Printer to Computer via Ethernet

[Kevin]

I don't know much about networking printers and computers but I'm trying to
help a friend get his system set up. The computer is a Dell 2400, Celeron
Processor, 768 MB RAM, XP Home Edition without SP2. The printer is an HP
Color Laser 4500. The printer has an Ethernet port, a serial port and some
kind of miniature parallel port, I'm not sure what it is supposed to be
called. The Dell has an Ethernet port and a serial port as well as 4 USB
ports and a parallel port.

When we connect the printer and computer via the Ethernet port and run the
Add Printer Wizard, there are three options open to us. A local printer, a
networked printer and an option to let Windows automatically detect the
printer. Since Windows did not see the HP Color Laser 4500, we told it to
let us find it manually. It shows the printer under the HP listings and we
choose it. Nothing. No communication between the printer and computer.

Now, we decided that since we were trying to network the printer and
computer, we should choose the Networked Printer option. That didn't work
either. We know we are missing something here, the computer and this HP
printer should be talking to each other over this Ethernet cable. Or should
they? Any help would be great. Links are also cool.

 

[Al Dykes]

I don't know much about networking printers and computers but I'm trying to
help a friend get his system set up. The computer is a Dell 2400, Celeron
Processor, 768 MB RAM, XP Home Edition without SP2. The printer is an HP
Color Laser 4500. The printer has an Ethernet port, a serial port and some
kind of miniature parallel port, I'm not sure what it is supposed to be
called. The Dell has an Ethernet port and a serial port as well as 4 USB
ports and a parallel port.

When we connect the printer and computer via the Ethernet port and run the
Add Printer Wizard, there are three options open to us. A local printer, a
networked printer and an option to let Windows automatically detect the
printer. Since Windows did not see the HP Color Laser 4500, we told it to
let us find it manually. It shows the printer under the HP listings and we
choose it. Nothing. No communication between the printer and computer.

Now, we decided that since we were trying to network the printer and
computer, we should choose the Networked Printer option. That didn't work
either. We know we are missing something here, the computer and this HP
printer should be talking to each other over this Ethernet cable. Or should
they? Any help would be great. Links are also cool.

It sounds like you are trying to connect the PC directly to the
printer with an ethernet cable, and you've picked a straight0thru
cable instead of the necessary (in this case) cross-over cable,
because they all look alike, and who knew ?

You either need a cheapo ethernet switch and an additional enthernet
cable, or if you have no immediate plan for any broadband internet
access, or other computers sharing the printer, a simple crossover
cable. IF YOU GET AN XOVER CABLE, LABEL IT AS SUCH BECAUSE IF YOU PUT
IT AWAY AND TRY TO USE IT FOR SOMETING ELSE IT WILL DRIVE YOU NUTS.

There's lots of steps here. IMO, you should go to hp.com and download
the manual for your exact model, and read it. If your PC is not using
ethernet now you may find that's the first thing you have to get
running.

See if the HP printer can connect by USB. If it can, that's
a much easier way to hook the printer up.

 

[Guest]

I guess alot of time and frustration can be saved by reading the manual.

For a PC to Printer connection, you need to use the centronics port on the
Printer and cable it to the parallel port. Are you sure it has a serial port?
Few HP units are serial connected and from what I understand the connectionsd
are:
Connectivity, Std. HP 4500: IEEE 1284-compliant bidirectional parallel, 2
open EIO slots.

Connectivity, Std. HP 4500N/4500DN: IEEE 1284-compliant bidirectional
parallel, 2 EIO slots, HP JetDirect card for Fast Ethernet 10/100Base-TX in 1
open EIO slot

Connectivity, Opt. HP JetDirect 600N (EIO) internal print servers

The Printer is regarded as a Network Printer to XP when:
1. Attached to a Router / or Jet Direct Print Server
2. Attached to another PC on a Peer-to-Peer Network
3. Attached to a File / Print Server in Windows Server managed network

 

[Kevin]

See, I told you I didn't know much about networking printers and computers.
A crossover cable, I should have thought of that. I guess that would
explain the problem with no communication between the printer and the
computer. The HP Color Laser 4500 does not have a USB port. That would
have been way to easy. Actually, I think the 4500 is about 5 years old, so
a USB port was probably not offered by HP at the time.

Thanks so much for the information!

 

[Kevin]

Thanks for the information. At the time, we did not have a manual for the
printer, or we would have checked it out when trying to make the connection.

 

[Yves Leclerc]

Also, from the printer's menu interface button. perminately assign a TCP/IP
address to it. Use the similar IP scheme as the PCs but do not use an IP
address already used (by either PCs or any DHCP servers). This way, the PCs
should always see the printers.

BTW: Most HP printer manuals can be found on HP's web site: www.hp.com

See, I told you I didn't know much about networking printers and
computers.
A crossover cable, I should have thought of that. I guess that would
explain the problem with no communication between the printer and the
computer. The HP Color Laser 4500 does not have a USB port. That would
have been way to easy. Actually, I think the 4500 is about 5 years old,
so
a USB port was probably not offered by HP at the time.

Thanks so much for the information!