I have an Hl-2240 Monochrome Laser printer attached to my iMac but I need to print from my MacBook Pro. I downloaded and installed the driver from Brother but when I try to add this printer in Print and fax it won't recognize it. I type the model in the search box but nothing happens. Everything is grayed out. I have printer sharing turned on at the iMac and I turned the printer on but no results at all.
MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8)
I don't believe that a different driver will work because of the fact that my ip address is different from the host computer. The host computer has an 192.1.xxx address and the MacBook Pro has a 10.0.1xx address. That is why it doesn't show up. I tried to change the address using system Preferences/network but I lost the internet and had to revert to the old address.
Printer "Sharing" in the sense that Apple uses it means offering for others to use. It does not mean using it once offered.
When you share a USB printer on your iMac, it should show up in Print and Fax on the iMac as a Shared Printer. [That means the iMac is offering it to others.]
Be sure that Printer Sharing on the MacBook is OFF. Once it has been configured correctly, the Printer will appear in the list of Printers available on the MacBook. If it does not, you have not succeeded in Installing and Sharing this printer. It is good to have the driver available on the MacBook, but you cannot specify or modify the driver on the MacBook -- it will be configured automatically.
It does not show up in the list. I tried to add it by clicking the plus button and typing Brother HL-2400 in the search box in System Preferences/Printerand Fax but nothing happened. I turned off Printer Sharing for the HP-1400 which is the default printer for the MacBook Pro. I have a WAN network which was set up by Apple Techs on the phone as I had problems with my network. I have a Router and the Airport Express is hard wired into my Linksys Router.
In order to communicate freely without requiring Router intervention, these devices must be on the same subnet. Devices on the same subnet will have IP addresses that are very similar, but not identical, such as 192,168.0.101 and 192.168.0.105.
If BOTH your wireless access device are providing IP Addresses via DHCP, they may be different, such as one 192.168.0.101 and the other 10.10.10.2. These cannot communicate freely without the Router intervening, and that may require additional Router configuration.
Another thing to try is to delete the printer on the iMac and re-Add it as a shared printer again, then try to discover it from the MacBook.
The way it is supposed to work on the MacBook is when you "+" add-a-Printer, a list of available Printers pops up with the one(s) you want already on the list. Just click on the name and it configures automatically.
My imac's address is 198.168.1.102 the Macbook Pro is 10.0.1.6 What can I do to get the Macbook to use the iMac's printer? I have a Linksys 4 Port wired router and the Airport Express is hard wired into the Linksys Router. I appreciate any help you can give me to get this to work.
The Airport Express is now acting as a full Router, and passing out addresses using DHCP. I have not fiddled with these for a while, so I do not remember which screens and which terms to use. Airport Utility is the tool you use.
What you want it to do is stop passing out its own set of DHCP IP addresses, and simply act as a wireless access point for the main Router. That will get you ONE source of IP Addresses, they will all be in the same range, and everything will start to work the way you want it to.
I understand. I have 2 Airport Expresses. One (the main one) is in my computer room. The other is in the bedroom and acts as an extension of the main one. Apple technicians on the telephone spent a long time setting up a WPA,WAN network for me as I was having a a very bad connectivity problem. At the time before they got the WAN Network running for me all was OK and I could get the printer on the host Mac on line with the MacBook Pro. I guess the Airport Utility changed the DHCP address on the Macbook Pro as well as on my other laptops. I have 2 PowerMacs that can't print using the host Mac as well. I have no more connectivity problems but on occasion I have to restart both Airport Expresses but this just happens once in a while.I don't want to start another connectivity issue but at the same time I really would like to use the Brother Printer with my other Macs. I don't know my way around the Airport Utility interface and I am afraid I will really screw things up on the WAN network that the Apple guys set up. I must say they took 3 hours to do it and at first a 1st level tech tried then I was transferred to a 2nd level tech who had trouble with it. Then the remaining 2 1/2 hours was spent with the 3rd level tech who was extremely perseverent and got it right after inserting various numbers in the interface. I'd hate to go through that ever again or put any Apple tech through that.
You said you did not want to mess with your network. OK.
Another way to work around the problem is to go to the MacBook, use
System Preferences > Network > WiFi/Airport > ( Advanced ) > | TCP/IP | ...
... Configure IPv4: using DHCP with Manual Address
... and then enter a 192.168.1.xxx address with a higher number, like .150
Hi Grant, I followed instructions but it didn't work and I lost the internet. I changed the IP to 192.168.1.134 using DHCP manual as you suggested. I ended up with a total loss of my connectivity. I put everything back using the DHCP Manual and then putting in 10.0.1.6 and then switching to DHCP and renewing the lease. I am OK now but still can't print.
I had a similar problem with a similar product, HL-2030, at that time the driver did not specify 2030, but did specify 2060, which worked fine. Could you try and check whether 2060 is there and whether this workaround works?
If not, download Gutenprint and try it too. Let us hope first variant may solve your issue.
Is it Bonjour compatible?
Network fully enabled?
BTW I have another iMac 27" and it is hardwired into the router and it prints using the other iMac's Printer. Its address is 192.168.1.100
You could set a Manual IP address on the Mac that is different. Just use one a bit higher than the ones you already have, so that you will not bump into it.
I don't know how to do that. I am not familiar with Airport Utility at all.
Thank You Grant for your advice and suggestion.I will try that and let you know what success I have.
Need Help On a Brother HL-2240
