Networking Printers FAQ

[cwa107]

I have a different problem. I have a printer connected to my macbook that I am trying to share over my network to windows computers. I have it enabled for sharing under system prefs, and in firewall. However when I browse from the windows machines, it doesn't show up as a choice. Any clues?

From the Windows machine, click Start => Run. In the Run field, type \\ followed by the IP address your Mac is using. So, if your Mac is using 192.168.1.5, type: \\192.168.1.5 (make sure you use backslashes - that's the key above the Enter key). If your Mac is configured properly for SMB sharing (Windows file and printer sharing), it should display a window with the available shared devices on the machine. Double-click the printer to map it.

If all else fails, check into Bonjour which is supposed to make networking printers between Windows and Macs easier.

 

[Kash]

I'm not sure if it was Leopard or if I was doing it wrong the first time, but I finally got this working!! Thanks a bunch cwa!! I'd rep you if I could

 

[zyepod]

Well it must be to late at night for me. That on top of being new to mac. But it sounds like you saying that I need to down-load this group of drivers and find my HP Office Jet and then down =-load the driver.
Question: Why do I need to down-load this driver? When I connect the printer directly to my macbook pro it's recognized to the point of giving me the name and series of the printer. Sounds like the driver's already there...

 

[cwa107]

Well it must be to late at night for me. That on top of being new to mac. But it sounds like you saying that I need to down-load this group of drivers and find my HP Office Jet and then down =-load the driver.
Question: Why do I need to down-load this driver? When I connect the printer directly to my macbook pro it's recognized to the point of giving me the name and series of the printer. Sounds like the driver's already there...

Yes, a USB-only driver is already installed. The point is, some drivers are USB-specific, and in those cases, you'll need to find an alternative driver that doesn't care whether the printer is connected via USB or the network.

You need to install and manually pick a driver from the list that is network capable, assuming one exists.

 

[zyepod]

Ok... I believe you here but I still have another question. Why do I need a driver just to see the printer in finder. Heck I don't even see the computers they're connected to...

 

[cwa107]

Ok... I believe you here but I still have another question. Why do I need a driver just to see the printer in finder. Heck I don't even see the computers they're connected to...

If you can't see the computer its attached to in the finder then you have a network/firewall configuration problem. Make sure printer sharing is turned on on your host machine. Until you can see it in the Finder, you're not going to be able to connect to the printer. Software packages like Bonjour may help to ease this process, but it can be complex depending on how your host machine is configured (you didn't mention what the host machine was).

 

[zyepod]

I went to Gimp-print and down-loaded 5.3 installed it and still nothing. When I go to add a printer I go to
more printers
It's in Auto... Nothing showing in window
Click down arrow
All I see is the same ole thing
Canon IJ Network
Epson Firewire
Epson TCP/IP
HP IP Printing
I must really be behind the learning curve here... and what's so frustrating my macbook running Tiger I didn't have to do anything... Not so with Macbook Pro w/Leopard... Help

 

[cwa107]

I went to Gimp-print and down-loaded 5.3 installed it and still nothing. When I go to add a printer I go to
more printers
It's in Auto... Nothing showing in window
Click down arrow
All I see is the same ole thing
Canon IJ Network
Epson Firewire
Epson TCP/IP
HP IP Printing
I must really be behind the learning curve here... and what's so frustrating my macbook running Tiger I didn't have to do anything... Not so with Macbook Pro w/Leopard... Help

Please read my previous reply to you. If you can't even browse the host machine for a printer, then your problem is not with the drivers. I need to know what OS the host machine is running to even get you started troubleshooting that problem. And again, you still haven't mentioned what printer model you have. Thanks.

 

[zyepod]

I appoligize... I have two other computers one is running windows xp with an HP OfficeJet 6210. The other is running Vista with a HP DeskJet 5900. My Macbook Pro is running Leopard. My router is a NetGear WGR614v7. I have folders and printers shared on both machines and both machines can see one another but no macbook pro.

 

[cwa107]

I appoligize... I have two other computers one is running windows xp with an HP OfficeJet 6210. The other is running Vista with a HP DeskJet 5900. My Macbook Pro is running Leopard. My router is a NetGear WGR614v7. I have folders and printers shared on both machines and both machines can see one another but no macbook pro.

