This discussion is locked
Diane Wordsmith
Level 5 (6,030 points)

Q: Using LaserWriter with Snow Leopard

I've been digging but still can't figure this out.

I was using this printer (Apple LaserWriter 16/600) previously with Tiger and Panther. It even looks like my new MacBook with SL is seeing it, but whenever I try to print, I keep getting an error that the network host is busy.

Currently, the printer is connected to my Airport. I read about needing to set this up as a shared printer via an earlier OS, so I booted up my old iBook running Panther. It even appears there under Shared printers. Still I get the busy signal.

And...very strange...after I booted up the old iBook, the LaserWriter started cranking and spit out two pages. Apparently documents that I had attempted to print months ago from the iBook! The printer's queue doesn't show any other "mystery" documents waiting to be printed, but I still cannot print from Snow Leopard.

I tried altering the IP address to end with .150. Didn't work. Anyone have any ideas??

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.2), iTunes 9, iPod Video (and an old iMac running OS 9)

Posted on Feb 26, 2010 6:02 PM

by Grant Bennet-Alder,Solvedanswer
Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder
Level 9 (61,073 points)
Desktops
A:
To continue to use this printer with the farallon adapter, it must be treated as a shared printer.

First, configure the printer as a direct-printing AppleTalk printer.
Next use:
System Preferences > Sharing > \[√} Printer Sharing ; then press ( Start )
... to allow the use of that shared printer by all other Macs on the network.

Posted on Feb 28, 2010 11:05 AM

Close
Diane Wordsmith

Q: Using LaserWriter with Snow Leopard

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,Helpful

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Feb 27, 2010 10:15 AM in response to Diane Wordsmith
    Level 9 (61,073 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 27, 2010 10:15 AM in response to Diane Wordsmith
    That printer can act as an AppleTalk-over-Ethernet or an an LPR/LPD printer, or both. There is no more support for Appletalk in Snow Leopard. The solution is to delete out your old Printers and re-add them under Snow Leopard. This solution should work for this group of printers:

    Apple LaserWriter Printers with Ethernet and Built-in LPD:

    LaserWriter 8500 (Ethernet)
    LaserWriter 12/640 PS (Ethernet)
    Color LaserWriter 12/660 PS (Ethernet)
    Color LaserWriter 12/600 PS (Ethernet)
    LaserWriter 16/600PS (Ethernet)
    LaserWriter Pro 810 (Ethernet)

    You do NOT need to create new Queues on an older computer and Share these printers, and that may obfuscate the issue.

  • by Diane Wordsmith,

    Diane Wordsmith Diane Wordsmith Feb 27, 2010 10:56 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 5 (6,030 points)
    Feb 27, 2010 10:56 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Thanks for the response, Grant.

    Here's what I just did:

    Deleted all old queues related to this printer.
    Chose Add a Printer
    Chose LPD
    Used 10.0.1.2 as IP address
    Printer name same as IP
    Selected appropriate driver (16/600 Ps v2014.106)
    Put paper feature setting to Cassette (installed)

    Result: Still got host is busy. Do you see any item/option I've chosen here that needs to change?

    P.S. Printer is connected through Farallon to my Airport Base Station.

    Thanks!!!!

  • by Diane Wordsmith,

    Diane Wordsmith Diane Wordsmith Feb 27, 2010 12:36 PM in response to Diane Wordsmith
    Level 5 (6,030 points)
    Feb 27, 2010 12:36 PM in response to Diane Wordsmith
    Is it possible that the IP address is wrong? This is the address I found when looking at Network (it showed under Airport). Bear with me, as I don't know a lot about IP addresses and exactly how they work. But I just looked back at the same setting in Network, and the Airport address is now 10.0.1.4. In doing all this work with the printer, having the old iBook booted up and attempting to PING (all futile efforts at getting this printer working) I did get a notice on SL machine about some other machin/device using the same IP address, but everything continued working (except the LaserWriter...same as when I started). I saw a similar message on the Panther-run iBook when shutting it down. ("10.0.1.2 in use by 0:26:bb:10:e:ab DHCP server 10.0.1.1")

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,Helpful

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Feb 27, 2010 3:22 PM in response to Diane Wordsmith
    Level 9 (61,073 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 27, 2010 3:22 PM in response to Diane Wordsmith
    P.S. Printer is connected through Farallon to my Airport Base Station.


    Ah, there's the problem.

    The farallon adapter allows you to use AppleTalk-over-Ethernet with a printer that does not have an Ethernet connector. It does NOT give your printer an Ethernet address, it simply allows AppleTalk-over-Ethernet packets to share the same Ethernet data highway as IP packets.

    If your printer has an RJ45 Ethernet port, set aside the farallon adapter and connect it directly with an Ethernet cable. If it has only a 14-pin AAUI Ethernet port, you have several different options:

    1) replace the farallon adapter with an AAUI twisted-pair Ethernet transceiver, which turns that port into an RJ45 jack.

    2) use the techniques you were using, sharing the printer from an older mac still running 10.5 or earlier.

  • by Diane Wordsmith,

    Diane Wordsmith Diane Wordsmith Feb 27, 2010 3:33 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 5 (6,030 points)
    Feb 27, 2010 3:33 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Well...looks like we're getting somewhere.

    I checked. Apparently it has the 14-pin ethernet connection, as my current cable in no way fits it. So....

