Canon ImageRunner for Mac

The printers are just network devices so they will work ok with your Airport Extreme. The key factor is whether Canon continues to support printer drivers for these multi-function devices and if they are web managed, or require a dedicated Windows PC for that purpose. You should also strongly consider the Postscript/PDF option on these devices too. Don't forget to update the Canon firmware before any software updates on the Mac side. Don't exclude the Konica-Minolta Business line of Bizhub products for comparison.

Model 5051i:

1. Fax Driver is supported for OS X 10.11
2. Canon Macintosh PS PPD File for OS X supported through OS X 10.11
3. Canon PS Printer Driver for OS X supported through OS X 10.11
4. Mac CUPS URFII/UFRII LT Printer Driver supported through OS X 10.9
5. Mac CUPS/URFII Printer Driver supported through OS X 10.10
6. PostScript Printer Driver (Office) for Mac OS X supported through OS X 10.10

Model 7065

When OS X 10.11 is selected : There is no recommended download for the OS version you selected.

londonbookarts wrote:

We would like to know if it's possible to:

A) Network the ImageRunner printers on the wireless network through the Aiport Extreme

Those two models don't have a wireless option so you will need to connect the Canon via Ethernet to one of the Ethernet ports on the Airport Extreme. Then you will be able to print to the Canon via a wireless connection from the Mac's.

londonbookarts wrote:

B) If the printer models are compatible with our Macs -- I've read other discussions where people have had problems, usually with PS kits being installed (?)

In some regions the Postscript print kit is an option for both models. You can check if the Postscript kit is installed via the control panel of the copier. Press the Counter Check button on then on the touch screen press Device Config. Scroll through the pages until you see mention of a PS kit.

Please note that all iR ADVANCE devices come standard with Canon's proprietary UFRII printer language. There are printers drivers available for OS X that support 10.11 and earlier. Canon also has a Postscript driver available for 10.11.

londonbookarts wrote:

C) If one of the machines is more suitable than the other, then would you recommend?

It all depends on what type of printing you do and how much. The C70xx is aimed at production printing (high volume - around 80k to 100k per month) while the C50xx is aimed at general office (mid volume - around 30k pages per month). Both produce the same quality of colour output so its really just the volumes and print speed that are the main difference.

Unless you are specifically told by Canon, or by culpable research on the web that the 10.9 and 10.10 drivers do actually work on El Capitan, then they may, or may not. It is that simple, and that risky. You clearly want that yes/no information before you acquire the machine. I would ask Canon.

A good contribution by Pahu.

VikingOSX wrote:

You clearly want that yes/no information before you acquire the machine. I would ask Canon.

I work for Canon so I can confirm that the Canon PS v4.7 that you have linked to above and the UFR2 v10.9.0 both support 10.11 and support the ADV C50xx and C70xx models the OP is considering.

londonbookarts wrote:

Sorry, I've one more question: I suppose it might become clear as and when we do get the machine, but it is straightforward to update the firmware? Does one have to install/connect to the printer to enable any firmware upgrades?

thank you, again

Hi Simon,

A user cannot update the machine firmware, unless it has been configured to use a Canon firmware update system called CDS. Since the machine is second hand and most likely purchased from someone other than Canon, then I would assume that this will not be setup. So you would have to get a technician out to update the firmware. And for your reference, the latest version for the C50xx series is 83.04.03.

That said, a firmware update is not needed for you to print from OS X. So it should be fine to start printing as soon as you have it connected to your local network. If you need help with setting up the Mac's to print to the Canon, or even setting up the copier, then reply to this post when you get the machine.

PaHu

londonbookarts wrote:

I wanted to ask, hope you don't mind, but would you advise setting the machine up via a USB connection first, then trying via wireless, or is it best to set up through the Airport to start?

The network configuration of the machine is done via the touch panel, so I recommend you connect it to the Airport via Ethernet from the outset. You can then assign an IPv4 address to the machine, or set it to DHCP and let the Airport assign one to it. Once it has its IPv4 address you can then add the printer on each Mac, noting that this model does not support Bonjour, so it does not appear in the Default view of the Add printer browser. Instead you need to select the IP icon then enter the IPv4 address and set the Protocol to HP Jetdirect-Socket. You can then browse to the supporting driver via the Use menu - noting that you have to run the respective Canon driver installer first before creating the printer. Once you have the C5051 you will be able to determine if it has the optional PS kit installed meaning that you can use the PS driver. If it does not have the PS kit then you will have to use the UFR2 driver.

Once you have the machine, if there are any network or configuration issues then simply post here and I will try to help you get it working.

londonbookarts wrote:

Hello PAHU

I presume that once plugged in, I can access the TCP/IPv4 screen to turn IPv4 on, then i assign an IP address?

Might be a simple/obvious question but where do I find that IP number? Or do i just make one up? Or is it listed on the Airport Extreme control panel settings?

Hi Simon,

The Airport Extreme can assign an IPv4 address to the copier. So once you have its Ethernet cable connected to the Extreme then you can press the Settings/Registration button. You will then need to press the Login button on the touch panel so that you can enter the System admin account and password. By default this is 7654321 for both - providing it hasn't been changed. Once in you on the touch panel you can press Preferences > Network > TCP/IP Settings > IPv4 Settings > IP Address Settings. Here you can select the DHCP button and then press the OK button. Now you will need to turn the copier power off and then back on. When the machine powers back up it will request an IPv4 address from the Extreme - note that there is a delay of 30secs before the machine does this after powering on. When this time has passed you can then use the same procedure to check what IPv4 address the copier has obtained.

Now that you know the C5051 IPv4 address the next step is to determine what printer driver to use on the Mac. On the copier, press the Counter Check button - located under the Settings/Registration button - and then on the touch panel press Device Configuration. The first page shows the firmware versions and the following pages show the options installed. You are looking for an entry of PS, short for Postscript. If you don't see it then your C5051 does not have the optional Postscript kit installed meaning that you will have to use the UFR2 printer driver.

Once you have installed the correct driver the last thing to do is add the printer. These machines don't support Bonjour so you have to manually create the network connection. Open System Preferences > Printers & Scanners and click the plus button to add. Select the IP icon and then enter the IPv4 address of the C5051. Change the Protocol to HP Jetdirect and leave the Queue blank. Change the Name from the IP address to something more meaningful to you, such as Canon C5051. Then click on the Use menu > Select Software and enter C50 in the Search field to filter the list. You should see the Canon iR ADV C5045/5051. Select this, click OK and then click Add to complete the printer creation. Now open a document and test your printer.

If it doesn't print then let me know what happens. It's almost 11pm here in Sydney so I will get back to you tomorrow.

Good luck.

PaHu

Hi Simon,

What you may need to do is set the Gateway address in the C5051, which is the IPv4 address of the Extreme. Usually this will be 10.0.1.1 but you should check that either via the Airport Utility or looking at the TCP/IP settings on a Mac that is connected to the Extreme. With this information you can go to the IP Address Settings on the C5051 and select Gateway Address and enter the Extreme's IPv4 address. Then OK the change, exit from the Settings/Registration menu and restart the C5051. When the machine has restarted then check if it has acquired an IP address.