We often from our customers; hear "I can not print
via a network!" from our customers. However, your problem may be
solved by changing the configuration or checking the environment.
This section briefly describes how to "identify the problem when
you can not print." The following is a part of the confirmation
procedure. We hope it will be of help.
When you say, "I cannot print via a network!" most of you first
doubt a printer or print server. However, if you take the a look
at the environment, you notice there are many elements involved
in printing such as a driver on PC side, LAN cable, OS, etc. Even
after the printing data is sent to the network, it has to go through
a LAN cable, HUB, router, switching HUB etc. The printing data travels
through many devices. Regardless of what element is causing the
problem, it will be recognized as "I can not print." It is true
that the print server may cause a problem, however, it is dangerous
to assume so.
Does the product communicate
properly?
There are many ways to verify the network connection
such as ping, telnet, ftp (TCP/IP environment). The network connection
can also be verified using the utility that came with the product.
Is the LAN physically connected?
The cables may be broken or have bad contacts. Replace
the cable with the one used for PC or other devices, and see if
the problem occurs again. Some products have a LED (LINK lamp) that
is turned on to indicate proper connection. Please verify.
Difficult to identify a problem
(large environment, unknown cause)
If you have another printer (the same model if available),
replace the troubled one and see if the problem occurs again. You
can also check to see if you can reproduce the problem in an environment
where the printer is locally connected to a PC on a 1 to 1 basis.
As you may notice, the key points are "identify the problem" and
" if the problem can be reproduced." Of course there are many more
things to consider. Let's identify the problem by eliminating possible
causes. When you need assistance, please feel free to contact us.
When you experience a problem such as "The product
can not be seen on the network." or "Communication error," try the
following methods.
Method 1
Verify the physical connection.
Even though you think everything is connected, a LAN cable may have
a loose connection, or a LAN cable and HUB may have bad contacts.
Method 2
Initialize the print server.
In rare cases, unnecessary data may be left in settings. In that
case, push the push switch or "INT" button to initialize. Refer
to the manual for details on how to initialize.
Method 3 (TCP/IP environment)
Take the PC and printer out of the network and create
a 1 to 1 environment for configuration. When the product is used
in a large network, some special devices may be used without your
knowledge, or the product may not be able to communicate for unexpected
reasons. (When you configure the product for the first time, no
settings are configured.)
Connect your PC and printer (print server) on a 1 to 1 basis (using
a cross cable for the 10BASE-T environment) or connect only your
PC and printer to the HUB and then configure. When the configuration
is complete, put the devices back on the network.
Trouble with a temporary
IP address
For configuring TCP/IP, the models prior to the print server series
require a temporary IP address configuration. The temporary IP address
configuration will not be written on the product since it is just
a temporary configuration to communicate with the print server.
You may be able to print using the temporary IP address. However,
once the product is turned off, it will not be able to communicate.
Whether or not the setting is written can be verified by performing
a self diagnostic test. If you are having troubles including "I
need to configure every time I turn on the product." or "The product
will not be able to communicate when I turn in on again," check
the settings of the product.
How to configure
an IP address
We often hear "How can I configure an IP address?"
from our users. This section briefly describes how to configure
an IP address.
What is an IP address?
An IP address consists of 4 fields containing 8 bits for each. The
each field is divided by period and has a value from 0 through 255.
The IP address is managed based on 2 sections (network address and
host address). In the example below, "N" indicates network address
and "H" indicates host address. The IP address can be categorized
into 3 classes based on the length of the network address.
(IP address configuration example for class C)
IP address
Subnet mask
Only the devices with the same network address in a network segment
can communicate with each other.
< Example >
In the example below, "192.168.40.1" can communicate only a the
device with a same (192.168.40.1) network address.
(Can not communicate)
(Can communicate)
If you configure an IP address in a network environment with 2 desktop
PCs, 1 laptop PC, and 1 printer, configure IP address as below.
Desktop PC A
Desktop PC B
Mobile laptop PC C
Printer: Print server .
Problem with RARP
or DHCP/BOOTP protocol settings
We often hear from our users that even though
a fixed IP address is configured, RARP Protocol or DHCP/BOOTP Protocol
is enabled. The RARP Protocol or DHCP/BOOTP Protocol is used to
assign an IP address. It needs to be disabled if you use a fixed
IP address. Otherwise, if you have a DSCP or BOOTP server on your
network, the IP address will be assigned even though an IP address
has already been configured.
Disable the RARP Protocol or DHCP/BOOTP Protocol if you configured
a fixed IP address.
Print using NetBEUI
NetBEUI is very useful. Connecting the product
to the network allows you to print using NetBEUI. It does not require
any configuration. However, it has disadvantages as well. Due to
NetBEUI specifications, a communication time out occurs when data
can not be received for a while because of printer off line, error,
or consecutive printing, etc. This is a part of the NetBEUI specifications
and can not be avoided.
It is recommended to change the configuration to use TCP/IP (LPR)
for printing if available in your environment. For a small network,
NetBEUI is suitable. For other networks, TCP/IP is desired.
Use NetBEUI for the initial configuration of the print server since
it is very useful.