New connection -- USB or Network?

[Don Phillipson]

The WinXP picked up recently for a song has
2 USB jacks on the front panel (apparently USB.v.1)
1 Firewire jack on the front and 2 on the back
and 1 Ethernet jack. On buying a new Brother
DCP540CN multifunction I asked Brother if it could
use the Firewire jacks (in case faster): answer = No.

USB connection appeared not to work, and I thought
the (Compaq Presario) USB hardware might be too
slow for the printer, so got an Ethernet cable to
connect the Brother unit as a Network device. (I
don't know much about networks, but managed to
build a wireless connecting (some of the time) the
upstairs WinXP PC to my own PC downstairs.
This also gave the WinXP high speed wireless
Internet, from the antenna downstairs. (We discovered
the antenna seems not to work upstairs, perhaps
because of the old-style farmhouse TV antenna tower.)

But once the printer was connected directly to the
LAN card (SMC EZ PCI card SMC1211TX) I could
not make it work. Tried various IP addresses, tried
inputting its Node name (available from push-button
printout of the printer's LAN configuration) -- no good.

Then I looked again at Brother's email, which said:
"It can work only with a direct USB connection (2.0 or
lower) or with an Ethernet connection to a router."
This specified plugging into a router -- not a LAN card.

Is this the reason I have not yet made the printer
work under Windows? Can it be overcome?

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)
It can work only with a direct USB connection (2.0 or lower) or with an
Ethernet connection to a router. I

 

[Stuart]

Then I looked again at Brother's email, which said:
"It can work only with a direct USB connection (2.0 or
lower) or with an Ethernet connection to a router."
This specified plugging into a router -- not a LAN card.

Is this the reason I have not yet made the printer
work under Windows? Can it be overcome?

I suspect you might just need a crossover LAN cable not a straight one
such as you would use to connect your computer or other device to a router
but I could be wrong.

You should be able to pick one up fairly cheaply at your usual computer
shop

--
Stuart Winsor

From is valid but subject to change without notice if it gets spammed.

For Barn dances and folk evenings in the Coventry and Warwickshire area
See: http://www.barndance.org.uk

 

[Warren Block]

But once the printer was connected directly to the
LAN card (SMC EZ PCI card SMC1211TX) I could
not make it work. Tried various IP addresses, tried
inputting its Node name (available from push-button
printout of the printer's LAN configuration) -- no good.

No. It's like holding two phone handsets up to each other. Without
flipping one so that one phone's mic goes to the other phone's speaker,
it doesn't work.

You can get an Ethernet cable called a "crossover" that handles the
reversal between two devices. Hubs, switches, and routers handle the
reversal internally.

 

[Don Phillipson]

No. It's like holding two phone handsets up to each other. Without
flipping one so that one phone's mic goes to the other phone's speaker,
it doesn't work.

You can get an Ethernet cable called a "crossover" that handles the
reversal between two devices. Hubs, switches, and routers handle the
reversal internally.

Bingo ! -- that did the trick OK: Thank you so much.
(Brother documentation said nothing about this --
said only users need to buy a straight-through Ethernet
cable (not supplied). Oh well.

I see Brother diagnostics say printer functions are OK
(also tested by printout) but scanner functions are not --
probably requiring manual adjustment of IP addresses.
I shall figure it out soon enough now I have a good link.

 

[Arthur Entlich]

If you want to try to get it going with the USB 1.1 port, the speed
shouldn't be a problem. Most printers do not require USB 2.0 to work at
maximum speed. The printer data transfer system is typically as slow or
slower than a "high speed" USB 1.1 port. If you want to try to get the
USB going, make sure the cable you are using is good. A slightly
defective cable can cause enough errors to not allow the communication
to occur. Also try any and all USB ports on the computer. Sometimes
one is problematical due to a bad connection.

Others have already discussed the ethernet issues.

Art

 

[Don Phillipson]

If you want to try to get it going with the USB 1.1 port, the speed
shouldn't be a problem. Most printers do not require USB 2.0 to work at
maximum speed. The printer data transfer system is typically as slow or
slower than a "high speed" USB 1.1 port. If you want to try to get the
USB going, make sure the cable you are using is good. A slightly
defective cable can cause enough errors to not allow the communication
to occur. Also try any and all USB ports on the computer. Sometimes
one is problematical due to a bad connection.

USB may be a poor bet owing to the construction of
this particular Compaq Presario under WinXP e.g. no
back panel USB sockets. But it is easy to tinker later
with front panel sockets (e.g. see which of my 3 or 4
USB cables works best.)

(Ref. earlier help with antique Epson C80.
1. Swabbing and lubricating the carriage bar did not
help. Flashing light pattern seems to confirm a major
system fault (pointing to Epson licensee repair) but
the service/repair manual is so detailed I shall
undertake this later.
2. The Brother was installed since needed now and,
as a Boxing Day special, priced barely above the
cost of a set of ink carts.
3. The C80 uses the same ink carts as an Epson
MFC also in use here -- nothing lost if the C80
repair were unsuccessful.)

 

[Arthur Entlich]

Sorry I wasn't able to provide more helpful advice regarding the C80.
Can you describe the exact LEDS that are flashing and what flash pattern
they are exhibiting? I may be able to ascertain the error message from
the service manual, which may help in diagnosing the problem.

Art