Printing on MacBook using Windows network printer

[sseale]

Hi, I am completely confounded and frustrated by this problem.

I have a macbook. Our wireless internet connection is set up on a network and router through my boyfriend's PC computer. We are trying to set up a connection so that I can print wirelessly to his printer, through the network and printer sharing (which is enabled, by the way).

The printer I'm trying to use is a Canon PIXMA MP960.

Nothing seems to work. I have had no problems in the past printing wirelessly to printers hooked up through my own apple airport router. But I cannot seem to see, add or connect any printer through his windows/PC network.

?? Any help???

 

[pit29]

If the printer has an IP adress you could use that when you add the printer using System Preferences...

 

[sseale]

Thank you so much! I thought that too, but can you tell me how to find out the IP address of the printer? I'm assuming I'd need to look that up ON the pc computer, and I'm a mac person so not too familiar with them. If you know how to find the printer IP address through the windows PC that would be great. thanks!

 

[sseale]

Actually, I found the IP address (I think) and tried that. The problem is that the driver for that printer isn't located on the list (I've downloaded it and a million other Canon drivers appear but not that one, it's a Canon PIXMA MP 960). The generic postscript driver doesn't work. ??

I am just wondering if this particular printer does not work on a network between a PC and Mac? Or if I'm just doing something wrong?

 

[nplima]

I am just wondering if this particular printer does not work on a network between a PC and Mac? Or if I'm just doing something wrong?

hi,

if you don't have drivers for that specific model, then it would be a matter of chance to have any other drivers work with it directly from your Mac.

The alternative is to have the printer connected to the PC (USB) and the PC doing the sharing. Then most of the setup will be made on the PC side, which is easy.

 

[sseale]

Thanks, we'll try that. The reason we wanted to do it the other way, however, is because the PC is a desktop and my mac is the laptop. Therefore, it would be nice to be able to print from anywhere in the house that I might be taking my laptop and using it (as opposed from only at the desk and directly plugged into the printer). The PC desktop is ALWAYS on the desk right by the printer, so it makes sense for it to be the plugged in direct connection.

The really weird thing is that I DO HAVE the driver for the specific printer (Canon MP960). I have downloaded it and do have it, can print just fine on the printer from my mac using a direct USB connection.

the problem seems to be, as far as I can tell, that apparently there are DIFFERENT drivers when you are trying to connect a mac to a PC to use the PC's printer through windows??? Because when I try to set up the printer as a shared Bonjour network printer from the PC (or using the IP address as suggested), there is no driver in the list for that printer. There are about a million OTHER Canon drivers listed, and the MP series all the way up to 830 - but no 960 model!! It's just frustrating. So I don't know whether the drivers for direct printing or network printing are different (I don't know why they would be, but that seems to be the case), and if so why the hell there is no network driver for this particular printer. ??? It's just weird and frustrating.
Thanks for your help!

 

[pit29]

I just found this - maybe it works for you as well?

 

[WarMachine]

I have the same setup, the windows machine with the printer and the iMac prints from it.

First, try a different version for the driver. For my old HP Deskjet 812C I had to use the 810C version driver. Second, make sure that the windows computer isn't blocking the signal, you should be able to see the computer in the middle section on this window:

If you don't see the other computer in the workgroup, then its firewall might be stopping it, so you have to disable it. If you do see it there, then just select it. It'll ask for a login, go in as a guest. That should be it, every time you want to print it'll ask for a login, but just press enter to go in as a guest.