Can't print to Windows Printer
in [UK Mac]
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From: Jaimie Vandenbergh on 3 Mar 2010 07:05 On Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:53:56 +0000, chris <ithinkiam(a)gmail.com> wrote: >On 03/03/10 11:25, T i m wrote: >> [1] I've just installed the ip4000 on the WHS so we can now print with >> without my PC having to be on. > >How's that possible? Presumably by 'on' you mean standby or similar. WHS = Windows Home Server, so the printer is connected to a powered-up PC. Turns out Windows is reasonably reliable these days as long as you don't use it from the console. Who'da thunk. Cheers - Jaimie -- A: Think about it. Come on, you can figure it out. A:>> When half the group posts top and the other half posts bottom. Q:>>> What's even more annoying than topposting? Q:> Why would that be annoying?
From: T i m on 3 Mar 2010 07:19 On Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:53:56 +0000, chris <ithinkiam(a)gmail.com> wrote: >On 03/03/10 11:25, T i m wrote: >> We have a network printer (ip5200r) and it was bought specifically to >> overcome the issues printing from OSX. It isn't as cheap to run or as >> easy to connect to (not so point n print) as this XP shared ip4000 so >> rarely gets used (to it's detriment). > >That's a surprise. Are you commenting on the overall ease / connectivity bit here? If so I was talking mainly about making the connection in the first place (the Canon software / drivers are not brilliant) but once connected (and allowing for the occasional issues with Wireless gear etc) it works ok. However, because it's not as 'straightforward' to connect as it is to this Samba shared printer it typically doesn't get used that much. It does generally 'work' when I bother to connect it to <whatever OS> though. [1] > My HP C5180 has only needed fiddling twice on the MBP >in the 3+ years I've had it. Once when I first got it and then when I >upgraded the MBP to Leopard. Ok. > >I take my laptop to and from work, but it always remembers which is my >'local' printer regardless of which network I'm on. It doesn't get any >easier than that. Agreed, just the same as any / all the computers I have here and wandering in and out and this shared ip4000. In fact it's one of the things that makes me smile ... when a visitor has arrived with a Windows machine of some sort and needs to print ... and it 'just works' (both the connection and the printer printing etc). > >> [1] I've just installed the ip4000 on the WHS so we can now print with >> without my PC having to be on. > >How's that possible? Presumably by 'on' you mean standby or similar. Erm, because the server will be on 24/7 [2] so my machine with the (that) shared printer then won't have to be on for someone else to be able to print? Cheers, T i m [1] When the ip4000 was plugged directly into this Mini I could also print when Boootcamped into OSX. I may yet have to 1) re-connect the printer directly to the Mini if I can't get OSX to print via the server or 2) print to the ip5200r from OSX (but the printer is upstairs). [3] [2] That's not quite true. The client(s) 'connector' software can wake the server up from hibernation as it starts up and the server can go back to sleep 'n time' after the last client switches off (so effectively providing file and print services 24/7). It can also wake the clients machines up to do a backup and put them to sleep afterwards. [3] I believe there is a WHS 'client' for OSX and I've downloaded but not tried it yet.
From: chris on 3 Mar 2010 09:02 On 03/03/10 12:19, T i m wrote: > On Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:53:56 +0000, chris<ithinkiam(a)gmail.com> wrote: > >> On 03/03/10 11:25, T i m wrote: >>> We have a network printer (ip5200r) and it was bought specifically to >>> overcome the issues printing from OSX. It isn't as cheap to run or as >>> easy to connect to (not so point n print) as this XP shared ip4000 so >>> rarely gets used (to it's detriment). >> >> That's a surprise. > > Are you commenting on the overall ease / connectivity bit here? If so > I was talking mainly about making the connection in the first place > (the Canon software / drivers are not brilliant) but once connected > (and allowing for the occasional issues with Wireless gear etc) it > works ok. However, because it's not as 'straightforward' to connect as > it is to this Samba shared printer it typically doesn't get used that > much. It does generally 'work' when I bother to connect it to > <whatever OS> though. [1] I was commenting on the lack of ease of connection to the network printer in OSX. >> I take my laptop to and from work, but it always remembers which is my >> 'local' printer regardless of which network I'm on. It doesn't get any >> easier than that. > > Agreed, just the same as any / all the computers I have here and > wandering in and out and this shared ip4000. In fact it's one of the > things that makes me smile ... when a visitor has arrived with a > Windows machine of some sort and needs to print ... and it 'just > works' (both the connection and the printer printing etc). What if they came with a Mac (or Linux) laptop? ;) >>> [1] I've just installed the ip4000 on the WHS so we can now print with >>> without my PC having to be on. >> >> How's that possible? Presumably by 'on' you mean standby or similar. > > Erm, because the server will be on 24/7 [2] so my machine with the > (that) shared printer then won't have to be on for someone else to be > able to print? Ah, OK. I thought you meant the PC was the WHS. Effectively, you've just moved the printer from one PC to another. I know the WHS is not a typical PC, but ultimately it is a PC. For me, the advantage of a network printer was that I didn't need to keep a computer on to be able to print. If your WHS is on anyway for streaming etc, then I guess it makes no difference.
