HP JetDirect and autosensing Ethernet network speed

Ward Oldham writes: "A customer with a small Ethernet network, recently purchased a HP LaserJet 5000N. What should have been plug-and-play turned into a real test of endurance. No matter what we tried, we couldn't recognize the printer in the Chooser on the Mac. It turned out if we bypassed the Ethernet 10BaseT hub and connected the printer directly to the Mac (using a crossover cable), it showed up in the Chooser. The recommended solution: Upgrade the 10BaseT hub to a 10/100BaseT hub."

We asked HP for a reply on this matter. Here is their response:

"There may be some instances where JetDirect cards can not accurately sense the network speed [10Half, 100Half or 100Full] on a BaseT network. This is usually due to long runs of cable or a poorly functioning hub or router. This is true of all autosensing network cards not just our print servers. If auto-negotiation fails, however, the card can be manually set to the correct network speed. On the LaserJet 5000, this can be done through the front control panel of the printer with a JetDirect 610N (J4169A) card or through dip switches on the card if a JetDirect 600N (J3113A) is installed."