Printer status through router

[JohnOK]

I have a US Robotics 5461 router. It has a USB port that is designated
as a printer port. I have an Epson R1800 printer.
When the printer is connected directly to a USB port on my desktop
computer the Epson driver software can access the printer, report ink
levels and run maintenance, etc.

When I attach the printer to the USB port on the router and define a
printer using the router port in my WindowsXP Pro O/S, the Epson driver
software can no longer report ink levels. BTW the printer port in the
router uses http protocol and the port in the printer definition is set
up to use:
http://[Router IP]:1631/printers/My_Printer
I also attempted to define a printer on my Mac computer to access the
R1800 through the router and ink status reporting was not successful
either.
Both the Mac and the PC can successfully send print jobs to the printer
using this port configuration. Its the maintenance stuff that requires
feedback from the printer that does not work.

I sent an inquiry to Epson and they indicated that their status monitor
should work so long as the router supports bidirectional communication
to/from the printer.

I reviewed the configuration parameters in the USR router and I can't
find anything that looks like it is inhibiting communications between
the computer and printer through this port.

Anyone know how you connect a printer through the USB port on a router
and configure it to successfully communicate bidirectionally with a host
computer.

 

[smlunatick]

I have a US Robotics 5461 router.  It has a USB port that is designated
as a printer port.  I have an Epson R1800 printer.
When the printer is connected directly to a USB port on my desktop
computer the Epson driver software can access the printer, report ink
levels and run maintenance, etc.

When I attach the printer to the USB port on the router and define a
printer using the router port in my WindowsXP Pro O/S, the Epson driver
software can no longer report ink levels.  BTW the printer port in the
router uses http protocol and the port in the printer definition is set
up to use:http://[RouterIP]:1631/printers/My_Printer
I also attempted to define a printer on my Mac computer to access the
R1800 through the router and ink status reporting was not successful
either.
Both the Mac and the PC can successfully send print jobs to the printer
using this port configuration.  Its the maintenance stuff that requires
feedback from the printer that does not work.

I sent an inquiry to Epson and they indicated that their status monitor
should work so long as the router supports bidirectional communication
to/from the printer.

I reviewed the configuration parameters in the USR router and I can't
find anything that looks like it is inhibiting communications between
the computer and printer through this port.

Anyone know how you connect a printer through the USB port on a router
and configure it to successfully communicate bidirectionally with a host
computer.

When this printer was connected to your Windows printer, did it use
the standard USB port? Several printer drivers add their own enhance
printer ports (HP -- DOT4) which permits the enhanced features of the
printer. Printer status is usually an enhanced feature.

 

[JohnOK]

When this printer was connected to your Windows printer, did it use
the standard USB port? Several printer drivers add their own enhance
printer ports (HP -- DOT4) which permits the enhanced features of the
printer. Printer status is usually an enhanced feature.

Yes, it was connected to a standard USB 2.0 port.

 

[smlunatick]

(e-mail address removed):




Yes, it was connected to a standard USB 2.0 port.

Epson printers usually added a Epson enhaced USB port drive when the
driver first got install. The physical port is a standard USB 2.0
port but XP was using their enhanced port drivers.