Print Server Setup Problem

M. N. wrote:
Next, using the Add Printer Wizard, I set up the software on a computer
that previously had the printer connected to it's parallel port -- and was
normally used this way. (Thus the printer and driver were functional).
>
Even though I was able to use the Add Printer Wizard to setup the printer to
it's specified IP address of 192.168.123.254 (which is also the SMC7004BR's
gateway address), I could not print. When I tried to print, the printer icon
appeared in the
notification area in the lower right corner. Right clicking on this icon,
brought up the dialog box for the printer stating that it was printing --
but I got nothing printed out -- even after waiting for several minutes. (It
seemed that the "printing" just "stalled"). I verified that the IP
connection existed by seeing the connection using the TCP -View program.
>
THUS MY PRBLEM: WHY CAN'T I PRINT?


When you say, you were able to set the printer up to use the IP address
of the router, did you manually add the IP address into the wizard, or
did you actually let it detect the printer through Network Neighborhood?

Yousuf Khan

M. N. wrote:
I manually added the IP address into the Add Printer Wizard according to the
info and method supplied in the router manual.
>
Note that when I initiated a print request, the IP connection was indeed
made to the printer IP address (as I mentioned below). This connection was
maintained and remained persistent until I manually cancelled the print job.
>
(Alternatively, with the printer connected to the parallel port of another
computer on the local home network, I was able to print from this computer
using this shared printer. BUT, I need to turn-on this other computer and
logon to it to print. If I used the embedded print server in the router, I
won't need to use this other computer.)

It's sounding like the print server software in the router is not
entirely SMB-compliant, or it's not being detected by your computer. The
Windows Printer and File Sharing should automatically detect the device
as a shared printer. See if there's an upgraded firmware for your
router? Is the router rather old? Microsoft's implementation varied
greatly from operating system to operating system, to the point where
one couldn't detect shared resources on machines running different
versions of Windows (98 vs. 2000 vs. XP, etc.)

Yousuf Khan