Update Printer Problem

[marje]

Well, after faffing about for the past 2 days I finally had to go buy a USB cable. Eventually I got it to work and can now print from my computer, however... When I try to convert to wireless following the instructions I don't get the message to unplug the USB and when I do I can't print as I'm offline! Don't know what to do next, may have to leave it as I can still print from my Ipad as well as computer, so that's okay.

Just been trying again and when I click on convert a USB connected printer to wireless, it's saying it can't find the printer!!

I think I read that there should be 2 printer icons showing but I've only got the one, so something has gone wrong, again.

Anyone any ideas please?

Thanks.

[marje]

It seems it's something to do with the drivers. I know it's not a virus, done a scan.

[marje]

I now get the message, there is nothing to configure for this port. Is that good or bad?

[marje]

It's now gone back to the error message.

[pinkyboyid]

Ok, yet more to wend our way through, don't you just love computers!

It may be that you need Administrator privileges to make any changes.

Try
- 'Windows Start>Devices & Printers>'
- Double click on the Printer queue Icon
- Assuming a window opens up with a layout that I think it should display, Select from the 'Printer' drop down menu the option 'Open as Administrator'
- It should now redisplay the printer queue window. If so select from the drop down 'Printer' menu the option 'Properties' and then continue as previous post 'Select Ports' etc.

- If instead you see an option something like 'Customize your Printer' try selecting that option and then hopefully you will see the option 'Select Ports' and then continue as previous post.

[marje]

Okay, I did have administrator privileges, must have gone walkabout! I'll try that when the computer finishes the scan I set off. Thanks

[marje]

When I click on the printer it opens the customize your printer screen, selected that but no joy, again! I've tried all sorts but nothing happens. I'm still getting the error message.

[pinkyboyid]

Ok Marje,

Since Windows doesn't want to 'play ball', onto Plan B!.

Lets create another brand new printer queue, but this time now we know the printer network name we will try using that instead of an IP address. Note that in doing so it should NOT interfere with the current working print queue.

So, to recreate / repeat my previous post on how to create a TCP/IP printer queue, but this time using the printer name, try the following:

- Go into the printers folder via 'Windows Start>Devices and Printers'
- From the 'Devices and Printers' Window menu select 'Add a Printer'
- Select 'Add a wireless, network or BlueTooth printer'
- Click on 'The printer that I want isn't listed' which should open up a window as 'Find printer by name or TCP/IP address'
- Select 'Add a printer using a TCP/IP address or hostname' and click 'Next' to open the next window
- Select 'Device Type' as 'TCP/IP Device' (by clicking on the small drop down menu arrow at the right)
- In the 'Hostname or IP address field' type in the Newtork Name of the printer as HP2C768A7673A7
- In the 'Port Name' field it will most likely display the network name e.g. 'HP2C768A7673A7', You can leave that as is or rename it to your choice e.g. HP5510-2. This is the name that Windows will use to identify the network port.
- Make sure the check box 'Query the printer and automatically select the driver to use' is ticked / checked On

- Now, Make sure that your printer is switched on and showing 'Online' status then select 'Next'
- With Fingers crossed, Windows should detect the printer if all is well and then create the necessary printer queue (This I think is correct from memory, but as I don't have a wireless printer to hand I am not 100% sure! but I think it will work).

If it does create a new print queue (and you will most likely now see three queues in the printer list) then try sending a print to the newly created printer queue. Note that it may not yet be set as your default printer, but this you can do by right mouse click on the newly created print queue and select 'Set as Default Printer'.

[marje]

I've got 2 printers in the queue now, sent test page to print but nothing. What a palaver.

[pinkyboyid]

Oh My, taking a deep breath and with a deep determination....

I presume that the two printer queues that you now have are comprised of:- one that is for the USB connection and the second for the Wireless connection that you just created?

If so, does it still print with the USB cable plugged in conjunction with using the USB printer queue Printer?

Are you able to connect to the printer from your Web Browser using the address of HTTP://192.168.1.3 ?

Likewise can you also connect from your browser with the address
HTTP://HP2C768A7673A7 ?

[marje]

It finds the 192.168.1.3 but not HP2c768a7673a7.

[pinkyboyid]

Lets just confirm what the network thinks the printer name is:

- Goto / Select 'Windows Start>All Programs>Accessories>Command Prompt'
This will open up a Window that looks like a 'black box' with some text in it and a flashing curser.
- Into the window, starting at the flashing curser, type the following text from the keyboard (also make sure that the printer is switched on):-

Ping -a 192.168.1.3 (make sure the -a is in lowercase text)
then press the Enter / Return key on the keyboard.