    1. Any recommendations on where to purchase the AAUI twisted-pair Ethernet transceiver? I Googled and didn't find any retailers that I recognize (so a recommendation is appreciated).

    2. Can you advise on sharing the printer via the iBook running 10.3.9? When I tried it yesterday, couldn't get it to work...no doubt I am doing something wrong! I also have another iBook runnining Tiger, if that would work better or in lieu of the Panther machine. I even have an old iMac running OS 9, if I can do it from that machine.

    Your help is most appreciated!!!

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,Solvedanswer

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Feb 28, 2010 11:05 AM in response to Diane Wordsmith
    Level 9 (61,073 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 28, 2010 11:05 AM in response to Diane Wordsmith
    To continue to use this printer with the farallon adapter, it must be treated as a shared printer.

    First, configure the printer as a direct-printing AppleTalk printer.
    Next use:
    System Preferences > Sharing > \[√} Printer Sharing ; then press ( Start )
    ... to allow the use of that shared printer by all other Macs on the network.

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Feb 28, 2010 11:18 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 9 (61,073 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 28, 2010 11:18 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    eBay: (transceiver, transciever) (apple, mac, asante, farallon) (AAUI, twisted, RJ45, Ethernet)

    Of the above, not acceptable are those with thin coax or BNC connector ONLY or 10Base2 only. power is supplied through the AAUI connector, so no external power supply is generally needed.

    Use of this device on a printer with AAUI connector makes it directly Ethernet-capable. Only the printers (yours included) indicated in my list above as LPR/LPD capable will work directly in Snow Leopard.

  • by Diane Wordsmith,

    Diane Wordsmith Diane Wordsmith Feb 28, 2010 12:33 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 5 (6,030 points)
    Feb 28, 2010 12:33 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    I know how to turn on the printer sharing, but how do I configure it as a direct-printing AppleTalk printer? Sorry to sound so dense, but I am not that good at setting up printers and struggle through it every time it's necessary. I always manage to figure it out, but sometimes need a little help.

    Also...I notice on my Panther machine (which uses Rendezvous) I see a list of printers and then a list of Shared Printers. The lists are not identical. How do I make a printer from the main list appear in the Shared list? I do have a checkmark next to Share my printers with other computers. Sharing is turned on in the System Prefs on both machines. I still don't see the LaserWriter from Snow Leopard. Should I try with my Tiger machine? Since they both use Bonjour?

  • by Diane Wordsmith,

    Diane Wordsmith Diane Wordsmith Feb 28, 2010 1:04 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 5 (6,030 points)
    Feb 28, 2010 1:04 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Well...success.

    I booted up the hubby's iBook running Tiger and found the shared printer. Worked like a charm. Unfortunate in that he usually takes his laptop to work with him, so he will likely have to be here for me to use that printer. Alternately, I can transfer files via a thumbdrive and print them from my old iBook (until it finally dies...and it's on its last leg). I think the issue may have been differences between Panther/Rendezvous and Tiger/Bonjour. The print dialogue and setups on Tiger look soooo different. I basically skipped Tiger...went straight from Panther to Snow Leopard.

    Thanks so much for your assistance. I will attempt to locate the AAUI connector and try to connect it that way later. It's just such a good and fast printer that I hate to give it up!

    Again, many thanks for taking the time.

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Feb 28, 2010 1:21 PM in response to Diane Wordsmith
    Level 9 (61,073 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 28, 2010 1:21 PM in response to Diane Wordsmith
    how do I configure it as a direct-printing AppleTalk printer?


    Print Queues for Shared Printers, and actual physical Printers, can be identified and printed to by a number of different methods. The physical LaserWriter printer you wish to share initially must be identified and added as an AppleTalk printer.

    The way you have it wired now, additional "Printers" that identify themselves as other types, such as Rendezvous/Bonjour Printers \[two names for the same Ethernet device "finding" protocol] or IP Printers, are actually Print Queues on different Macs, offering themselves to be shared -- regardless of whether they are ultimately connected to a "real" printer or not.

    Sharing that printer by clicking "Shared Printer" on more than one Mac will be very confusing. You should pick one 10.5 or older Mac (that you will be willing to turn ON to print) and Share the printer from there.

    Sharing from Snow Leopard Macs will be doubly unhelpful, since they cannot talk to the actual Physical LaserWriter at all. The end result is that the print job may be passed from Mac to Mac to Mac until it is either lost or accidentally finds the Mac that is sharing the physical printer.

    The absolute least-confusing way to proceed would be to:
    1) power on all your Macs,
    2) delete all the LaserWriter printers on all the Macs
    3) add the LaserWriter on the 10.5 or earlier Mac you expect to have ON to print,
    4) enable Printer Sharing on that Mac ONLY,
    5) add LaserWriter Printers to all other Macs. Any 10.5 or earlier Macs could either print through the designated "sharing" Mac, or optionally could print directly to the physical LaserWriter using AppleTalk.

  • by Diane Wordsmith,

    Diane Wordsmith Diane Wordsmith Feb 28, 2010 1:43 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 5 (6,030 points)
    Feb 28, 2010 1:43 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    I was finally able to share from the machine running Panther. I found the following support article and entered the line command it gives in Terminal. Like magic, the printer then showed up.

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2275

    Apparently Snow Leopard cannot see the shared Panther printers without this line command. (The article actually cites Leopard, but it works in SL, too.)