From: T i m on 3 Mar 2010 14:59
On Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:02:16 +0000, chris <ithinkiam(a)gmail.com> wrote: >>> That's a surprise. >> >> Are you commenting on the overall ease / connectivity bit here? If so >> I was talking mainly about making the connection in the first place >> (the Canon software / drivers are not brilliant) but once connected >> (and allowing for the occasional issues with Wireless gear etc) it >> works ok. However, because it's not as 'straightforward' to connect as >> it is to this Samba shared printer it typically doesn't get used that >> much. It does generally 'work' when I bother to connect it to >> <whatever OS> though. [1] > >I was commenting on the lack of ease of connection to the network >printer in OSX. Ah, sorry. I guess if it was an OSX only environment or you were luckier than I re my choice of printers (from that POV, I have a pretty good printer setup otherwise) then it I'm sure it would be equally easy. > >>> I take my laptop to and from work, but it always remembers which is my >>> 'local' printer regardless of which network I'm on. It doesn't get any >>> easier than that. >> >> Agreed, just the same as any / all the computers I have here and >> wandering in and out and this shared ip4000. In fact it's one of the >> things that makes me smile ... when a visitor has arrived with a >> Windows machine of some sort and needs to print ... and it 'just >> works' (both the connection and the printer printing etc). > >What if they came with a Mac (or Linux) laptop? ;) Well the Linux (Ubuntu) installs I have here *generally* seem to be ok printing to the Samba-ip4000, albeit that it takes a bit more effort (than Windows) to actually make work. By that it often connects ok (or appears to connect ok) but then won't actually print. When it does it's generally ok. The odd time I got the Mac to print to it I just got an A5 image on an A4 page. Under Ubuntu I was also able to print to the ip5200r (wireless printer) but only after loads of Googling and some cmd-line witchcraft. Oh, and I actually don't personally know anyone with a Mac laptop (or Linux for that matter (other than my own multi boot jobbies)). > >>>> [1] I've just installed the ip4000 on the WHS so we can now print with >>>> without my PC having to be on. >>> >>> How's that possible? Presumably by 'on' you mean standby or similar. >> >> Erm, because the server will be on 24/7 [2] so my machine with the >> (that) shared printer then won't have to be on for someone else to be >> able to print? > >Ah, OK. I thought you meant the PC was the WHS. Ah sri again. > >Effectively, you've just moved the printer from one PC to another. Effectively yes, especially as it (WHS > 2003 SBS) seems to be happy with the XP drivers. > I know the WHS is not a typical PC, This one isn't typical in that it's an dual core Atom A330, silent, Gb, draws 39W and (currently) gives a 1.5TB storage 'pool' via 3 x 500G SATA laptop drives. > but ultimately it is a PC. I guess ... but not that far off this Intel powered, Gb, SATA drive'd, 'PC' either (if that's what you call an Apple Mini when it's running Windows). ;-) > >For me, the advantage of a network printer was that I didn't need to >keep a computer on to be able to print. Agreed, as long as you can actually and easily print to it etc. >If your WHS is on anyway for >streaming etc, then I guess it makes no difference. Zakly. Streaming audio and video (< dumping ground for the Topfield PVR), print server, i/p CCTV server, remote access (files and PC's) via free domain, backup centre and file server with a very flexible storage pool (physically add new drive then add it to the pool), data duplication across multiple drives and many free 'add-ins' to do a whole lot more. Oh, and if need be, each individual drive can be accessed directly on any Windows machine (you can't do that with many other NAS / Server solutions if the hardware fails). Oh, and I haven't had to RTFM to make it all work! ;-) Cheers, T i m |