Shared Printer through Router-often won't print

  • Thread starter Thread starter RobertPaul
  • Start date Start date
R

RobertPaul

Hi: I have asked this question previously with no answers given--perhaps I
wasn't clear enough (or perhaps--no one has an answer, I hpe that's not the
case)--so here I go again;
For the last 5 years,I have a small network set up (2 computers both running
MS XP Pro) sharing an HP Laserjet 1200 printer thru a router(D-Link -DI 704
-up) .Until October 2007 I have had no problems sharing the printer between
the 2 computers. In early October when I tried to print anything from either
computer, the printer would not function unless I unplugged the power on the
printer and then plugged it back in. That was the first solution but more
recently I find that even that does not work. I have had to shut down the
'master' computer and then boot it up
again and then all was OK. The only thing that has changed since before this
issue started occurring was that I have installed Symantec Internet Security
2008 and
all the MS updates have been downloaded automatically. I spoke to a Symantec
tech person and according to them all is in order with their software. By
trying to trouble-shoot a bit myself, I have found that if I boot up the
master computer but don't log in, I have no issues with printing but once I
log in to the master computer, after a while the printer often stops
functioning. I believe I have narrowed the time frame down to when the master
computer is not in use for 1/2 hour, then the printer needs a reboot or the
computer needs a reboot.I have checked all the printer drivers and I do have
the most recent ones. Please advise. Thanks in advance..RPS
 
Go to your run command type in "CMD"...then when you get the DOS screen type
in "ipconfig" without the quotes and check your computers IP address
settings...make sure that the subnet and gateway for all computers and the
printer are the same...Check the scheme on the computers....i.e.
192.168.1.xxx or something similar. All the computers and the printer should
have the same address except for the last set of numbers...192.168.1.1,
192.168.1.2, and 192.168.1.3 or again something similar to that..as along as
they all have 192.168.1.xxx If your printer is hooked to the router and
connected through a network card verify that the printer does not have an IP
address the same as one of the computers. Hopefully that helps....
 
Thanks Eric. All my settings were OK howver I did find a possible answer--so
for anyone else with this issue here is what I did--I'll check in the morning
and see if all is still in order--It's been 2 hours now and so far so good:

HP LaserJet Printers - USB Devices Quit Working Unexpectedly in Windows XP
ISSUE:
An HP LaserJet printer may lose its connection and stop working unexpectedly
when printing to a USB port in Windows XP. The HP LaserJet printer may appear
to work fine when Windows first starts up but later stops working.
SOLUTION:
Disable power management on the USB root hub. By default, Window XP disables
the USB port when the HP LaserJet printer is not used in order to save power.
However, the printer may not respond when a print job is sent if this option
is selected. To disable power management on the USB root hub, follow the
steps below:
1. Click Start , and right-click My Computer .
2. Click Properties , and click the Hardware tab.
3. Click the Device Manager button.
4. Double-click the Universal Serial Bus controllers branch to expand it.
5. Right-click USB Root Hub , and then click Properties .
6. Click the Power Management tab.
7. De-select the "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save
power"check box.
8. Click OK , and close the Device Manager.
 
Sounds good...I didn't realize it was hooked up and shared through a USB
port. If that is the case my earlier post will not apply at all...only if
the printer is hooked directly to the hub/switch via a network cable...

Have a great day
Eric
 
Darn, darn,darn----all went well for the day--however when I came in this
morning, same old problem occurred--the printer wouldn't accept 'jobs'--I had
to unplug it, them plug it back in--then it worked--odd, because the 2 print
jobs that I sent to it this morning did get spooled in the printers
memory--but for whatever reason something blocked the
connection--??????--when I powered it off and on, the 2 jobs printed as sent
before I unplugged it----it is working now ( 15 minutes later)---but I think
I'll face the same issue 5-10 hrs from now---any suggestions??????--thanks
 
Thanks again Eric--your suggestion as well as the one I found as listed in
the link on the bottom post attempts to solve the issue--BUT--then it starts
up all over again---I have found that many Symantec Internet Security users
have had this same problem if they have a printer attached to a network
through a router and I have also noted that Symantec has no 'cure' at
all--so--I have uninstalled Norton Internet--and have only re-installed
Norton Anti-Virus---I will leave it to my router's firewall as well as MS
XP's firewall to 'protect' me ----guess the issue is not big enough to
warrant a Symantec response----RPS
 
Back
Top