Printing to a Canon i9100 on a 3com wireless print server

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Level 1

4 points

Printing to a Canon i9100 on a 3com wireless print server

I hope that some one can shed light on this.

I have a Canon i9100 printer, and have bought a 3com wireless print server.

I've installed the printer on the Mac Mini via USB fine, but now I want to go via the print server I can't figure out what is going on. The print server supports both apple talk and IP address printing

I click add printer, and it sees the print server, but when I click to select a printer from the list, the i9100 doesn't show up (only printers using the GIMP server)

I've trird both automatic, using apple talk and specifying the IP address of the printer, but there seems no way to tell it to use the i9100 driver. I've downloaded the latest OSX driver from the canon site. the 3com site is less than helpful on the subject.

Any pointers would be gratefully received. I'm a newbie to OSX so be gentle!

Thanks

Mac Mini (PowerPC), Mac OS X (10.4.5)

Posted on Apr 3, 2006 2:03 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

greg sahli

Level 7

25,508 points

Apr 3, 2006 5:51 AM in response to MarkOneMusic

Canon doesn't make drivers for OS X, for non-postscript printers*, that work for network or Windows printing. Their drivers bypass CUPS, the OS X print system, so the only comm protocol that works is what is written into the driver - USB.
Canon doesn't cooperate with the open source community, so the newest Gimp-Print drivers for Canons are for models more than 5 years old (Apple included Gimp-Print in Panther and Tiger because Gimp-Print drivers Are CUPS drivers).

The only drivers that do work (CUPS drivers) for newer Canon models are from www.printfab.net.

* (except for models with built-in networking - ethernet or WiFi)

When you set up IP printing >IPP, don't forget to enter the 3com-specific queue name in the setup - it's a part of the address that gets data to the printer. (find in the manual)

Hope this helps.

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Answer 2

MarkOneMusic Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 4, 2006 1:50 AM in response to greg sahli

Thank you Greg.

It is painful to have to contemplate paying out over 100 USD for a 3rd party driver. (need the pro version to support all the paper sizes for the i9100

Does anyone reckon I might find any success with any of the legacy gimp drivers?

I'll play a bit tonight when I get home, but maybe the 3rd party driver is my only option.

My first disapointment with the whole mac experience (which up until now has been brilliant!)

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Answer 3

Apr 4, 2006 3:20 AM in response to MarkOneMusic

Your disappointment should be with Canon. I have posted problems with printing to a Canon priner over the network (only very basic options supported). Also gave up with IP printing to a router/print server with a Canon USB printer attached.

Canon scaners have also been Mac unfriendly. The last time I looked they would only owork from OS9.

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