Q: unable to connect with network printer

A reachable network printer should be visible when you attempt to ADD (using the Plus Icon) a Printer in

System preferences > Print & Fax

What Priner is it, and how is it connected to your network?

having the same symptom. my setup is as follows:

• MacBook Air 13 (mid 2011) running Lion, connecting to my college-network via usb-ethernet adapter
• the printer is a HP LaserJet P4015 hosted via IPP (most likely from a linux server)
• all settings are correct - tripple checked, pinged etc
• the driver is "HP LaserJet P4010" version 18.4, I verified that other mac-users were able to use the printer with this driver

i can install the printer, yet cannot print, it either tells me it's offline (which it isn't), that it's busy or anything really, by now I had close to all imaginable responses to a print-attempt.

furthermore, to print, one is required to authenticate for each print-job. no auth-dialog ever appears.

finally: i have run every update which could be relevant manually, auto-updates on and everything.

suggestions are greatly appreciated, with exams coming, I really need to be able to print!

thx for any help

Your college help desk should be able to help you with this.

tried that - unfortunately they are not big on support for Mac-users. I got the settings from a fellow student who also has his Mac printing via that printer, but that didn't get me any further. it just seems like a problem related to my specific Mac, since everybody else has got it up'n running.

Take a look at this article. It has links to all sorts of issues:

Mac101: Printing (Mac OS X 10.7 Lion  

thx for the link. I worked through it, all the way to downloading an additional 400 (!!) MB driver package, which ended up not installing, due to some unknown incompatibility. though, yesterday I did install a 500+ MB package already, so it shouldn't really matter. deleting the printer, resetting cups, readding the printer - the whole iteration - did not work (as it never has before). I tried all possible options, IPP, HP JetDirect, various driver options (default postscript etc). just to make sure, I pinged the printer again, sucessfully. I can even access the server's cups page via safari. I am left clueless.

What I find totally idiotic about setting up a network printer in the link posted above is the line that says "The printer may have to be connected to the Mac initially via USB". Although that is in the Wireless Printer section what is the difference between a wireless printer on a network and one connected by a Ethernet cable, none in my opinion. Just how do you do that in a school or even a medium size business.

You would figure by now Apple would figure this out. But NOOOOOO.

Good Luck.

it is a bit of a paradox in my dorm the printer is managed by our network team, and they can't really help me either, since none of them has experience with Macs. myself, I've been a linux user for years, so I was used to figuring stuff out myself, but this mess has been going on for some 4 months now without resolve

Is the printer on the same subnet (IP Address very close to yours)?

yes it is. my ip is xxx.yyy.140.zzz, the printer xxx.yyy.141.zzz, same subnet mask applies...

Those would not be on the same subnet unless you are using something like 255.255.0.0 as your subnet mask.

What are you using for subnet mask?

255.255.254.0, as required by our ISP

aixperience wrote:

 

255.255.254.0, as required by our ISP

Well that would more then likely be the subnet mask of the WAN connection not your LAN connection. And if your ISP has made you use that subnet mask then it is for the WAN side.

Is the frist 2 sets of number in your IP address 192.168 or 172.16 to .31 or the first 10.? If so they are private IP addresses and there is no need to hide them. They can't be reached from the internet side.

If you open System preferences and then Networking, click on the Advanced button and then the TCP/IP tab you will see the subnet mask of the LAN.

maybe it is best I clarify the setup:

my ISP is my college. they provide me with a static external IP, which I will not disclose. I connect directly to our network, without any kind of router, so the settings are all made right on my Mac, including the subnetmask, which is set to 255.255.254.0. the printer also has a fixed external IP. furthermore, two DNS servers are specified in my IP settings.

even though networking etc. is not my strong suite, I do not see how this would affect me beeing able to print? Isn't the idea of IPP that I can (in theory) print on a printer in japan?

thanks for all the input