can't wirelessly install a Brother 2170w laser printer

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32 points

can't wirelessly install a Brother 2170w laser printer

This little printer is supposed to be able to connect wirelessly. It says to load the CD, follow the prompts, at the right time connect the printer cable to your router and everything should go smoothly from there. When I do that, the printer is not detected.

When I print the printer's network configuration page, I get a wireless link status of "failed to associate". I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I'm guessing that's a bad thing.

I did a Google search, didn't come up with much. Hoping someone here might have an answer for this. We're running snow leopard, connecting it to an old snow globe airport extreme router.

If we leave the cable connected to the router, we CAN add the printer via bonjour and print that way, would just like to be able to do it without the cable. If anyone has any ideas, I'd be grateful.

Thanks

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.4)

Posted on Aug 12, 2010 7:26 PM

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Answer 1

Aug 12, 2010 7:32 PM in response to conejo61

The driver software that came with SL is 1.43.
Is your version the same?

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Answer 2

conejo61 Author

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32 points

Aug 12, 2010 7:34 PM in response to Donald Palmer

no clue, can't get that far to install the driver (via the CD wireless installation process).

The problem seems to be that at some level, the router and the printer aren't communicating.

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Answer 3

Aug 12, 2010 11:16 PM in response to conejo61

You might find the solution here: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=11581755&#11581755

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Answer 4

conejo61 Author

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Aug 13, 2010 4:28 AM in response to Bruce De Benedictis

thanks.

I think I need to get on the horn with Brother support and see what they have to tell me. Doesn't seem like the same problem. My problem isn't a driver problem, my problem is the printer and the router aren't seeing each other.

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Answer 5

Aug 13, 2010 5:08 PM in response to conejo61

Wait a minute,
The printer needs to be setup as "wired", not wireless, if it's plugged into the router

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Answer 6

conejo61 Author

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32 points

Aug 14, 2010 6:43 AM in response to Donald Palmer

nope.

Their setup process to install the printer wirelessly has the step of connecting it directly to the router during the install process so that the printer can 'read' the network information and acquire it that way. Then once that step is successfully completed, you disconnect and there you go.

But my problem is the printer and the router aren't seeing each other so I'm stuck.

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Answer 7

Aug 14, 2010 11:35 AM in response to conejo61

Then you are saying that you have two networks, one router, one printer.
The printer would then be in a ad hoc situation.
So to print, your computer would switch between the wireless router and the wireless printer.
The printer would not through the router and then to your computer. It would be a stand alone (ad hoc) device.
Been there done that, not a recommended setup.

Ok, in the install directions there is a check box to set as an infrastructure device.

Message was edited by: Donald Palmer

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Answer 8

conejo61 Author

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32 points

Aug 14, 2010 11:26 AM in response to Donald Palmer

Donald, no, I'm not saying that. At all.

The goal is to have the printer connected to our wireless network. The computer would then be connected to the wireless network, see the printer, and print.

The problem is that the way Brother makes you connect this printer to a wireless network requires you to first physically connect the printer via a USB cable to the wireless router of the network you wish it to join. Then it 'reads' the setup information from that and uses it to join the network. Once setup is complete, you then disconnect the cable and the printer is ready to use.

The problem, as I've been saying, is that when I do that, the printer is not seeing the router to be able to get any information from it, or vice versa.

Message was edited by: conejo61

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Answer 9

Aug 14, 2010 11:36 AM in response to conejo61

Did the printer print the config. page?

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Answer 10

conejo61 Author

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32 points

Aug 14, 2010 11:37 AM in response to Donald Palmer

yes, I've printed both the regular test page and the network configuration page. That's where I see the error I referenced above.

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Answer 11

Aug 15, 2010 3:03 PM in response to conejo61

Your device is probably not seeing the wireless network, or if it is, then the wireless network is asking for a WPA or WEP key which the device is not supplying, or if the device does have the key then possibly your router is set to filter by MAC address and your device's MAC address is not on the allowed list. (Filtering by MAC address is one of the more annoying and useless 'security' features often set when a router has a WEP key instead of a WPA key. As those who might want to break into a network would know about spoofing MAC addresses, and as the MAC address for machines on the allowed list would be broadcast, and as said MAC addresses would be attached to the same, easily broken, header as the nearly useless WEP key, it's trivial to spoof the MAC address while breaking the WEP key. Filtering on the MAC address achieves little other than irritating legitimate users.)

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Answer 12

conejo61 Author

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Aug 15, 2010 3:24 PM in response to Charles Dyer

yep. As I said initially, the device and the router aren't communicating.

It's an airport extreme with no extra security configuration other than a WPA password.

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Answer 13

Aug 15, 2010 3:34 PM in response to conejo61

Did you give the printer the WPA key?

Also, you might want to look at <http://www.amazon.com/Brother-HL-2170W-Printer-Wireless-Interfaces/product-rev iews/B0010Z3LGO?pageNumber=2>. It appears that some 2170Ws are having problems with some wireless configurations.

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Answer 14

conejo61 Author

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32 points

Aug 15, 2010 4:07 PM in response to Charles Dyer

sigh.

No, you cannot "give" this printer anything. It's designed to get ALL network information via the router, which is why to set it up wirelessly you have to plug it directly into the router. At that point it's supposed to communicate with the router, read the settings and then allow for configuration via the software installation process.

But since it's not communicating at all with the router, I'm stuck.

And thanks for that link, saw it, which lead me to believe I think I gotta call Brother support on this one. Was hoping it was something simple, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

I appreciate you and others trying to help me.

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Answer 15

Aug 15, 2010 8:34 PM in response to conejo61

I have been reading your manual, I d/led the pdf for your printer/
Have you read and used the section called:
"Wireless configuration using the one-push wireless setting mode (For HL-2170W)"?
this is from a 150 page pdf. It tells and shows how to setup your printer wirelessly without using a cable connection.

Here's the link to the pdf I'm reading: http://download.brother.com/welcome/doc002311/cvhl2170w_eng_nugA.pdf

The wireless setup part starts on page 69.
I believe its very clear on how to setup the printer, well, as clear as it can be.
You probably need to reset the printer, uninstall any software and start from page 1.
I believe that it can be done, with 10.6.x is the only question.
Holler back,

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