04-04-2004, 09:25 PM

I have been given an old Powermac 7500/100 and a Laserwriter 4/600. The PowerMac works fine, and I can connect it to my home LAN fine via Ethernet, but I can't seem to get it to print to the LaserWriter.

All software is installed correctly AFAIK. It only has a cable with a up/down arrow connector on it (a bit like a PS/2), and I have that connected to the MAc printer port (GEOPORT). But it doesn't seem to be recognised. Is there any other special connectors it should have?

Can anyone help me, please?

Also, would it be possible to connect this printer to an ethernet print server and print to it from windoze or *nix PC's? It has a parallel connector cable that I could use. Anyone know if it would work or not?

Thank's for your help.

Cheers
Mick the clueless Mac user

04-04-2004, 10:47 PM

Originally Posted by mickwish

All software is installed correctly AFAIK. It only has a cable with a up/down arrow connector on it (a bit like a PS/2), and I have that connected to the MAc printer port (GEOPORT). But it doesn't seem to be recognised. Is there any other special connectors it should have?

If connected and software is installed correctly -is there a way to test the printer itself?

04-04-2004, 10:50 PM

Printer self-tests when it powers up - it prints a self-test page. So I know the printer works.

Thanks for the reply - let's hope you know a lot more about Macs than me!

Cheers
Mick

04-04-2004, 11:12 PM

Were the PowerMac and printer originally together? Maybe to cable is not good

04-04-2004, 11:23 PM

So I am led to believe. I have no idea if there were any other peripherals I didn't get, though. I assume I got everything because the last owner has moved to a PC, and I was told what I got was everything (including and old SCSI external EZ-Drive). The manual for the printer says to connect it to the Geoport, which I did. The cable I have (which was already connected to the printer) fits, even though the end has up/down arrows on it rather than a printer port icon.

BTW, OS is OS 9, in case that makes any diff.

Cheers
Mick

04-04-2004, 11:29 PM

Hmm, reading some other forums has me wondering whether I need to plug the printer in after I power on the Mac. I think it was already plugged in (has no power switch) the whole time I was trying to connect it. Maybe that might make a diff. Will try that when I get home tonight.

Thanks
Mick

04-04-2004, 11:34 PM

Is the printer the type that has an online/offline switch? The self test would ignore that

04-04-2004, 11:43 PM

Nope, no switches whatsoever. Plug and play, so to speak. :p

It automatically prints a self test when I power it on, but then, the Mac wasn't powered on when I did that. So maybe....

Thanks
Mick

04-04-2004, 11:52 PM

Hmm, I had another look in the printer manual and it says:

You can connect your printer
directly to your Macintosh with an Apple System/Peripheral-8 cable. You can
also connect the printer to an AppleTalk network using a LocalTalk connector
box and LocalTalk cable.

What I don't know is what kind of cable I have there. I need to know what a "System/Peripheral-8 cable" looks like. Any clues?

Off to Google...

Thanks
Mick

04-05-2004, 12:00 AM

Hmm, the pic in the manual looks like the cable I have - not 100% sure, though, as it doesn't show the icons on the connectors. :rolleyes:

Does say I need to connect the printer to the Mac before powering on. Doesn't specify the Mac needs to be power on, though.

More hmmmm....

Cheers
Mick

04-05-2004, 12:35 AM

Looks like a LocalTalk cable is a 3-pin mini DIN, and the other one is 8-pin mini DIN. Pretty sure the one I'm using is 8-pin, so should be correct.

Anyhow, enough talking to myself - will try again tonight.

Thanks
Mick

04-05-2004, 12:48 AM

Originally Posted by mickwish

Looks like a LocalTalk cable is a 3-pin mini DIN, and the other one is 8-pin mini DIN. Pretty sure the one I'm using is 8-pin, so should be correct. Anyhow, enough talking to myself - will try again tonight. Thanks Mick

This is the same that I found in Google :cool:

04-05-2004, 10:08 AM

I think I found what I did. :eek:

I set AppleTalk for Ethenet, thinking it would use the Ethernet Port. But the printer needs AppleTalk to function, and it is connected to the Printer Port.

After reinstalling OS9 and everything, I finally figured this out. :rolleyes:

Now all I gotta do is share it with LocalTalk Bridge, if I can. :p

Thanks
Mick