Dead(?) hp JetDirect ex PLUS => LJ 4ML; fix or replace - and with WHAT?

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Dead(?) hp JetDirect ex PLUS => LJ 4ML; fix or replace - and with WHAT?

Dear fellow Mac addicts --

Some months back, various helpful souls (notably Greg Sahli) set me straight on the way to get my old serial-port hp LaserJet 4ML to be able to print from my two Tiger-Macs. For the past months, I've had an eBay-bought hp JetDirect EX PLUS Print Server hooked into an eNet switch into which both my Macs are networked. The serial side of that Print Server was connected to the LaserWriter 4ML. I managed to get the JetDirect EX PLUS's IP address set properly (again thanx to Greg Sahli!) and both Macs were able to print nicely to my old workhorse. We also have an Epson elCheapo for color. But that was then... 🙂

A week ago, we went on vaca and in prep therefor, I powered down the entire LAN, even going so far as to unplug the cable from the cable modem. Probably for the first time since I'd reset the JetDirect EX PLUS's IP addr, I powered it down by disconnecting my UPS from the mains and turning it off.

Everything has come back online just fine, save for the JetDirect EX PLUS and the ability to print to the LaserJet 4ML. The latter printer can print all its self-test pages and its serial input is plugged into the JetDirect EX PLUS. The LAN switch is hooked into the JetDirect EX PLUS's RJ45 plug and the LEDs on the switch itself indicate that a slow-speed Ethernet connect has taken place on that plug.

"This is curious," I thought, "because if I remember correctly, resetting the JetDirect EX PLUS's IP addr is supposed to be semi-permanent across power cycles."

I reset the JetDirect EX PLUS to factory default by the means described in its manual. Holding down the TEST button for more than 3 seconds results in the pattern of LED activity described in the manual, also.

The problem is that a brief depression of the TEST button, while the JetDirect EX PLUS is directly connected to the LaserJet 4ML, does NOT result in the latter producing a test page describing its various settings, including its now factory-reset IP address. [I'm satisfied that the LaserJet 4ML is OK, since it can produce its own test pages -- its internal electronics and paper transport are OK. It's unlikely that it is the serial plug or cable that has deteriorated over the last week.]

It therefore looks to me (and please check me on this and ask for any further tests or info) that this JetDirect EX PLUS managed to degrade while powered down over my vaca, and that it is DEAD.

I suppose I can buy another JetDirect EX PLUS on eBay... but should I?

I need cheap black-and-white laser-quality printing as well as the Epson color printer I have on my system... the faster the better...

The moderately expensive ($~60) print cartridge on the LaserJet 4ML was on its last legs anyway.

If this were your situation (and your JetDirect EX PLUS was indeed DEAD), would you buy another JetDirect EX PLUS and use it to resurrect the old workhorse LaserJet 4ML (whose cost by now has been completely recovered over the last >10Years!), or would you just chuck the lot and buy a new CHEAP PER PAGE, moderately fast (>5PPM) laser(-quality) printer with a more modern network interface? I think that I could part with $150ish for such a beastie.

So may I ask you which new printer would you recommend, and why please? Thanks for any cycles you can spare.

AL-PowerBook G4, hp JetDirect EX PLUS => HP Laserjet 4ML Mac OS X (10.4.6) 30GB iPod Video (5thGen)

Posted on Jul 15, 2006 5:35 PM

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Answer 1

Jul 15, 2006 6:34 PM in response to Dan Kalikow

If the JetDirect is old, chances are there is a backup battery in it which is dead (rather than flash memory). In your system, it may be reliable as long as it is never powered down. You might even be able to replace the battery if you open it.

On the other hand, it sounds like you are ready to buy a new printer. New models come out all the time, so it is difficult to make a specific recommendation. These were the criteria I used:

1. Color laser.
2. Reasonably priced consumables.
3. Duplex.
4. Network interface.
5. Ability to print on envelopes.
6. Good color speed.
7. Good color quality.
8. PostScript. (It makes life with Macs much simpler.)
9. 500 sheet paper tray (This was not on my original list, but now that I have it, I would not want to do without it. No more half-reams lying around!)

I do not suggest that these may be your criteria, but it is a sample of the sort of list that you should be considering when replacing a printer. Once you have your list, there are various resources on the Internet to compare printers to see how they stack up against your list.

For what it is worth, I ended up buying a Ricoh, which I like very much.

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Answer 2

Dan Kalikow Author

Level 1

10 points

Jul 15, 2006 6:43 PM in response to Dan Kalikow

Thanks for the info, Bruce De Benedictis! Interesting notion about the battery. I'll have to open up the beast.

If I do go ahead and buy new, while I'm interested in having color capability and duplex would be cool, I want to "get off cheap" so B&W will probably suffice for me.

Guess I should have mentioned that my Airport Extreme's USB port, that can allow networked Macs to access a USB printer, is already occupied with the Epson ElCheapo color printer. Therefore, if I do replace the LaserWriter 4ML, it will have to be with a networked laser printer, which was one of your criteria too. The JetDirect EX PLUS in effect converted my old LaserWriter 4ML into a networked printer... so what will be needed, unless I miss my guess, is a laser printer (because those are apparently the cheapest cost-per-page) with an RJ45 (ethernet) plug. Does this make sense?

I'll look into cheaper Ricoh printers...

