Installing a network printer

by blaisadam Jul 23, 2007 6:35AM PDT

I'm trying to install a printer over the network at the office but the "Add Printer Wizard" seems to always freeze on me (do any of these stupid wizards ever work?!?!). I'm choosing connect over a network and I'm punching in the printer's address. Then when I hit next, it freezes. It does add a printer with the correct hostname to the printer list while it is frozen, but its status is always "opening".

I thought this was a firewall issue, but the same thing happened with my Norton firewall disabled. I am also able to ping the printer successfully over the network.

The printer is an HP LaserJet 5100.

Any ideas?

Discussion is locked

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Tell us more about this network

by MarkFlax Former Forum moderator Jul 23, 2007 7:07AM PDT

For example, are all computers and the printer connected via a router, or is the printer connected to one computer, and you want the other computers to be able to access it?

Has the printer software been installed on all computers?

With the network open and running, have you "found" the printer in the wizard using the browse option?

Mark

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well...

by blaisadam Jul 23, 2007 7:52AM PDT

I'm not sure of the specific configuration, but the printers are all in the photocopy room and from what I can see they aren't connected to any computers. Each printer has it's address written on it.

I installed the drivers for that model printer off the HP website, and then select that model after punching in the printer's address.

It does not show up in the browse for printers section.

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This may be your problem

by MarkFlax Former Forum moderator Jul 23, 2007 8:15AM PDT

You said, "from what I can see they, (the printers), aren't connected to any computers"

Do they each have a lead or something that connects them to the computer network? If you cannot see any direct connections to another computer, perhaps the leads look like a phone line into a phone point in the wall?

If those printers are not connected either to other computers directly, or to the network, then the other computers will not be able to speak to them.

What do the tech people in your office say about this?

Mark

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well....

by blaisadam Jul 23, 2007 8:46AM PDT

They're connected to a line in the wall which is the network connection. I know the printer is connected because I pinged it successfully from the command interface.

I will try to find a tech person to ask some time tomorrow.

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Where are the drivers for the printer installed?

by PudgyOne Jul 23, 2007 12:29PM PDT

If there isn't a place where the drivers are installed, then they may have to be installed in each computer.

Rick

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Membership and Rights

by Darton Fury Jul 23, 2007 3:55PM PDT

To install a printer in XP Pro you must be a member of the Administrators or Power Users groups and must have the Load and Unload Device Drivers user right assigned. In XP Home you need to have a Computer Administrator account. Have these basic requirements been met?

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Your printer is shared by other machine, or is lan printer

by Josepe-sv Jul 24, 2007 2:01AM PDT

If your printer is new and is a lan printer -connected to ethernet- then the printer should be config first. The manual or instructions have the IP address to make http connection and manage the LPR printer console.
Is the printer is almost config then go Add new Printer, local printer (dismark Pnp), build new port: Std TCP port. The appoint to the printer IP.

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As well as the other advice

by Steven Haninger Jul 24, 2007 7:30AM PDT

make sure the IP addess is in the range of the rest of the network which uses it. Otherwise you can ping just fine but data won't route to that address. As well, if there's a router involved that serves up IP addresses, there needs to be a range reserved for static address use such as these printers will need.

Installing a network printer

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