Printer shuts down my network

[Phil M.]

I have an hp LaserJet 5 with JetDirect 400N netowrk card. Every time I
connect the printer to the network all PCs in my network lose
connectivity. As soon as I unplug the CAT5 from the printer, everyone
is fine again. I've done a cold reset on the pritner, but still have
the same issue. Any ideas what might be going on here?

 

[William R. Walsh]

Hi!

Every time I connect the printer to the network all PCs in my network
lose connectivity. As soon as I unplug the CAT5 from the printer,
everyone is fine again.

It really sounds like the network card has failed. Before giving up, try a
new network cable and a different port on your hub, switch or router. I
doubt that will bring about any change, but it is worth trying.

William

 

[The Natural Philosopher]

I have an hp LaserJet 5 with JetDirect 400N netowrk card. Every time I
connect the printer to the network all PCs in my network lose
connectivity. As soon as I unplug the CAT5 from the printer, everyone
is fine again. I've done a cold reset on the pritner, but still have
the same issue. Any ideas what might be going on here?

probably set to the same IP address as your DHCP host and main server...

 

[The Natural Philosopher]

Hi!


It really sounds like the network card has failed. Before giving up, try a
new network cable and a different port on your hub, switch or router. I
doubt that will bring about any change, but it is worth trying.

William

That won't cause that..the hub/switch isolates segments electrically.

 

[William R. Walsh]

Hi!

That won't cause that..the hub/switch isolates segments electrically.

As far as I know, the definition of a "hub" makes that unlikely. All
segments are connected to one another and all see the traffic on the
network.

Switches should be different, if they have enough intelligence onboard to
detect the problem. Even then, I recently replaced a switch in a large
network that was somehow causing a severe slowdown on all network-attached
devices...even ones that were on other switches. I'm not terribly sure what
it was doing to cause such a problem. It should also be kept in mind that
when things fail, they don't always do so in a way that will trip another
device's fault detection mechanism.

William

 

[Warren Block]

I have an hp LaserJet 5 with JetDirect 400N netowrk card. Every time I
connect the printer to the network all PCs in my network lose
connectivity. As soon as I unplug the CAT5 from the printer, everyone
is fine again. I've done a cold reset on the pritner, but still have
the same issue. Any ideas what might be going on here?

Are you sure the 400N is Ethernet and not token ring?

 

[Andrew Gabriel]

Hi!


As far as I know, the definition of a "hub" makes that unlikely. All
segments are connected to one another and all see the traffic on the
network.

All hubs I ever saw prevent a segment which isn't working from
interfering with the other segments. Typically, after passing
'jam' back from a segment for every packet over a short period,
the hub stops doing so, so that the other segments can carry
on working.

 

[Phil M.]

Are you sure the 400N is Ethernet and not token ring?

Yes, it's ethernet. I've been using it for at least 2 years now. As
someone else mentioned, I've also changed the cable and plugged it
into a different port on the switch. Still the same issue. I should be
able to get another 400N from work tomorrow. I'll see if that fixes
the problem.

 

[Phil M.]

probably set to the same IP address as your DHCP host and main server...

I checked the IP from the self test page. They are set as they should
be. Of course after the cold reset, I had to reconfigure that.

 

[Phil M.]

Hi!


It really sounds like the network card has failed. Before giving up, try a
new network cable and a different port on your hub, switch or router. I
doubt that will bring about any change, but it is worth trying.

Thanks. I tried that. I'll try another card tomorrow.

 

[The Natural Philosopher]

Hi!


As far as I know, the definition of a "hub" makes that unlikely. All
segments are connected to one another and all see the traffic on the
network.

Not in a switch. Almost no one sells straight repeater hubs these days.

 

[The Natural Philosopher]

I checked the IP from the self test page. They are set as they should
be.

The 'should be' is dependent on what the rest of your network is set
to..if you have tow bits of kit that have defaulted to te same IP
address you get this sort of effect.


Of course after the cold reset, I had to reconfigure that.