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Answer 3

Jul 15, 2006 8:24 PM in response to Dan Kalikow

Duplex is really cheap these days, and color is getting to be so more and more all the time. But write down everything that you could possibly want, and see what is available in your price range. You will probably be pleasantly surprised.

I have seen Brother B & W laser printers with duplex, 16 pages per minute, PostScript for under $200. They may be cheaper now.

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Answer 4

Dan Kalikow Author

Level 1

10 points

Jul 16, 2006 7:27 AM in response to Dan Kalikow

Hi again Bruce De Benedictis -- I managed to open up the JetDirect and found no battery. Guess it's just "plain-ol'dead." 😟

I'd sure be happy with duplex if avail., and 16ppm would be great for a change. I'm looking thru Brother printers on the web and not coming up with anything that supports .ps natively. Or duplex too, for that matter... Ethernet appears easily available, which is nice. The standard resolutions for low-end lasers appears to be 600x1200 or 600x300DPI, which certainly beats the old HP LaserJet 4ML's 300x300!!

I see the relatively inexpensive Brother HL-2070N (networked, which is good) and the similar but non-networked HL-2040 but I can't tell whether they support .PS and they don't mention duplex...

Any more Brotherly hints (said he, helplessly)? 🙂 /D

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Answer 5

Jul 16, 2006 10:19 AM in response to Dan Kalikow

Only in response to the "what to get" request, ya can't go wrong with hp lasers as long as they're above the mid-mark, meaning 2400dn & up (below that the thin plastics & high integration seems worrysome), but recently I bought myself a Xerox 8550DP.

Pro: Relatively low ink cost, color, fast first-page-out, network-ready (including Bonjour), Postscript 3 (not emulated), duplex. It's about $800 after the rebate. I don't know how that can be beaten.

Con: It sure doesn't print pretty photos, at least I can't figure out how to get rid of the sorta dithered look. It says 2400 dpi but it sure can't be high with color-blends. Consider it only for color documents not pics.

I have a mixed home homeoffice environment, and it works great from both sides of the OS fence.

Reliability -- too early to tell (only had it a couple weeks)

I have no idea why Apple doesn't carry the Xerox stuff at their store. I hope that's not a bad sign! I read really mixed reviews on the web before buying, but it's great so far.

PB G4, Mac Mini G4, MacBook Pro, MacBook Mac OS X (10.4.7)

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Answer 6

Jul 16, 2006 11:58 AM in response to Dan Kalikow

Hi Dan -- I'm sorry I didn't read your spec requests well enough. I wouldn't recommending getting a low-ball laser at the 150-ish level, and they're not made as durable at the low end now as the 4ML is. What I mean is the low-end these days isn't as durable as what you used to be able to expect at the low end of lasers back then. Hey-- wasn't the 4ML about $600 when it came out though? Yes, that's a workhorse, but go actually touch the new low-end printers. They feel like they're going to break when just taking them out of the box. Although, for $150 you could nearly just buy a new one when the ink ran out. I don't know. Maybe it's too much subjective stuff here for me to help.

BTW -- the 8550DP is way above the low end product offering. I didn't bother checking the less expensive ~ $500 8500 model because it didn't have the specs I wanted.

For Brothers, I don't have enough experience with them. My 1st Brother install was last week for the 8460N multi-function and it was on no Macs just Win boxes. Nicely made and decent software though. The Brothers have a good reputation these days on the Mac side, especially above the mark for software for their All-In-One's.

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Answer 7

Dan Kalikow Author

Level 1

10 points

Jul 16, 2006 8:04 PM in response to Peter Ragone1

Yipes, Peter Ragone1! That's some high-priced (for me) printer ya got there! I'm envious of its capabilities, and I guess I'd be OK with dispensing with duplex if need be...

IIRC we paid a cool thou for that LaserWriter 4ML a heckuva long time ago (>16Yrs back)... Not too bad for a guy who first used "Dover" laser printers back in the 1970s when they cost $1M and the US Government bought 'em for us (while PostScript was being invented by a friend); and who also bought the first "vaguely corporately affordable" laser printer for his company, for about $100K in the late 1980s...

I hear you about flimsy modern construction. If I can't find something that looks durable I may just spring for another JetDirect EX Plus and keep the ol' LaserWriter 4ML workhorse going until it craps out finally. After all these years, its page-count is still only about 21,000 -- so we're not a heavy-usage site by a long shot!

I'd say that my min requirements are shaking down to be

* >300x300 resolution (might as well improve)
* Network connectivity (RJ45 Ethernet)
* PostScript (not emulation)
* $200 or less
* B&W (I imagine color laser to be way too expensive)
* 10 PPM or better
* Cheapest cost/page
* Doesn't break if you look at it crosseyed 🙂

Nice-to-haves:

* Large paper capacity (I think the 4ML holds about 250 sheets, about .5")
* Duplex

Not needed:

* Envelope printing
* Color (that's what the Epson elCheapo's for)

=====

Starting to seem like Brother HL-2070N might be best, if it passes the crosseyed test and does PostScript... anyone know about whether it does .PS? I'm betting not because Adobe are notorious moneygrubbers and probably charge printer manufacturers a pretty penny for on-board PostScript interpreters...

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Answer 8

Dan Kalikow Author

Level 1

10 points

Jul 17, 2006 6:55 AM in response to Dan Kalikow

Testing - pls ignore, sorry 'bout that

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