Thanks, that helps paint a better picture for me. If this didn't happen under Tiger, my guess would be that it has something to do with the new firewall under Leopard. I would temporarily "allow all incoming connections" under System Preferences -> Security -> Firewall tab, then try browsing for printers and see what happens. Report back as we'll want to change that setting back even if it is successful.

 

[zyepod]

Unfortunately I had already done that... It's still off... Also just an info here the Firewall is also down on my other two computers... Also... My Router had a SPI Firewall turned on. (Not sure what a SPI Firewall is) I turned it off for just second last night... No changed. Not sure if I should have given it a while or not.

 

[cwa107]

Unfortunately I had already done that... It's still off... Also just an info here the Firewall is also down on my other two computers... Also... My Router had a SPI Firewall turned on. (Not sure what a SPI Firewall is) I turned it off for just second last night... No changed. Not sure if I should have given it a while or not.

Well, I'm stumped. Based on what you're telling me, my guess is this is directly related to Leopard. Specifically, it's having difficulty browsing SMB (Windows) shares. I will check back in if I have any other thoughts.

 

[zyepod]

One other thing. I changed my wep security from 64bit to 128bit and now I see Macintosh in my router settings where before it showed an IP was connected but there was no name. Also I set my Macbook Pro to share a file and a printer. Now my PC's see the Mac's printer but no file.
When I mentioned earlier that Tiger would connect that was with a macbook that I've recently sold. My Pro has never connected. It came with Tiger and a Leopard disk. I loaded Leopard the day I got it.

 

[cwa107]

One other thing. I changed my wep security from 64bit to 128bit and now I see Macintosh in my router settings where before it showed an IP was connected but there was no name. Also I set my Macbook Pro to share a file and a printer. Now my PC's see the Mac's printer but no file.
When I mentioned earlier that Tiger would connect that was with a macbook that I've recently sold. My Pro has never connected. It came with Tiger and a Leopard disk. I loaded Leopard the day I got it.

That's odd that changing the encryption would modify the name resolution on your network.

Is there a particular reason that you're using WEP instead of WPA? WEP is pretty much dead as it can be hacked within minutes with readily available tools (Google "hack WEP" and see what you get). WPA is faster, far more secure and easier to configure.

 

[zyepod]

I'm so new at wireless security I didn't know anything about WPA. However I took your advice and changed over to WPA-PSK... Actually my router has WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, or both together. I just choose the first. Thanks for the advice. I also went to the Microsoft Tips and the Directional Antenna sounds pretty good not that I need it I'm sitting on a full signal as it is...

 

[cwa107]

I'm so new at wireless security I didn't know anything about WPA. However I took your advice and changed over to WPA-PSK... Actually my router has WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, or both together. I just choose the first. Thanks for the advice. I also went to the Microsoft Tips and the Directional Antenna sounds pretty good not that I need it I'm sitting on a full signal as it is...

It just so happens that I have another FAQ dedicated just to Wireless

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68784

 

[zyepod]

Lot's of good info there too... Tomorrow I'll swap over to the WPA2...

 

[zyepod]

I've swapped over to WPA2, changed the channel even updated my Firmware... Everything is working great except the networking.

 

[jayr41]

this is such a PITA!!!! i have tried the FAQ that cwa linked before but for some reason i can get to the point where my mac is trying to connect to a port but cant connect....gonna try to turn off my windows firewall and or check my file and printer sharing settings.....ugh!!!!

 

[drgrafix]

I just came across this thread and this seems to be a problem for many switchers, and yeah... some of us don't have USB printers either. I have a LinkSys Wireless G Broadband Router that was instantly picked up by my iMac when I first turned it on yesterday. My print server is a LinkSys _wired_ 3-port EPSX3 unit and like everyone else, it worked great with Windows as I have two (2) HP printers connected to it, a 5P LaserJet and a 1220C wide-body color deskjet. Ironically, I can get the printers to print a fully legible test page when I use the Print Server's IP address, but when I try to print a document or a web page... it seems to sound like it's about to print, the printing LED comes on... but nothing prints.

I don't know if I'm close, or maybe I should be looking into the Gimp-Print stuff mentioned here. Going to HP's web site doesn't help because they specifically note that the latest driver for this printer (i.e. the 1220c) was released toapple in November 2007 and is embedded in the new OS. What they probably don't say is that the driver only works via a direct USB connection, in which case I'd have to buy a couple of parallel to USB cables, then rig up a satellite USB port station and dump my print server.

There should be some sort of workaround, but I was on live chat with LinkSys for nearly an hour and they weren't much help.