Share a printer

[grose]

I am trying to configure my printer so that it can be shared across my home network. I think I have 2 choices, use a print server or share the printer. I have a PS121 print server with no software. I have not had much luck in getting anything that will work. I have attempted to configure the printer so that other machines can use it, but I am not having any luck there either. The printer is one of the HP scanner/prinetr combos. Any help would be much appreciated.

[NooNoo]

What version print server do you have?
What printer?

You need to know if the print server is compatible and there are two versions of the print server check here to find out which you have (http://kbserver.netgear.com/products/PS121.asp)

[grose]

I have the PS121, original version. The downloads from netgear only give me an updater. They don't seem to offer the actual operating software.

[NooNoo]

You don't need any... have you looked at the user manuals?

What printer?

[NooNoo]

You need to look here (http://kbserver.netgear.com/products/PS121v1.asp) I think the software you are talking about is the setup utility which you can download on the left hand margin of the page.

[slgrieb]

grose, you should be able to find the print server setup utility for your product from here. (http://kbserver.netgear.com/products/PS121.asp) They tell you how to identify your version and there are links to full versions of the setup utilities for your product.

[grose]

The printer is an HP PSC 1350 All In One. I read somewhere that if I use the print server, I will lose the scan capabilities? I tried the information from the website. All that seemed to give me was an update utility, not the actual set up utility.

[slgrieb]

No, grose, the full versions of the setup and configuration utilities are available through the link I posted. Originals and newer versions as well. Your print server won't support scanning functions for the 1350. You can connect directly to a computer and share the printer function, but not scanning. If you want to do a scan (as opposed to a copy) you are only able to do this from a computer which is directly connected to the PSC 1350.

So, what error messages, etc. do you get trying to share the printer? What OS are the machines using?

[grose]

both are running Windows XP. My home PC is Home Edition, the laptop is professional. I cant find my printer from the laptop.

[grose]

I found the setup utility. I didn't realise that was the one I needed. I made it as far as the add port. Now it tells me I am not connected.

[NooNoo]

Have you read the setup how to?
The printer appears in the compatibility list... however it won't print a test page.

What tells you you not connected? Not connected to what? The print server or the printer? If you are talking about the HP software, the print server will cause this to happen since the print server sends data to the printer, and does not allow errors, ink monitoring etc to be sent back to the pc.

Just in case you find navigation at netgear difficult here is the troubleshooter (http://kbserver.netgear.com/kb_web_files/n101269.asp) and here is the installation guide (ftp://downloads.netgear.com/files/ps121_install_guide.pdf) and here is the user manual (ftp://downloads.netgear.com/files/ps121_user_manual.pdf) These are all linked from the page I previously posted.

[grose]

When I try to run the add a port section of the setup, I get a message that it cant find the printer itself.

[NooNoo]

Step 7 of the troubleshooter linked above...

7) Click Next in the Wizard. If the print server is on the list found then:

(Retest your printer if you make changes to any of the following.)

7a) Check the print server's IP address. If it is 0.0.0.0, then the printer is not recognized. Unless you have a router, the print server's IP must be on the same segment. To set the IP, click Next until you see the TCP/IP screen. If you have a DHCP server on your network, select Obtain IP Address Automatically. Otherwise, click Fixed IP Address, and Suggest New Values. Click Next and Finish to exit the Wizard.

7b) If the printer does not match the printer driver in the operating system then run the Add Printer Wizard. (As described in the product manuals.)

7c) If the printer driver is PSName_Px, then run the Add Printer Wizard, or change it to the print server port.

7d) Disable the printer's bidirectional feature, if it's turned on.

[grose]

I have made it through step 7a. All of that is good. It is the next step of the set up I am having issues with. The next step is add a port, thats when I get the connectivity message. I lloked for the HP Print Manager to delete it as the directions advised. I am not sure exactly what to look for though.

[NooNoo]

The HP software will be in add/remove programs.
Connectivity problems could be as simple as the printer is not switched on. You have connected the usb cable between the printer and the print server?


On Page 6 - 3 of the user manual, are you getting the connectivity message at step 1 or 2?

[grose]

I am getting the connectivity message at step 1. All cables are connected. I can ping the print server using the directions in the trouble shooting section of the manual.

[NooNoo]

And the printer appears in the window in the add port wizard?

Use the NETGEAR Add Printer Wizard to
set up each PC to use the PS121.
a. When the Print Server Setup Wizard
finishes, you are prompted to run the
Add Printer Port Wizard. Click Yes to
proceed. Alternatively, from the
Windows Start menu NETGEAR Print
Server program group, you can run the
NETGEAR Add Printer Wizard.
b. After a short delay while the software
searches the network for your PS121, the
Printer Select window opens and
displays the PS121 you have set up.
c. Click Next to proceed to the Port/Printer
name screen. Take note of the printer
model number listed.

So you are saying Step b fails? - The printer is shown in the window, but when it tries to find it, it can't?
Do you have a firewall running while you are running this utility?

[grose]

Yes! I finally got it hooked up! Now I need to figure out how to make the other computers on the network reckognise it.

[NooNoo]

Good luck with that!

[grose]

Done! Ran print server utility on laptop and it worked like a charm!

[NooNoo]

Good to here...

Do you know what was causing the non detection problem? Was it a firewall?

[grose]

I believe it was the Norton Firewall.

[NooNoo]

So did you just turn off the firewall or did you reconfigure it?

[grose]

I turned off the windows firewall and the Norton firewall long enough to set everything up. After set up, I turned them back on and everything is working like it should.

[NooNoo]

Thanks, if someone else has the same problem, they can learn from your experience.