Networking problems

I recently switched to ATT U-verse which runs 2 TVs, 2 iMacs, internet, and printer through a 2 wire Cisco 3800HGV-B router. Everything works well except my printer is very sporadic.

I have two iMac computers networked to a Lexmark Interpret S405 through the ATT router. There is a periodic problem printing from one or the other but it is not consistent. Here is what happens when the problem arises.

Click print and after a short delay the printer icon in the dock bounces. Clicking on it shows a message like failure to print, sometimes it mentions broken pipe. Most times if I click the green “pause” and then “resume” the print is usually successful but not every time. When that happens canceling the print and reordering it sometimes works.

I have spent 10+ hours in phone and chat discussions with a half dozen ATT tech support “experts”. They have taken remote control of my Mac, tried at least a dozen “fixes” but none has solved the problem. The latest suggestion was to hard wire the printer to one of the Macs which (they said) would make the other Mac work remotely with the printer. It did not. Another suggested “bridging” the ATT router with my own router (using both routers). I have not tried this because I have no idea how to do it.

Short of telling me that signing on with ATT was idiotic, can anyone suggest how to solve my problem? Any thoughts will be appreciated

Poppi

Can explain a bit more about how everything is connected? You mention two routers (which is a fairly uncommon setup). What's connected to what and how (wired or wireless)?

mrplow said:

Can explain a bit more about how everything is connected? You mention two routers (which is a fairly uncommon setup). What's connected to what and how (wired or wireless)?

Click to expand...

Sorry for the confusion. As originally set up by ATT everything was wireless through their single Cisco router including both iMacs, the telephones, the TV, internet and the Lexmark printer. The only change in hookup was the recent hardwire of the printer to one of the Macs by USB cable. The "expert" told me this would make the printer work from both Macs. That was not the case. In fact this morning I had a failure to print from the Mac which is hardwired to the printer.

OK.

If the printer cannot be used by direct connection via USB then it's never going to work over wi-fi, so we need to diagnose that first.

I would suggest the first step is to uninstall the printer software from your Mac completely.

Update: Assuming you have OX 10.6 or above the software comes from Apple Update, just restart the Mac after the uninstall and then connect the printer by USB, it will go off and obtain the appropriate driver etc.

Hopefully that will get your Mac talking to the printer correctly.

Once that's done we can move onto connecting the Lexmark wirelessly and perhaps giving it a static IP address which, in my experience, many wireless printers are happier with.

Thanx I will try that and let you know. Question - do I need to uninstall from both Macs?

poppi

I would. But it's not essential at this stage

I must seem very dense but I cannot find the uninstall program. The link you sent tells me to click on the xxxx series folder on the desktop but there is none nor can I find it by searching.

poppi

If you look just below the 6th OSX removal step there's some more info about where you can find the uninstaller

I continue to feel stupid but I CANNOT find anything on my Mac related to OSX removal. Sorry to be so dumb

poppi

If you accidentally deleted the shortcut to the Lexmark folder on the Desktop, you can manually locate the actual folder, where the uninstaller is located on your Hard Disk, by navigating in the Finder to:
HD > Library > Printers > Lexmark > 200X > Lexmark XXXX Series, or
200X - Generic representation of the year when the product was introduced to the market; (i.e., 2006, 2007, 2008, etc.).
XXXX - Generic representation of the model name for your product; (i.e., X4650, X6650, etc.).
HD > Applications > Lexmark > Uninstaller (for newer models)
Location New Uninstaller Interface

Click Image to Enlarge
NOTE: The uninstaller window interface may slightly vary per printer model, but serves the same purpose. This procedure removes only the print and scan drivers and the supporting files. If you installed the printer drivers via the Install CD from the box, then Abbyy Fine Reader will be installed as well, and it will not be deleted when you are uninstalling the Lexmark Printer.

So do neither of these locations exist on your Mac?

If you can't find those we can reset the print system

Follow the instructions below for your version of OSX
Mac OS X: How to reset the printing system

I think I have been successful in updating the drivers on both Macs and I have successfully printed a document from both without a USB connection. However, since my problem has been so sporadic I will need time to see if it is a permanent fix. I will keep you posted.

I am soooo grateful for your help with this nightmare

poppi

No problem, glad you've had a little success.

If its stays stable post back with your router make and model and I'll try and help you get wireless printing back, if you still want to do that

mrplow said:

No problem, glad you've had a little success.

If its stays stable post back with your router make and model and I'll try and help you get wireless printing back, if you still want to do that

Click to expand...

Update: I disconnected the USB hardwire that connected the printer to one of the iMacs and, at least for the several weeks since, prints from that IMac have been successful via wireless connection. The second iMac continues to be intermittent, sometimes printing with no problem, other times printing after we ‘pause’ and ‘resume’. Looking for differences in the two iMacs I did the following, which may or may not be pertinent.

I went to 192.168.1.8 on line, clicked on Configuration > TCP/IP and found the following:

Set hostname: ET002000A25C33
Domain name: gateway.2wire.net
Address: 192.168.1.8 (Option to ‘Set static IP address’ – I did not
Netmask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.1.254
Enable DHCP – checked
DNS server address: 192.168.1.254
Backup DNS server address: 0.0.0.0
MTV 1500 (Range 256 – 1500 Ethernet)
Zero configuration name: 5300-5400 series

Options to Submit or Reset Form – I did neither

Next clicked on ‘Wireless’

SSID: 2 wire652
BSS type: Infrastructure (other option is ad hoc)
Wireless security mode: WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK (other options ‘disabled’ or ‘WEP’
Reset Print Server – Did NOT click *

* Checked settings on other Mac and all were identical EXCEPT instead of Reset Print Server it said ‘Set preshared key with what looks like a password (*******)

Does any of this make sense?By the way - to answer your question the router is a ATT provided Cisco 3800 HGV-B

poppi

One other thing (did not read your last post carefully). To answer your question the router (supplied by ATT) is a Cisco 3800 HGV-B

poppi

Mrplow

I have had no further communication re this problem. Do you have any further suggestions?

Thank you

poppi

The fact it works for a while them stops suggests that the router is at the heart of the issue (those are router settings you posted before).

Some printers/drivers don't like ip addresses changing. That's often why the disconnects occur. We need to set your printer with a static ip. I'm trying to find an online manual for your router to talk you through that. It's not anything to do with the static ip reference you've seen in the settings do far so please don't change that

mrplow said:

The fact it works for a while them stops suggests that the router is at the heart of the issue (those are router settings you posted before).

Some printers/drivers don't like ip addresses changing. That's often why the disconnects occur. We need to set your printer with a static ip. I'm trying to find an online manual for your router to talk you through that. It's not anything to do with the static ip reference you've seen in the settings do far so please don't change that

Click to expand...

Here is a link to the instruction manual

Thank you

poppi for the Lexmark Interpret S405. Hope that helps

http://www.lexmark.com/publications/pdfs/2007/s400/LXEAuser-en.pdf

Thanks. It's the router manual I'm looking for.