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Level 10

141,724 points

Snow Leopard means no more Appletalk

This article alleges that the release of Snow Leopard will end support for Appletalk.

Like WDS, it seems Appletalk is a protocol that Apple wishes would just go away on its own. Unfortunately I use it for two of my printers. When Apple discontinues the few lines of code that drive Appletalk, they'll have to add to a landfill's population.

I am not hopeful that anything the user community can do will save this unfortunate victim of progress, but it's worth a try:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html

Powerbooks  iMacs  iPods  Airports  Appletalk printers , Mac OS X (10.4.11),  24 years Apple!  "it's" means "it is"  "lose" is a verb  "loose" isn't

Posted on Jul 7, 2009 6:51 AM

194 replies

John Galt Author

Level 10

141,724 points

Apr 14, 2010 11:49 PM in response to John Galt

John Galt wrote:
Next, I'm going to try a D-Link wireless print server.

The D-Link DP311-P works perfectly with my HP LaserJet 4MP. At present there are plenty available on eBay for less than $20, a steal for something that used to sell for nearly $100.

I used these very helpful instructions from a kind gentleman with the same printer. I found it from his review on Amazon.

It ought to work with any parallel-port equipped printer. The tough part was configuring the print server, since D-Link completely ignores OS X in its configuration instructions and the setup software is Windows-only, if you can even find it. The above instructions were perfect.

So, if your printer has a parallel port, I just confirmed there are at least two options available that obviate the need Appletalk; one wired either directly to your computer or through an Express/Extreme, and one wireless.

Next, I'll try the USB-serial option for my Imagewriter (the subject of this thread).

Brent D.

Level 1

27 points

Aug 7, 2010 4:23 PM in response to John Galt

Hi...

Bought a new iMac, Snow Leopard, etc. No more AppleTalk (not a surprise). Thought I could plug my Laserwriter Pro 630 in via USB to Parallel adapter, according to this thread: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2192639&tstart=0

I understand there is a selector dial at the top of the ports on the Laserwriter Pro 630. I read the TidBits article linked earlier in this thread and tried position 9. No luck. The Add Printer dialog recognizes that there is a USB print-device attached, called USB2.0-Print, but also says "Printer is offline", even though it is on and warmed up.

Does anyone who succeeded with the USB to Parallel solution on a LW Pro 630 have any advice?

Ultimately, I'm hoping to set it up through my Airport Extreme, but first I thought I'd get it working plugged directly into my iMac

Brent D.

Level 1

27 points

Aug 7, 2010 6:51 PM in response to Brent D.

Since I was able to answer my own question by combing another thread:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=12060195#12060195

A little add-on made it work for my Laserwriter Pro 630.

I am still curious if others had another approach to this.

Brent D.

Level 1

27 points

Aug 11, 2010 8:31 AM in response to Brent D.

I might even add further:

I'm curious to know if people had success connecting their non-IP Laserwriter over a USB to Parallel cable without having to install extra software, or, one step further, by connecting it to an Airport Extreme.

JWraith

Level 1

0 points

Aug 20, 2010 12:21 PM in response to davlab

How did you find your IP address for your printer?
I have a G5 with 2 Cat 5 hoo ups, one is for my cable the other used to be for my printer, same one you have. But all I get when I put in the IP address given to me by the Network Self-Assigned is the printer paused error. It wont print.

JWraith

Level 1

0 points

Aug 20, 2010 12:30 PM in response to John Hixson

Hi,
What switch are you talking about on the back of the 16/600?
I could not seem to locate a switch.

Aug 20, 2010 4:09 PM in response to JWraith

If you have a Router of your own, you cable the printer up to the Router as if it were another computer. Then it will get an IP Address from the Router via DHCP.

If you do not have a Router that you control, you have to assign Ethernet addresses Manually.

Aaron_R

Level 1

0 points

Sep 16, 2010 2:32 PM in response to John Galt

Just run yourself a software update and you'll have AppleTalk. It was added back in as of the 10.6.2 Combo Update Build

Sep 17, 2010 11:18 AM in response to Aaron_R

You have made a statement that is controversial at the least.

Do you have a reference for that?

What are you basing this on?

DaleH

Level 1

94 points

Oct 1, 2010 7:38 AM in response to Long time Mac fan

With the discontinuance of AppleTalk in Snow Leopard OS 10.6, I thought it would be no problem to move along using the printer's IP address which had been written to it's onboard memory years ago and re-adding using IPP protocol in the Add Printer window.

First attempt using Add Printer and IPP Protocol failed, and I remembered that the IP address the 8500 had been given years ago began with "192.". Since then my ISP had assigned a range of IP addresses beginning with "64." which all other networked devices draw from. I fired up an old Mac with Apple Printer Utility and changed the IP address to something within the range assigned to me. Still no printing. Message both times "Network host is busy".

My Apple tech wondered if this might be a router issue and suggested connecting the printer directly to the Mac running Snow Leopard and designating it as a "shared" printer, to see if it can be printed to across the network. The Laserwriter 8500 does not have USB connection, only ethernet. My MacPro has two ethernet ports (one in use for general network connection) so I suppose I could connect to the unused one, but I'm not sure how to do this.

So, the question is, how do I connect the Laserwriter 8500 to my MacPro using the second ethernet connection?
Also (aside): What "router issues" do I need to be aware of? I have an Airport wireless which I haven't used since my PC laptop stopped working, and an Asante 24 port Switched Hub.

Oct 1, 2010 9:42 AM in response to DaleH

If you have your own Wired or Wireless Router, and using DHCP, your Router's Internet-visible address (most likely the 64.xxx.yyy.zzz) is not the important one.

Your printer must have an IP Address similar to, but not identical to the computer you are using to talk to it. Most popular "private" addresses start with 10.10.xxx.yyy or 192.168.xxx.yyy.

The advice the tech gave you is for a broad range of modern printers, and is not applicable to this situation.

DaleH

Level 1

94 points

Oct 4, 2010 7:21 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

How about Sharing a Printer as a solutions?

Can I share a prionter through a computer if the printer isnot directly connected to that printer (i.e. USB)?

My LaserWriter 8500 is networked via Ethernet (and AppleTalk). The 8500 does not have USB. I have a G4 on Leopard connected to the same network, which currently prints to the 8500 through AppleTalk. Can I "share" the 8500 through the G4 so that another Mac on Snow Leopard can access it, at the same time keeping it available via AppleTalk to other older Macs on the network?

Oct 4, 2010 9:59 AM in response to DaleH

There is no need to share that printer, unless you are running older than OS 9 with older than LaserWriter 8.5.4 OS 9 driver..

Anything more modern can print to an IP Printer, once you get the Printer's IP Address to be similar, but not identical to the computer Address so they can talk to each other. Unless and until that part is working, printer Sharing has all the same problems, plus a bit more complexity.

DaleH

Level 1

94 points

Oct 4, 2010 10:26 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I've changed the Laserwriter's IP address and attempted to bring it into the fold. See my original post to this thread dated October 1. I called an Apple technician prior to that who suggested there may be a router issue and that I could determine whether or not this is so by "sharing" the printer.
The only other way I can think to share the printer would be via the MacPro's second ethernet port, which was the (unanswered) question I asked in the October 1 post.

Oct 4, 2010 11:22 AM in response to DaleH

What is the IP Address of the computer you use most often?
What is the IP Address of the Printer?

Snow Leopard means no more Appletalk