USB 1 Port Print Server with Vista

[Guest]

Hi, all

Am trying to use my USB print server with Vista Ulimate.
Its a Siemens WLAN SE551 with a built in USB port that can be used to
connect a printer.
It works fine with Win XP, but Vista just gives me hell !!!!

Basically, I have set it up in that I create a new TCP/IP port, and select
Network Print Sever (1 port) and then add the driver, the port and printer is
created, but when I try and print the document just hangs in the queue, even
restarting the PC brings no help.

Is this a general BUG in Vista??
If so, then it needs to get fixed ASAP as a lot of people will be rather
upset, putting it politley ;-)

Thanks for your help

PEte

 

[BobS]

That is a wireless router so I'm assuming that you are using a wireless PC
to try and connect through it to reach the USB printer port - correct?

Have you tried dumbing it down - no security like WPA - to verify the basics
work first? If you can connect your PC to the router with an Ethernet
cable, try that and can you reach the printer then?

If none of the above work then try using NetworkMagic (
http://www.networkmagic.com/ ) and see if it won't configure things for you.
I use the LinkSys version and I've not tried this download but everything
I've read so far has been good. Give it a try - it's free and nothing to
lose but a few minutes of time.

Bob S.

 

[Guest]

Hi,

thanks for the tip, but I think that might not help.
I can ping the Router IP address and its used as a wireless repeater.
The windows vista network center also sees the router.

I just cant print to it.

 

[BobS]

Well, seeing as how you're not getting to many other ideas from others
here - it just may work too. When setting up a wireless network, the first
thing I try is that I can ping the connection - that does not mean that the
software is using the correct protocol for printing. For instance, you use
the ping xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx command and your printing software is addressing it
as \\router\P1 - going to the next layer - not just a ping.

Just a thought - no guarantee's but like the lottery - if you don't buy a
ticket you'll never have a chance to win. If it doesn't solve the problem,
it just may provide some troubleshooting insight that will eventually get
you to the correct answer. You know it works with XP so the difference is
the Vista driver or the way it was installed. Try using Admin rights to
install or try WinXP compatibility mode or you could also try Google - you
just may find someone else already knows the answer.

Bob S.

 

[Guest]

Hi BobS,

thanks for your comments, I have tried installing as Admin, even activated
the Admin account and tried it with that. Have also tried connecting directly
using a CAT5 cable. (normally WLAN connection)
I really think its a bug in Vista that microsoft has overlooked, or that
they have changed the way Vista "talks" to printers and have forgotten to
tell everyone else ;-)

I work as a computer engineer for a large company in Germany, and even my
colleages have no idea what the problem could be. I am really starting to get
tired of trying 500 different ways to set this up.
And seeing as more and more people are using wireless routers with a built
in USB printer port.
Its hopefully only a matter of time before Microsoft catches up, just a
shame I am using an MSDN version of Windows, or I could email microsoft
support......

But thanks for your input and any further ideas.....

Pete

 

[BobS]

I haven't gone back to your original post - so you may have already tried
this. Turn off IPv6 in Vista on your network properties. I've read that
has caused a few problems. Also be sure to turn off the firewall and any
other antivirus - or anything else such as WPA as a test. Got a feeling its
the IPv6 protocol that is the culprit.

Bob S.

 

[Guest]

Hi BobS,

thanks for the tips, unfortuneatly it didnt help.
Same situation, just cant print to the port.

Hopefully Microsoft reads these threads, which I probably doubt ;-)

 

[BobS]

I took a look at the Siemens site and searched on "WLAN SE551" and found
that a driver v1608 is available plus a note that Vista USB drivers would be
available in March.

http://gigaset.siemens.com/shc/0,19...Type%3Adownloads_imagePos%3A0,00.html#content

It said that a Vista USB driver would be available in late March. but I
can't locate the url for that statement again.

Try calling them or searching their site.

Bob S.

 

[Guest]

I let the print server's built-in setup install the printers on both a Vista
and an XP machine on my wireless network. The printers worked under XP, but
not under Vista. After some searching around on printer properties on both
machines, I found out the following:

In Control Panel, click on Printers, then right click on the Printer
attached to the wireless print server, and click on Properties.

Click on the Ports tab, and then on the Configure Port button.

The Printer Name or IP Address: field probably has a value in it that is NOT
equal to the IP address of your print server. In my case, it was something
like dlinkps-xxxxxx (which equated to the print server's MAC address). You
have to change this value to that of the print server's IP address.

I used DHCP instead of static as the address mode for my wireless, and the
print server's default IP address had been changed by the router. Once I
keyed in that value, I was able to print.

Interestingly, the XP machine, and not Vista, was able to interpret the MAC
address. You can even key in the MAC address into IE on XP, and have the
print server's html setup and device info web pages show up, but not on Vista.

 

[Guest]

Hi,

nothing seems to work.
The Router has no setup for the printers, its either activated or deactivated.

Should not make a difference anyway, as its a Printser that is connected to
via TCP/IP that has an IP address.

Just hope Microsoft reads these boards, have even sent a support mail to the
manufacturer, just waiting for their reply....

Thanks