Printer connection lost Airport Express

gushags · #1 August 12th, 2008, 01:54 PM

I have an HP Photosmart 1315 connected with a USB cable to my Airport Express. The Airport Express is connected to my modem/router and broadcasts the wireless signal. It is NOT extending the network.

When the printer goes to sleep, the network no longer sees the connection. To solve the problem I need to go upstairs, unplug the printer and reboot the Airport Express. When they both boot up again, problem solved. But obviously this is an annoying way to solve the problem. I might as well carry the laptop back up and plug it in (my old "wireless printing" solution).

Is there a way to keep the printer awake so the connection is not lost? By continually pinging it or something? Would an upgrade to Mac OS X 10.5 do anything? I'm currently running 10.4.11.

Thanks for any help.

ElDiabloConCaca · #2 August 12th, 2008, 03:53 PM

The printer going to sleep would be a function of the printer, not of Mac OS X.

You should be able to configure the "sleep" timeout of the printer, either via the front-panel on the printer or via some remote interface to the printer (similar to a browser-based router configuration).

What does the printer manual say about the sleep function of the printer?

gushags · #3 August 12th, 2008, 04:39 PM

Thanks for the response. The printer manual doesn't say anything about a sleep function -- it just says that there is a screen saver that can be used during photo work and that the LCD screen goes blank after 8 minutes. So maybe there is no sleep function. I assumed there was.

There also is no way to configure the printer's sleep or whatever via the front, a browser, or even CUPS using localhost:631.

I believe the airport express is broadcasting in bonjour -- any idea if it has any issues that might be causing this? I do NOT have the tab clicked to broadcast the printer globally in bonjour on the airport express utility, but it is set up to share.

ElDiabloConCaca · #4 August 12th, 2008, 05:15 PM

I wouldn't think that Bonjour would have anything to do with it, but it's worth experimenting with if you have the time and patience.

I looked through the manual for that particular printer, and surprisingly, it mentions nothing in the way of sleep, power-saving mode, etc. just like you said... but obviously, the printer DOES have some sort of "sleep" function.

I really don't know at this point.

gushags · #5 August 12th, 2008, 05:26 PM

Thanks anyway. I'll keep working on it.