Canon ImageClass c2100 Color Laser Printer and OS 10.6

Hi-

I have a Canon ImageClass c2100 Color Laser printer which, as I understand it, shares drivers and some parts with the HP Color LaserJet 8500. I have owned the printer for many years but it hasn't been used since we updated our systems to 10.6. We are on a wired Ethernet network with passive hubs and an Asante Firewall.

After firing up the ImageClass c2100 we do not seem to be able to print. I get the message "cannot connect to printer" or the print process just hangs up. I am looking for some step by step instructions for both the settings on the Canon printer and for the Mac print preferences. For example:

When adding printer:

LPD or IPP? My HP 4050TN works with this at LPD so thats what I have been doing on the Canon

What IP address do I put in there? I see the IP on the printer is set to 192.168.123.169 so I have been using that.

For the driver software I select HP Color LaserJet 8500 as I believe that this worked before.

On the Canon ImageClass c2100 I have the settings as:

TCP/IP - Ethernet - Set to YES

Enable Auto IP - Set to NO

Ethernet IP - 192.168.123.169

Subnet Mask - 255.255.255.0

Gateway - 192.168.123.254

Appletalk - Set to YES

If any of you out there are Mac and Canon experts I'd love a hand getting this combo running. Seems a shame to retire this old workhorse when she has lots of pages left in her.

Cheers.

Mac G5, Mac OS X (10.6.7)

Posted on Jul 2, 2011 5:15 PM

26 replies

PAHU

Level 6

16,717 points

Jul 11, 2011 3:03 PM in response to LA_Hockey_Dad

I think that your ability to print to the copier for many years is from using a different protocol, such as AppleTalk. With Snow Leopard not supporting AppleTalk you have to use different protocols and this means that the print controller needs to be configured to allow this.

Do you still have an older Mac that is printing to the C2100? If so, then maybe we can check how the print queue has been configured on that Mac.

With regards to the manuals, don't worry about scanning them in. But if you can scan in the configuration page and post it then I can check the settings that are available and what options we have.

Jul 11, 2011 3:13 PM in response to PAHU

The first page is the Canon and the second two pages are from a working HP4050TN on the same network in case that helps.

Thanks!

http://www.taintmerch.com/Canon_HP_Printer_Configs_071111.pdf

PAHU

Level 6

16,717 points

Jul 11, 2011 3:42 PM in response to LA_Hockey_Dad

Thanks for the pages. What I don't understand is that there is no Service Setup section on the page. The manuals I have been looking at (Configuration Guide for C2105) show that you enable LPD and Port 9100 under Network Setup > Service Setup.

So can you enter the setup menu and check if you have Network Setup. According to my manual, do the following to access the Setup menu.

Press the Menu button.
In the Functions menu, use the Down button to scroll to Run Setup and then press Enter.

This will enter the Setup menu. Here you should see Network Setup. Do you see this?

Jul 11, 2011 4:35 PM in response to PAHU

Scrolling through the menus I do not see anything that says Service Setup or Run Setup.

The menu options mirror what is on the configuration page although I did come across a menu item that was called "Auto Frame Type" after the Novell menu item under Network Setup.

I'm starting to think this is hopeless. Are we running out of options? Time to push the old girl to the curb? :-(

PAHU

Level 6

16,717 points

Jul 11, 2011 5:20 PM in response to LA_Hockey_Dad

I hate suggesting the retirement of working machines, but at this stage it is hard to understand the limited amount of menu options. One thought would be to enable AppleTalk on the C2100 and connect via AppleTalk from a Mac running OS X 10.5 or 10.4. If you then shared the printer on this Mac you may then be able to connect to the share from the 10.6 Mac.

Jul 11, 2011 5:25 PM in response to PAHU

I might be able to wrangle up an old Mac for the job. I know how to share with a USB connected printer from a Mac on a network but does it work the same for an Ethernet connected Mac?

PAHU

Level 6

16,717 points

Jul 11, 2011 6:20 PM in response to LA_Hockey_Dad

Yes you can share over the same cable. It is not ideal from a network traffic perspective but it does work.

Feb 7, 2012 9:34 PM in response to PAHU

Just an FYI for anyone with the same issues, here is how I worked around it.....

I found an old Powerbook, purchased a USB to Serial cable and set up the Powerbook to print to the C2100. After I established that the printer worked when connected directly, I set the printer to be shared on the network in the printer control panel.

Now, as long as that Powerbook is on, I can print from any other computer on the network by adding this network printer to the list of available printers.

Clunky and kind of a waste of a Powerbook but it saved me from having to buy another big printer. I plan to use an old Mac Mini as soon as one comes out of rotation on one of the desktops in my office.

PAHU

Level 6

16,717 points

Feb 8, 2012 1:52 AM in response to LA_Hockey_Dad

Great to read that you finally got it working.

Can you confirm; is the PowerBook running an older OS, like 10.5, and you are using AppleTalk to connect to the printer?

Feb 8, 2012 8:36 AM in response to PAHU

Pahu-

Thanks again for all your efforts. you are kind to spend so much time on this!

The Powerbook is running 10.6.8. I don't believe that AppleTalk is involved. The Powerbook prints direct to the C2100 through the USB to Serial adaper cable I purchased from Amazon.

The cable I used is:

Sabrent SBT-UPPC

I the settings on the Powerbook have "Wake On Network Activity" checked so the Powerbook can sleep to save energy.

Oct 2, 2012 11:58 PM in response to LA_Hockey_Dad

If the networked Canon imageCLASS C2100 has the EFI Fiery (XJ) the following works in 10.5 -> 10.8

extract the Canon imageCLASS C2100 PPD from the Canon Installer and copy it to:

/Library/Printers/PPDs/Contents/Resources/en.lproj

Add the printer

Specify Address: enter printer address

Protocol: LPD

Queue: xjprint (remember you must specify one of the print queues xjprint, xjdirect, xjhold)

Name: specify name for your printer

Location: specify location

Use: ---> Select Printer Software --> Canon imageCLASS C2100

Specify printer options as appropriate

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Canon ImageClass c2100 Color Laser Printer and OS 10.6