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Jetdirect external print server

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by rascott757

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I was under the impression that HP's Jetdirect print servers work with pretty much most (and I use that term lightly) printers. However I spent much of last night trying to get it to work on a Windows 98 peer-to-peer network using a Canon LBP-460 Laserjet printer and it just wouldn't go. At first I thought it was the server, but then I hooked up an old Deskjet 693C which I wasn't using because of printing issues, and voila! It works fine. Does anyone have any ideas, workarounds or whatever? I got tired of working on it, and I didn't see anything on the HP website to address the issue. Also, I wanted to upgrade the firmware, and I downloaded the Download Manager and the firmware version, but it wouldn't pick up the device either. Any comments/suggestions are appreciated.

15 replies

by paultalb

There is a setting in the jetdirect for bidirectional printing, this must be turned off. As far as I know noone as figured out bidirectional printing on a network. Problem #2 look in your network settings on the machine you are running it from and make sure you have netbeui installed. These things can be picky about your protocals.

by isys

According to the Canon web site you need IPX or TCP/IP to print. If you have either of these protocols loaded on your workstations and you can't make the printer work, they have a link to e-mail tech support.

by green_lantern

I've had experience with HP boxes where they work great for some time then go off the network. Check the type of network cable for possible issues. Also what kind of parallel cable do you have connecting to the box from the printer. Make sure it's IEEE. It makes a difference.

by earthworm

Our network currently uses 10 jetdirect boxes of various models attatched to many types of printers. The only one printer we had problems with was an HP 2500C printer. In getting this to work I spent a while on the phone with HP and these are someof the things we went over, maybe they will help you.

First off with the printer on and the jetdirect connected can you print a test page from the jetdirect to the canon? yes? Good that means that the printer should work with that box. I strongly recomend TCP/IP printing, as opposed to any other protocol, and HP agreed with me, that way if the actual jetdirect software fails you can just use Microsofts TCP/IP printing with only slight modifications. And you have many more diagnostic toolsat your disposal with TCP.

I will assume that since you got the HP printer working on it you know how to setup the box for your network, just make sure printer is on your subnet and IP address scheme. Even if the printer is not compatible withthe box you should s

by earthworm

. . . continued from last answer

First off Try to upgrade the firmware again. (this is highly recomended, it fixes all kinds of little problems like printservers all of a suden going off line). See if the firmware software will see the box with the cannon printer attatched, No? Hook the HP back up to it and try again. Does the result change? If so setup the Hp and share the port. Now unistall the HP Printer software and install the Canon printer software without changing any configuration of the printserver. The port should stay there and you should now be able to print to it. There were a bunch of other things HP had me check, if you continue to have problems I highly recomend calling them, although it is a long distance call,but you are not on hold for long.

Earthworm

by aaron v

Several years ago, you had to have DLC protocol loaded in order to communicate with non-IP JetDirect External Print Servers. You may need this if you do not have an IP capable JetDirect.

by gutridgesj

i do not see the reason for trying to use a jetdirect printer within a peer-to-peer network.

just hook up the printer to one of the PC's parallel port as a local printer to that pc and then share that printer to the network for the other pcs.
no prob, done. jetdirect and other print servers are used in networks that are spread out and have many pcs or where you have a server that acts as the queue.

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