Help getting ibook to recognize networked printer
Hi. I have an HP PSC 1410 printer connected to my PC "Feedback" in my apartment. In the "Print & Fax" Control Panel (on the ibook) it shows:
Name: Feedback
Location: Apartment
Kind: Generic Postscript Printer
Status: Idle
"Apartment" is my "workgroup" that I have set-up. My wife's compaq laptop prints fine wirelessly through "Feedback".
I've tried to set up the ibook to print -- downloaded the mac "print-only" driver and installed them from the hp website -- but when I go to Printer Setup/Printer Model there is no choice for a PSC 1410.
When we've sent documents to the printer from the ibook, a non-descript document has shown up in Feedback's printer tray. I forget exactly what the document is called -- something irrelevant to the document that was actually sent -- but it does not ever end up printing. The ibook recognizes -- and sends things to -- the printer, but that's where it loses me.
Any ideas? Thank you very much for your help. I am going to buy a macbook today and I would like to get this problem solved so we can print.
Thanks!
Name: Feedback
Location: Apartment
Kind: Generic Postscript Printer
Status: Idle
"Apartment" is my "workgroup" that I have set-up. My wife's compaq laptop prints fine wirelessly through "Feedback".
I've tried to set up the ibook to print -- downloaded the mac "print-only" driver and installed them from the hp website -- but when I go to Printer Setup/Printer Model there is no choice for a PSC 1410.
When we've sent documents to the printer from the ibook, a non-descript document has shown up in Feedback's printer tray. I forget exactly what the document is called -- something irrelevant to the document that was actually sent -- but it does not ever end up printing. The ibook recognizes -- and sends things to -- the printer, but that's where it loses me.
Any ideas? Thank you very much for your help. I am going to buy a macbook today and I would like to get this problem solved so we can print.
Thanks!
Comments
(1). In my experience, it is much easier connecting the printer to the Mac (iBook/MacBook, whatever), then installing the right Mac drivers and finally sharing the printer (probably needs enabling Windows File Sharing on the Mac, too) so you can access it from the PC (Network Neighbourhood --> WORKGROUP etc.). Windows PCs easily print to networked printers with the same printer drivers needed for a locally connected printer (which the Mac doesn't).
(2). Printing from a Mac to a printer connected to a Windows PC (or a Linux server, as in my setup) needs the following: HPIJS printer drivers from HP (written, but not supported by HP...). They interact with OS X's built-in CUPS printer drivers so you can access the printer over the (wireless) network, too.
Specifically, I had to install "espgs-7.07.1.ppc", then "hpijs-foomatic-2.0.2.ppc" and most certainly also "gimp-print-4.2.7-0.ppc" (don't remember exactly whether I needed this one too). Then reboot your Mac (perhaps not needed, but always a good idea after installing things!)
After that, open the Printer Setup Utility and click the "Add" button.
Inside the new window, hold down the option (also labelled "alt") key and click "More printers...".
Use the top pull-down-menu and select "Advanced", then select "Windows Printer via SAMBA" in the Device pull-down-menu.
Give the printer a name and then fill the following into the "Device URI" box:
smb://username : password@ip_address_of_windows_box/name_of_windows_printer
(eliminate the spaces between username and : and password! had to put them in because of smilies appearing instead of ":" )
and change according to your setup. It might also work when no password is given to the Windows machine where the printer is connected to. If not, try using a password there.
Next step is selecting the printer model in - you guessed it - the Printer Model pull-down-menu (they usually are called something like "HP PSC xxx Foomatic/hpijs"). If your printer is not supported, you need the lastest version of the "hpijs" drivers, which you'll find easily on the web.
Be sure to use static IP addresses for all the computers on your network using the printer (or at least the PC where the printer is connected to), as it makes configuring things so much easier.
Good Luck!
P.S. my old Apple LaserWriter 12/640 ps with Ethernet connection prints to all Macs with System 6.0.7 up to 9.2.2 and any OS X version there ever was and over every network connection you can think of. Plus it prints flawlessly on every Linux I ever tried and Windows 98 up to XP SP 2 worked, too. So get one of these great old LaserWriters :-)
thanks for your help though.