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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Trying to Print From Ibook G4 to a Shared Printer On Windows Xp

rtosoc - Aug 17, 2005 - 1:14 pm

Hello,

I am new to mac's so please bare with me and please explain in detail your suggestions on the mac side. Thanks!

I have a new iBook G4, Tiger. My printer is the Canon Pixma MP7 model. The printer is shared on my Windows XP machine. I am trying to print to the Canon from my iBook.

What I have done so far:
Windows-
Printer is shared out and named CanonMP7; also the windows drivers have been added
Ran 'Other network file and printer services' from the advanced option on network places

Mac-
I installed the printer drives from the mac cd for this printer
I have tried to connect to the printer a couple different ways. I followed a couple steps listed on this forum from before. I've clicked on IP Printer and put in the IP address of the PC and the name of the Printer. It then adds it successfully but when I go to print, I get an error that the network is busy.
I do not know the model number equivalent to select in the list when I change the 'Print Using' Option.
When I follow the steps to add the printer via Windows Printing, the printer does not show up on the list for that machine.


I hope this is enough information, if not, please let me know what else you need from me. Do I need to install additional software on my PC or Mac for this to work? Is there a common problem with models/brands I'm using?

Please help as best you can, I'm almost a fully converted user from PC to Mac and printing will be my last step!

Thanks!

gsahli - Aug 17, 2005 - 6:36 pm

Hi,
I'm Greg, your Volunteer Tech. I sincerely enjoy helping people set up their Mac so they can enjoy using it. I try, through a series of short interactions with you, to get enough information to help you. Please don't expect me to solve the problem without giving me more info or not telling me when I haven't yet fixed the problem.

Canon doesn't provide OS X drivers that work for network/Windows Printing. Their drivers bypass CUPS, so the only comm protocol that works is what is written into the driver -- USB.

I have one possible solution: Make the PC a RIP server - the PC accepts postscript and does the rasterization before sending the job to the printer.
http://iharder.sourceforge.net/macosx/winmacprinter/

(It would be much easier to share from the Mac to Windows.)

Hope this helps.

rtosoc - Aug 17, 2005 - 6:55 pm

This helps somewhat. Honestly, it helps me think that it's a bit too complicated, so I'd like to ask a different question.

If I just get a simple wireless print server for this configuration, do you recommend any brands or models? Thanks!

gsahli - Aug 17, 2005 - 7:22 pm

Remember,
Canon's drivers don't support network printing. You will not be able to print via a regular print server.

On the other hand, Apple's Airport Express works on a different concept - USB output is intercepted and redirected to the USB port on the Express (can you see this is not really network printing from the Mac?). Windows can print through Airport Express because it also emulates an HP Jetdirect print server.

Hope this helps.

rtosoc - Aug 17, 2005 - 8:04 pm

I'm not sure what you mean by Canon not having the ability to do network printing. Do you just mean that it's not available for mac's? I only ask because I have the Canon shared out across all the Windows machines in my network.

gsahli - Aug 17, 2005 - 8:50 pm

Exactly,
Canon has not written drivers that work with the OS X CUPS system - so you can't do network printing. If Apple had the same power in the marketplace as Windows, this would NEVER be allowed.

rtosoc - Aug 18, 2005 - 10:25 am

Well, you gotta love the challenges that come up when technology is supposed to make our lives easier!

I did a bit of research on the airport express and I think I'll go that route.

If I can just verify, the airport is plugged into the wall and my printer is connected to it via usb, correct? Then I will be able to see the printer on my iBook as the default. I can then share it out via my ibook (or the emac that's here also) and I can then print from it. Then since I'm sharing it out, my pc's should be able to see the printer being shared out from my ibook or emac and I should be good to go from there, right?

If I'm seeing that work around correctly, then I'm on my way to the Apple store for an airport express.

Thanks for all your help so far!!!

gsahli - Aug 18, 2005 - 11:28 am

Yes, you have it right for how the Mac can print to it.
The good news is the Express works as a regular print server, too, so the PCs can print directly to it (Don't need to "share" from the Mac).

rtosoc - Aug 18, 2005 - 11:38 am

Great. Thanks!!