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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Basic Wireless Printing

Silks - Jul 31, 2005 - 10:00 pm

Am new to my iMac, having just moved over from the Dark Side. Still trying to learn all the secrets, so bear with me.

Problem: basic wireless printing.
Have iMac in one room and generic Linksys g router and new Canon Pixma 4000 printer in another.
Mac immediately saw and connected to the router. Cool. So I didn't need an additional AirPort box. But I wanted to print, so bought a wireless print server, a D-Link, since it said on the box that it worked with Mac OS/X.
When I opened the box, there is no install or setup info about anything other than WinXP. Nothing about how to configure with Linksys or using a Mac; I assume there is IP address stuff I have to figure out (?), etc. Nor is there anything about it on their Web support page.
Luckily the Mac sees the wireless device I stuck onto the side of the printer. But to connect to it, I seem to have to disconnect from the Linksys box.
(A) Is that true? In Windows I could connect to numerous wireless network connections concurrently. How to I do so on my Mac?

Anyway, when I try to print to it, Mac says it's unable to connect to that device. Now I'm really stuck.
(B) Any great advice about how to configure such a thing? How to see it and print to it?
(C) Or should just box the thing up and take it back, and if so, any suggestions for what would work instead?
Sorry for so many questions, but I'm really swimming at the moment. This crap shouldn't be so confusing...
Thanks in advance.

Natobasso - Aug 2, 2005 - 9:13 pm

It looks like the printer comes with wireless built in:
http://www.ausmedia.com.au/ij_canon_ip4000-R.htm

Canon's USA product page for ip4000 printer:
http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/con...&modelid=10239

I'm checking canon website for drivers for OS X:
http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/con...&modelid=10239

(Follow the links from this download page and choose the Mac OS X driver.)

Now if you have Tiger OS X 10.4 installed on your computer, you might not be able to print to this printer.

Check on the canon website for an instruction manual for connecting wirelessly to this printer.

Let me know if this helps.

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*Nathaniel

Silks - Aug 2, 2005 - 10:42 pm

Hi Nathan:
Looks like the Aussies get cooler printers than we do. My Pixma doesn't know anything about being wireless.
I did download and install the drivers. Thanks for those, at least.
I'm close to giving up on the concept of using the wireless print server. I can't seem to connect to it, the doc doesn't help, and nothing in the Mac system or Help seems to give me a clue. It's listed on the pulldown (top right) with the Linksys box and "turn AirPort off" etc. But I've done nothing to configure it or give it an IP address or anything (haven't a clue how) and when I try to print to it, Mac says it's unable to connect to that device. Very frustrating.

So if I scrap it all and buy an AirPort base, can I connect it to the printer, and connect my IBM thinkpad to it wirelessly through 80211g?

Natobasso - Aug 3, 2005 - 12:32 pm

Before you do anything, try connecting to the printer with an ethernet or USB cable. Test to see if your computer can see the printer at all.
Then worry about printing wirelessly.

The aussie page says your printer has wireless built in; does your documentation say it's not built in on the US version?
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*Nathaniel

Silks - Aug 3, 2005 - 10:47 pm

The wireless one is a different model. Thats Pixma 4000-R and I have just a plain ol' Pixma 4000. That would cerrtainly be a cool solution to this problem, but won't work in this case.
Yes, I can connect to it directly and print. But I really need the printer somewhere else.

Natobasso - Aug 3, 2005 - 11:17 pm

Okay, then the next step will be connecting your computer directly to the wireless print server "wps" in order to set it up. In your documentation there should be a page you can access with your browser that lets you communicate with your wps. It should look something like this "http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx".

Let me know if you can connect to your wps and communicate with it. You'll have to set it up wired first, then once that's done and you activate the wps, you'll be able to see it wirelessly.

Keep me posted.
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*Nathaniel

Silks - Aug 4, 2005 - 9:34 pm

Can't set it up wired. There is no option for that. No port into it other than through its antenna.
This is where it really hits the wall. Documentation says says the WPS is pre-set initially to 192.168.0.10, which makes sense since that is about the right range (the Linksys box is at 192.168.1.1). But there is nothing there at that IP address. The light is on on the WPS that indicates that it's on and broadcasting, but if it is, it ain't at 192.168.0.10. I can't see it there with either my Mac or my IBM (so it's not strictly a Mac thing...) Checked the support pages on their Web site--limited though they are-- and they just confirm that, well of course it's that address, duh. No, it isn't.
If it is broadcasting, and it's not at their stated IP, any idea as to how to find it otherwise?

Natobasso - Aug 5, 2005 - 1:31 pm

Can you see the printer at all when you go to printer set up? And you've downloaded all the drivers?
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*Nathaniel

Silks - Aug 5, 2005 - 3:00 pm

I can see it and print to it when I connect to it directly with a cable. Otherwise, no. Something does show up on my list of networks (menu bar, top right), but I can't connect to it, and I can't seem to find any way to identify what IP address that menu item thinks it's seeing.

Natobasso - Aug 5, 2005 - 3:30 pm

Okay, so you CAN connect to it with a cable. You told me before you couldn't connect it… In order to set it up, connect to it with a cable, then use your web browser and enter the codes like you're going to a web page:

http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

A maintenance window should pop up at that time--most routing/serving devices have set up software that can be accessed this way.

Give it a shot and let me know. You have to set up the printer connected with a wire, then you can access it wirelessly.
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*Nathaniel

Silks - Aug 5, 2005 - 5:21 pm

I was able to set it up from my IBM thinkpad. Then when I go wireless I hit the wall. The IP address the doc and Web site say it's at is not right. There is nothing at the address they say it's broadcasting at. They say it's at 192.168.0.10, but if I go to http://192.168.0.10/ I get a 404. Nothing. Nada. I don't know how to ping it to perhaps see what the real address is. Hmmm... Maybe I can ping the name that shows up in the Mac's network/Internet connections pull-down(?). I'll try that when I get home.

Natobasso - Aug 8, 2005 - 5:05 pm

You can also ping it in Terminal app.

I might put your question back to the thread because I've reached the limits of my knowledge with this…

But let me know what happens first.
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*Nathaniel

Natobasso - Aug 10, 2005 - 10:18 am

I have to go to a wedding all this week so I'll send this question back to open pool so someone else can help you. If this issue is still open when I get back I'll tackle it again, no worries.
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*Nathaniel
bass guitar. graphic design. junior IT.

Silks - Aug 10, 2005 - 10:39 am

Nathaniel:
Don't put it back in the pool. After getting no help from the D-Link folks, I took the wireless print server device back last night and traded it in for an AirPort Express that I'll put next to the printer and connect with a USB cable. Cost me an additional $50 but the two things I know about it are that (1) it will work, and (2) even if it doesn't, there are millions of folks who can tell me what to do to make it work.
Should have just paid the extra $50 to start with. This has been one of those painful learning experiences.
Thanks so much for all your help and patience.
Ken

TechSupport - Aug 13, 2005 - 11:30 am

This ticket has been moved to the open forums for more exposure.

Please follow this link:

http://www.macosx.com/forums/showthread.php?t=238335