need a cross over. If you're plugging the printer into a hub, you'll generally need a straight cable. How do you tell the difference you ask? Well, you need an ohmmeter... There's an easier way. Look at the connectors - the color ordering in straight through matches; the color coding on crossover does not. It is possible to have a cable which is neither, but if you know you have one or the other you can check visually. It is becoming increasingly common for routers and switches to autosense the cable type and automagically adjust, but that is by no means universal - particularly with older designs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted March 9, 2005 Author Share Posted March 9, 2005 Look at the connectors - the color ordering in straight through matches; the color coding on crossover does not. That's cool - thanks. Why didn't I think of that? be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted March 9, 2005 Author Share Posted March 9, 2005 Geoff, Thanks - I'll await your answer before making a trip to Fry's. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.Hayden Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 Comparing cables... Just make sure you're always consistant... If you put the ends, end-to-end, a crossover will match up If it's side by side, a 'normal' one matches up.. I usually look end-to-end.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted March 10, 2005 Author Share Posted March 10, 2005 Geoff, Found the cable (for $1) at ASU surplus - thanks! more later, b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted March 28, 2005 Author Share Posted March 28, 2005 The Laserjet is now in the trash can. Thanks everyone! be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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