HP Laserjet4 - problem with PacificData NIC

[Johannes Zweng]

Hi,

A few weeks ago I've got a cheap HP Laserjet4 with a "Pacific DirectNet
Network Printer Interface Card". The printer works fine on parallel port
but I have problems setting up the the network interface.

The problem is, I get no link if I connect the printer to a switch. The
printer doesn't show any error and on the test page also all things seem ok.
I think the card is configured for BNC but I have no idea how to set it
up for communicationg via the RJ45 connector.


Here more details:
==================
On the back of the interface card are a red and a green LED (both stay
dark), a small button, labeled "Status", a BNC and a RJ45 connector.

In the printer "AUX IO MENU" are only 5 options, but none to select the
network port to use ("IP ADDR-1", "IP ADDR-2", "IP ADDR-3", IP ADDR-4",
"TIMEOUT"). When I press the "Status" button on the interface card, the
printer prints a status page with following information:


Pacific DirectNet Network Printer Interface Card
Pacific Data Products, San Diego, CA

- Card Status: I/O Card Ready
- Firmware Revision: PDM 1.11
- NOS Supported: Netware + UNIX
- Physical address: 00403200d1db
- Ethernet port: BNC (10BASE2)
- Memory installed: 4608K
- IP-Address: <like configured in printer menu>

and some network statistics like packets transmitted, received, crc
errors and so on. All of these values are 0 (no network traffic).


I'va asked Google for hours but I haven't found any documentation for
this card. So I tried some things like holding the status button while
power on, while cold start of printer, tried crossover cable, searched
for jumpers on the interface card..

But no success. I'm desperated. I've no idea, how to get this card
working.

I'd be thankful if anyone could give me any hints.


thanks,
John

 

[Dave]

Here more details:
==================
On the back of the interface card are a red and a green LED (both stay
dark),

If you have a good connection between the network and the printer, at
least one of the lights should be on or flashing to indicate a live
network connection.

Can you check your cable and switch via a known working device to
eliminate those as being the problem?

Assuming the network connection is live as far as the printer port, then
you may have drop in an old BNC 10Mb network card to see if you can access
the printer from there.

As a worst case, assuming it works via the BNC connector, you could pick
up an old 10Mb hub which has a BNC port on it, connect the switch to that
then BNC to the printer (with terminators as required)

a small button, labeled "Status", a BNC and a RJ45 connector.

In the printer "AUX IO MENU" are only 5 options, but none to select the
network port to use ("IP ADDR-1", "IP ADDR-2", "IP ADDR-3", IP ADDR-4",
"TIMEOUT").

Have you tried each of the IP ADDR-n settings to see if they switch
between the BNC/RJ-45 connections?

When I press the "Status" button on the interface card, the
printer prints a status page with following information:


Pacific DirectNet Network Printer Interface Card
Pacific Data Products, San Diego, CA

- Card Status: I/O Card Ready
- Firmware Revision: PDM 1.11
- NOS Supported: Netware + UNIX
- Physical address: 00403200d1db
- Ethernet port: BNC (10BASE2)
- Memory installed: 4608K
- IP-Address: <like configured in printer menu>

OK, so it's currently set to use the BNC port. See above to attempt to
switch it.

Dave

and some network statistics like packets transmitted, received, crc
errors and so on. All of these values are 0 (no network traffic).

Yes, that agrees with there currently being no network connection on the
RJ45 i/f.

 

[Johannes Zweng]

If you have a good connection between the network and the printer, at
least one of the lights should be on or flashing to indicate a live
network connection.

I forgot the say, the red one flashes while power on, but then stays dark.
And yes, the printer is connected to the network while power on (if this
indicates some of kind of autodetection).

Can you check your cable and switch via a known working device to
eliminate those as being the problem?

Already done. I've tried different cables (even crossover) which all work
with other devices. I also tried to connect the printer directly to my
workstation with both, straight and crossover cable (which both work with
other devices) with same result.

