Topic: Printer networking

[Aaron]

Hello everyone,


I have a rather annoying problem with my new Samsung ML-1660 laser printer when I connect it to one of the usb ports on my TG587n router. I followed a very good pdf that I found showing precisely how to install the printer manually (create a queue and manually add the printer). It seems to have worked, when a print command is sent from any of my computers (XP/Vista/android) the printer starts up as though it will print but never actually produces anything.  I must admit to being stumped; there is clearly a command reaching it therefore the IP address must be correct but I don't know enough about how printers get their data to even guess from there.  The print queue shows 'printing' and then disappears as it would if the job had printed.


Any help would be appreciated. The only other thing I can think of doing it get a RJ45-USB adapter and wire it directly to an ethernet port.  The reason I think that may work is because the router has a share content facility and it may bury the printer under some sort of (?terminology) gateway.


Obviously the printer is working as I've tested via direct usb connection without a problem.


I've read elsewhere about some printers needing a bidirectional connection so I enabled and disabled (that goes for pretty much all the printer settings) but it didn't make a difference.


Help!

[Simon]

I'm fairly sure Rik would be able to help with this, as he has several printers on his network, but he probably won't be around until tomorrow now.   

[Rik]

My printers connect via ethernet or wireless, not USB. Interrogate the router via the web interface and see if the printer is showing up as a connected device.

Did you install the drivers with the printer connected directly to a machine?

[Aaron]

Morning Rik


I installed the driver with it connected to my computer, yes. And it worked perfectly.


I have been through the CLI and I have seen mention of an FTP server on the IP address printersharing is allocated (192.168.1.253) however, neither the printer (nor the usb hdd which works fine) show up on any device table. I'm not sure if they are supposed to because of the content sharing facility. It may be a quirk of this particular router.


If I did get an adapter, would connecting it to an ethernet port likely solve the problem?

[Rik]

I don't think so, tbh. If you go into printers and devices, the chances are that it's shown as connected to a USB port, not a network port. If you can find the IP address of the USB port on the router (I assume it's allocated one), then you need to create a new port, directing Windows to that IP address. The easiest way to do that might be to delete and re-install the printer, but with it connected to the router - otoh, the driver software may be looking for a direct physical connection and not want to play ball.

[Aaron]

I think that's what I did when I followed the pdf mentioned in post 2 of this thread http://forums.modem-help.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=9521


Most people who do that have no problems at all, so I'm thinking it could be a printer setting of some kind? 


Do you want me to post any specific details about my setup?

[Rik]

I take it the printer manual has no information about networking, other than sharing the printer? Have you tried connecting any other device to the USB port to see if it's recognised?

[Aaron]

No, manual is as useless as a chocolate fire alarm.  If have managed to get my usb harddrive to work on the usb port.


Am I right in thinking that since the printer warms up when I send a print job that I must have the correct port?

[Rik]

It would appear so, so the most obvious thought is that the data is being sent in a manner that the printer doesn't understand.

[Aaron]

The drivers I've installed are straight from the disk and work ok with a wired connection.  Are there any other pieces to the puzzle?

[Rik]

Check the form of the data being sent in the printer's properties.