I've just bought a reconditioned iMac to replace my old Power PC G5 & have got nearly everything up and running, except my HP Laserjet 2200DN printer. Apple suppplys the printer driver and automatically installs it. However when I try to add the printer via Preferences > Print & Scan > Add Printer, Add button is grayed out. Therefore I can't locate the printer driver even though it has been correctly installed. I've messed around with HP Direct Protocol & Line Daemon functions in this same window, entering my IP address, just to see if the printer driver could be located - it could. However, I get a pop-up window which says 'Unable to verify the printer on your network' but it gives me the option of going ahead anyway. I was able to create a print queue, able to give a print command, the printer window opens, but the printer is 'busy', but of course it hasn't been given the command to print anything. Apple lists this particular printer as HP Laserjet 2200, minus the DN, so I don't know if that suffix is significant enough to make the printer incompatible... some ideas to fix this problem would be hugely appreciated.
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Printer Hell!
- Thread starter Alexander Carr
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How is the printer connected? If it is via Ethernet, then you need to make sure that it has a suitable IP address to be on your network.
You can usually force a configuration sheet out of an HP printer, which will tell you what it's IP address.
1. Your printer is connected to your router.
It should therefore have an IP address similar to your computers, but with the last digit different, e.g. 192.168.1.5.
2. Your printer is connected directly to your Mac via cable and you get your internet wirelessly.
In which case, your computer needs to have two IP addresses: one for the wireless, as above, and another one like 192.168.2.5 for the Ethernet connection. The printer will then need an IP address also in the 2 range, but with a different final number from your Mac. You need to give Airport a higher priority than Ethernet in your Network prefs. There's a cogwheel to set the order.
You need to then type in your printer's IP address when creating the printer. However, once your networks are in order, you may find the printer can now be "seen".
You can usually force a configuration sheet out of an HP printer, which will tell you what it's IP address.
1. Your printer is connected to your router.
It should therefore have an IP address similar to your computers, but with the last digit different, e.g. 192.168.1.5.
2. Your printer is connected directly to your Mac via cable and you get your internet wirelessly.
In which case, your computer needs to have two IP addresses: one for the wireless, as above, and another one like 192.168.2.5 for the Ethernet connection. The printer will then need an IP address also in the 2 range, but with a different final number from your Mac. You need to give Airport a higher priority than Ethernet in your Network prefs. There's a cogwheel to set the order.
You need to then type in your printer's IP address when creating the printer. However, once your networks are in order, you may find the printer can now be "seen".
Thanks for your potentially helpful guidance. My printer is connected directly to the computer > I can locate the wireless and the Ethernet IP numbers > but the configuration page I forced from the printer doesn't list its IP number. I'm sorry, but I don't understand how to give Airport a higher configuration than Ethernet in the Network prefs as Airport doesn't show up there. It is active, but that's all I know about it. I see the cogwheel but if Airport is not listed in the pane then how can it be prioritised? I look forward very much to your response.
Regards - Alex
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This assuming that you use Wi-Fi for your internet and have the printer directly connected to your Mac by an Ethernet cable.
See the attached screenshot. Click on the cogwheel to select "Set Service Order".
I'm surprised the IP address isn't on the configuration sheet. Otherwise see if you can enter an IP address on the Control Panel manually.
See the attached screenshot. Click on the cogwheel to select "Set Service Order".
I'm surprised the IP address isn't on the configuration sheet. Otherwise see if you can enter an IP address on the Control Panel manually.
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Benwiggy - Thanx for the response. Yes, I use wi-fi for internet & the printer is connected directly into the back of the iMac - but not with an Ethernet cable; I'm not sure what you call it, but it's a telphone jack type of connector. I was able to force a configuration sheet from the printer but the IP address reads 0.0.0.0. Any ideas?
Alex
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That sounds suspiciously like an Ethernet cable.
In Network preferences, is the little dot next to the word "Ethernet" green? Or is it yellow or red? I thought I had attached a screenshot to the last post, but apparently not. I'll try again here.
Now you know the IP address of your printer, you can try the following, which may or may not work:
1. Type "http://0.0.0.0" into your web browser and see if you get the printer's control panel.
2. In the Terminal, type "telnet 0.0.0.0" and see if that gives you a text-based interface.
Then set the IP address as mentioned earlier, according to your local network scheme.
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Hi Bigwiggy - The little dot next to the word Ethernet is green. However, typing 0.0.0.0 directly into my web browser results in an "Unable to Connect" message. You're right about the cable being Ethernet - I looked at it under a magnifying glass and and saw on Wikipedia the same cable, which has 'Cat 5' embossed on the external part of it, same as mine
However, I wonder if the printer control panel is a red herring as I've never raised it on this printer, which is, I should add, perhaps 8 years old, maybe even older! But it is an astonishingly reliable and productive workhorse and I've very reluctant to lose it. Any thoughts about Airport not being visible in the Network pane? In the Network window I see the IP Adress 192.168.1.69, Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0, Router: 192.168.1.254, DNS Server: same as router but grayed out.Here's hoping....
Alex
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If you look at my picture, Apple calls it "WiFi", not "Airport". Those IP numbers sound like typical network settings, which suggests that you are connected to your wireless router. They're greyed out because the padlock is on, but you don't need to mess with them.
Many old HP printers will have a web control panel. It's actually the JetDirect network card that deals with it.
Did you try telnet?
Alternatively, can you set an IP address on the printer's own menu using the buttons? Set it to something in the same range as the Ethernet IP address, as I outlined in my first response.
Many old HP printers will have a web control panel. It's actually the JetDirect network card that deals with it.
Did you try telnet?
Alternatively, can you set an IP address on the printer's own menu using the buttons? Set it to something in the same range as the Ethernet IP address, as I outlined in my first response.
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Hi Benwiggy - I thought WI-Fi & Airport were two seperate entities! Anyway, I went to Telnet, but you must understand the language on the site is a bit incomprehensible to me... it's not at all obvious how one proceeds, or even where to begin. The only thing I've successfully done is rest the position of Airport/Wi-Fi, so now it leads off. You refer to the printer's own menu - but where & how does one get that menu? I presume you're not referring to the Add Printer pane? One question - in that pane which are we working with, HP Jetdirect Socket, Line Printer Demon, or Internet Printing Protocol?
Look forward to your thoughts
Alex
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When I say "set the IP address on the printer", I mean use the printers little display and buttons.
We haven't got to the Add Printer pane yet: we're just trying to get the two devices on the same network. Then we can connect them with a print queue.
We haven't got to the Add Printer pane yet: we're just trying to get the two devices on the same network. Then we can connect them with a print queue.
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Thanks for that. I'm sorry to be such an ignoramus, but how to find and activate the printer's little display and buttons?
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OK, looking at the manual, it seems that the printer doesn't have much in the way of its own control panel/menu buttons.
Let's try using your web browser again, this time for this address:
http://0.0.0.0:8000
But this time, turn off your Wifi, so that there's no choice but the Ethernet cable.
Can you get to the printer's control panel there?
If not, then you'll have to use the telnet program. It should say something like "type help (or ?) for help", and that should give you a list of commands that you can apply.
Let's try using your web browser again, this time for this address:
http://0.0.0.0:8000
But this time, turn off your Wifi, so that there's no choice but the Ethernet cable.
Can you get to the printer's control panel there?
If not, then you'll have to use the telnet program. It should say something like "type help (or ?) for help", and that should give you a list of commands that you can apply.
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