Assuming the network connection is live as far as the printer port, then
you may have drop in an old BNC 10Mb network card to see if you can access
the printer from there.

As a worst case, assuming it works via the BNC connector, you could pick
up an old 10Mb hub which has a BNC port on it, connect the switch to that
then BNC to the printer (with terminators as required)

Here comes the problem. I have no device (hub, NIC) with BNC port. But
I will ask friends and co-workers..

Have you tried each of the IP ADDR-n settings to see if they switch
between the BNC/RJ-45 connections?

These four options are for setting the four Bytes of the IP address. For
example:

IP ADDR-1: 172
IP ADDR-2: 16
IP ADDR-3: 0
IP ADDR-4: 111

This configures the IP address of the interface card to "172.16.0.111",
which also is printed on the status page of the card. No option for
changing the port..

OK, so it's currently set to use the BNC port. See above to attempt to
switch it.

I cannot find any option for switching to RJ45 (as described above).

But thanks a lot for your hints, I'll try to get a NIC with BNC port.
Maybe I have to telnet to the printer to change options..


best regards,
John

 

[Bennett Price]

Is there a switch on your switch to activate it's BNC connector? Does
it just have one BNC? Perhaps it is designed to daisy chain switches
together rather than to connect printers/pcs.

Have you tried just using an RJ45 cable (both regular and xover-null)
between switch and printer (despite what the status sheet says)?

 

[Johannes Zweng]

Dave wrote:

I forgot the say, the red one flashes while power on, but then stays dark.
And yes, the printer is connected to the network while power on (if this
indicates some of kind of autodetection).

Sorry for answering myself, but I've found the solution!


It was true, the flashing LED indicated that the printer tried to
autodetect the port to use. But it seems that it doesn't understand the
autonegotiation packets from the switch (it's a 10/100) and therefore it
didn't recognize any link on the port.

So I configured the NIC of my workstation manually to 10BaseT/halfduplex
and connected it to the printer using a crossover cable. Powered on the
printer and yeahhh!! there is a link. Printed status page and it says:

- Ethernet port: RJ45(10BASET)


Connected printer to switch and it works!


Only one problem remains: It seems that the printer tries to autodetect
the port everytime at power-on selftest. And if nothing found, it falls
back to BNC. :-(

I have a small cheap switch which isn't capable of setting connection speed
manually, so I have to repeat the procedure described above every time
at power on.

But I practically never power off the printer, so this is no big problem.


thanks again for your help,
John

 

[Johannes Zweng]

Bennett Price meinte:

Is there a switch on your switch to activate it's BNC connector? Does
it just have one BNC? Perhaps it is designed to daisy chain switches
together rather than to connect printers/pcs.

You misunderstood me. My problem is, I don't have any devices with BNC
port, but it seems the printer is configured to use BNC instead of RJ45
and I had no idea how to change this.

But I've already found the solution. See me posting 10 minutes ago.


John

 

[Dave]

It was true, the flashing LED indicated that the printer tried to
autodetect the port to use. But it seems that it doesn't understand the
autonegotiation packets from the switch (it's a 10/100) and therefore it
didn't recognize any link on the port.

So I configured the NIC of my workstation manually to 10BaseT/halfduplex
and connected it to the printer using a crossover cable. Powered on the
printer and yeahhh!! there is a link. Printed status page and it says:

- Ethernet port: RJ45(10BASET)


Connected printer to switch and it works!


Only one problem remains: It seems that the printer tries to autodetect
the port everytime at power-on selftest. And if nothing found, it falls
back to BNC. :-(

I have a small cheap switch which isn't capable of setting connection speed
manually, so I have to repeat the procedure described above every time
at power on.

But I practically never power off the printer, so this is no big problem.

Congrats

And thanks for posting the solution which will now turn up in google
searches for years to come

Dave

 

[Johannes Zweng]

Dave meinte:

Congrats

And thanks for posting the solution which will now turn up in google
searches for years to come

Don't mention it! Google Search helps me every day..

John