- This should return some information in the window something like:

Pinging HP5510 [192.168.1.3] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 192.168.1.3: bytes=32 time

On the returned line that commences with the word 'Pinging' what is all of the text characters that directly follow i.e. all the text that appears between 'Pinging' and '[192.168.1.3]' ?

[marje]

Tell you in a minute pinky when oh gets off the computer! Lol

[marje]

It's HP2C768A7673A7.

[pinkyboyid]

So now we try doing a similar exercise with the PING command to see if using the Printer name responds with the corresponding IP address.

- Goto / Select 'Windows Start>All Programs>Accessories>Command Prompt'
This will open up a Window that looks like a 'black box' with some text in it and a flashing curser.
- Into the window, starting at the flashing curser, type the following text from the keyboard (also make sure that the printer is switched on):-

Ping HP2C768A7673A7
then press the Enter / Return key on the keyboard.

- This should return some information in the window something like:

Pinging HP2C768A7673A7 [192.168.1.3] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 192.168.1.3: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.1.3: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=128
.....

Is this similar to what you get displayed on screen i.e. in first couple of lines?

[marje]

No, ping request could not find host HP2C768A7673A7

[pinkyboyid]

Ok. So the network name resolves only one way, which is not helpful!

Before attempting anything else I wonder if the Norton 360 Firewall is 'hampering' the name resolution.

Try disabling the Norton Firewall temporarily and performing the PING command as per my last post and see if it manages to resolve the name.

To turn off / suspend the Norton Firewall I think you need to do the following:

Somewhere in the Windows task bar, right hand end at bottom of screen, there should be a small triangle icon that is part of the running Norton Firewall package.
Right click on the icon and a menu should open up where you can select the option 'Disable Smart Firewall'.
Select that option and then try the PING command as before and lets see what we get this time.

[marje]

Disabled Norton Firewall but still not finding the HP.

[pinkyboyid]

Ok, it seems some other unknown 'bits' within your network or windows system is stopping the name resolution from performing as expected.

You can reactivate your Norton Firewall which is similar to before, but instead select 'Activate Smart Firewall'

I think at this stage it best we just recreate the Printer queue as per the previous instructions using the IP address of 192.168.1.3 that worked before.

So as per the previous post

- Go into the printers folder via 'Windows Start>Devices and Printers'
- From the 'Devices and Printers' Window menu select 'Add a Printer'
- Select 'Add a wireless, network or BlueTooth printer'
- Click on 'The printer that I want isn't listed' which should open up a window as 'Find printer by name or TCP/IP address'
- Select 'Add a printer using a TCP/IP address or hostname' and click 'Next' to open the next window
- Select 'Device Type' as 'TCP/IP Device' (by clicking on the small drop down menu arrow at the right)
- In the 'Hostname or IP address field' type in the Newtork IP address of the printer (which is 192.168.1.3)
- In the 'Port Name' field it will display the network address e.g. '192_168_1_3', You can leave that as is or rename it to your choice e.g. HP5510. This is the name that Windows will use to identify the network port.
- Make sure the check box 'Query the printer and automatically select the driver to use' is ticked / checked On

- Now, Make sure that your printer is switched on and showing 'Online' status then select 'Next'

It should create a new printer queue (or possibly replace the one that is not working.)

If it does create a print queue then try sending a print to it. Note that it may not yet be set as your default printer, but this you can do by right mouse click on the newly created print queue and select 'Set as Default Printer'

[marje]

Now have 3 printers on, 2 of which print and 1 doesn't. I suppose I can now delete the non working one?

[pinkyboyid]

Its good to know that you have your printer wireless network access restored.

Yes, you can delete the printer queue that no longer works.

Time for another rethink.

You could stay as is with the current working setup and if communications to the printer stop working at least you may know a reason why. In that particular case print out a configuration page from the printer to find the 'new' IP address and then create another printer queue with that IP address as before.

Or, its just a thought, but I presume you have a Network Router that connects you to your Internet Service provider. If so, what is the manufacturer / model name, and are you able to access it over the network (requires a user Logon name and a password) or is this something that you feel may be something that you rather not consider attempt accessing.

The reason for considering this is that it is usual practice for a Router to handle the automatic 'handing out' of IP addresses to network devices. As mentioned before there is no default guarantee that the IP address is the same each time.

But there is a method available on most Routers that handle automatic addressing, where the IP Address can be 'fixed' to a particular network device, but it involves Logging into the Router and configuring for that particular device to always be given the same IP address.

A Last option is to consider accessing the Printer configuration via your web browser and manually configuring the network IP address to be in a fixed state i.e. it wont change. Not always ideal as the IP address could potentially clash with other devices that the Router may unknowingly 'hand out' as a duplicate.