# HP Printer Rant



## Frank4d (Sep 10, 2006)

So yesterday I spent 2 hours setting up a P3005 laser printer wirh a JetDirect 615N print server card installed. The P3005 users manual doesn't tell how to install the driver software for a JetDirect 615N, and the P3005 printer driver software setup.exe won't install because it can't detect a printer until the print server software is installed. It probably wouldn't anyway, I need the JetDirect software which isn't on the same CD.

I proceeded to the HP website where I found firmware and firmware update utilities, but no driver. Next I checked the online installation manual which fortunately contained an embedded hyperlink that led to the driver installer. But that didn't work at first either.

It seems the Jetdirect 615N expects to get an IP from a DHCP server on the network, else it uses a default IP (which is not documented). Well my computer uses a static IP, so that won't work.

Next I read the instructions for printing a configuration report. Only the buttons on the P3005 aren't labeled the same as in the instructions. I finally figured out the correct button sequence and printed a report. It showed the IP is 202.132.135.79.

So I manually configured my computer IP address to 202.132.135.1 with subnet mask 255.255.0.0, and proceeded to install the driver. During the installation it offered to allow me to use the static IP I had intended 192.168.100.105 with subnet 255.255.255.0. I tried to leave the gateway blank, but the installer complained blank is invalid, so I made the gateway = the computers intended IP.

Then I manually configured my computer IP (for the third time yesterday) back to what it was before.

What I want to know is how does the average Joe do this?  This is the kind of crap that keeps Geeksquad in business.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

I am amazed that the "average Joe" can keep his computer running at all. There are countless examples similar to yours. I get calls from all over the place from family and friends to help them fix and configure stuff just like this.


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## Frank4d (Sep 10, 2006)

I set up another one yesterday which was equally frustrating, P3005N this time. Like before the install software couldn't find the printer so I printed a configuration sheet, noted the 169.254.x.x. IP and set my computer to an IP that could talk to it.

The install software reported it still couldn't find the printer and suggested I turn off any fiewalls that might be blocking it. Only IT has the computer set up so no normal user controls are accessible to disable the firewall, so I ended up opening services.msc and disabled it there.

When the install software still complained it couldn't find the printer, I noted it said that only the primary network will be searched (I have not idea which it considers the primary network). Well the computer has two LAN adapters, so I figured maybe I should disable the one plugged into the company network. On the next try, the install software found the printer.

Only I didn't want a 169.254.x.x IP forever, I needed a specific static IP for the internal network. To fix that I ran the install software again and told it to change the printer IP to 192.168.100.x, then midway through the installation changed the computer IP to 192.168.100.x so the computer and printer can still communicate, then continued (and of course I couldn't check for updates).

When all was done, re-enabled the other network adapter and firewall. What a pain!


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## Mumbodog (Oct 3, 2007)

If you install the NWLink IPX/SPX/NetBios protocol in your network adapter properties prior to installing the PLC6 driver, then you can use the friendly or NetBios name of the print server instead of an IP address, then it can be found on the network regardless of IP addresses. Makes accessing the printer on the network rock solid.

You will also have to configure the PLC6 driver during Install to use the IPX protocol.

There should be a button on the print server to print a info sheet of the print server, use this to get its net bios name.

Its been a few years since I configured HPs on a network, or I would be more detailed in the instructions.

"If it was easy everybody would be doing it"

.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Mumbodog said:


> If you install the NWLink IPX/SPX/NetBios protocol in your network adapter properties prior to installing the PLC6 driver, then you can use the friendly or NetBios name of the print server instead of an IP address, then it can be found on the network regardless of IP addresses. Makes accessing the printer on the network rock solid.


Since Vista and Windows 7 have dropped support for IPX, that's not a particularly good solution. Since NETBIOS over TCP/IP works just fine for all of them and will solve the problem in a supported manner, it would be a much better solution.


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## Mumbodog (Oct 3, 2007)

JohnWill said:


> Since Vista and Windows 7 have dropped support for IPX, that's not a particularly good solution. Since NETBIOS over TCP/IP works just fine for all of them and will solve the problem in a supported manner, it would be a much better solution.


Frank made no mention of what OS was involved.

.


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## Frank4d (Sep 10, 2006)

The computers were Windows XP Pro. I don't think my issue was related to communication protocol though. The installation software expects the printer to get an IP from a DHCP server and won't install if the printer can't get an IP any other way.


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## Bernardo (Jan 9, 2006)

Since this is a rant thread 

I can't get my HP all in one G85 to work with Netgear Print Server WGPS606  Setup program SEES it......


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## Mumbodog (Oct 3, 2007)

Frank4d said:


> The computers were Windows XP Pro. I don't think my issue was related to communication protocol though. The installation software expects the printer to get an IP from a DHCP server and won't install if the printer can't get an IP any other way.


Just curious, how was the network set up hardware wise, no dhcp server/router?

You might try that protocol, it does not depend on ip addressing, as stated earlier it is not part of Vista or W7, it is a defunct protocol now, but works well on XP workstations.


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## Frank4d (Sep 10, 2006)

The computer has two NICs. One is setup to access the company network and get an IP via a DHCP server. That works for the computer accessing the company network.

The other NIC has a static IP address. Software running on the computer expects the printer and three other devices on this private network (interconnected by a switch) to have certain IP addresses.

So my rant was that the HP printer installation software isn't capable of installing the printer, since the printer can't get an IP address from a DHCP server that doesn't exist.


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