# Lexmark 2300 Printer Installation



## TylerDurden (May 27, 2006)

I recently have just switched from PC to MAC. 

I need some info on how to install my Lexmark 2300 Printer with my MAC. All the installation books that come with the printer only mention Windows and PC.

So I need to figure out how to install it on a MAC. I have pretty limited knowledge when it comes to Macs so please try to be as 1st grade as possible when explaining this stuff to me.

thanks.


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## nixgeek (May 27, 2006)

Are you sure that's the exact model of the printer?  I checked Lexmark's web site and I couldn't find what you described as a "Lexmark 2300 printer."  Give us the exact model number and we can go from there.

For the record, if the driver exists, it's just a matter of connecting the USB cable to it and heading to the Print & Fax pane in System Preferences.  System Preferences is located in the Applications folder.


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## TylerDurden (May 27, 2006)

Nix -

sorry, it's a Lexmark *X2350* to be specific.

Thanks,
TD


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## TylerDurden (May 27, 2006)

bump.


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## bobw (May 27, 2006)

There are no drivers for this printer from Lexmark, and Gimp-Print doesn't support it.


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## TylerDurden (May 27, 2006)

bobw said:
			
		

> There are no drivers for this printer from Lexmark, and Gimp-Print doesn't support it.



damn..so now what?

I can't use this printer w/ my Mac.

This sucks.


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## gsahli (May 27, 2006)

It's not easy, but you could try this:
http://iharder.sourceforge.net/macosx/winmacprinter/


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## TylerDurden (May 27, 2006)

thanks guys..this whole thing just sucks. i need this printer for my business. i knew i should of just stuck to PC.


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## MisterMe (May 27, 2006)

There are hundreds of printers from highly reputable manufacturers who choose to support MacOS X. Why hold your computer choice hostage to a printer that does not support MacOS X?


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## TylerDurden (May 27, 2006)

MisterMe said:
			
		

> There are hundreds of printers from highly reputable manufacturers who choose to support MacOS X. Why hold your computer choice hostage to a printer that does not support MacOS X?


because i just bought this printer and it worked great with my PC but now I come to find out that it doesn't work with a Mac.  now i have to buy a new freaking printer. I thought OSX was supposed to be on some next level easy integration type  but that doesn't seem to be the case.

sorry to vent but i'm just pissed off because this is a good all in one printer but now i might as well throw it in the garbage.

cause in order for me to utilize it i have to have it hooked up to the net..which means i would have to buy a DSL wireless networking card for  my PC Laptop..which is like 50 bucks. i might as  well just buy a printer for that cost.

man..Daaaaaaaaaaaamn. I AM FURIOUS RIGHT NOW¡


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## nixgeek (May 27, 2006)

As I've mentioned before in other posts, this is why it's good to research before you buy.  It's not Apple's fault that the printer isn't supported....Apple didn't tell you that that particular printer would work with your Mac.  It's not even Lexmark's fault since they themselves state that it's only for Windows computers on their website.  You (as you said) "thought" that OS X was supposed to do something so remarkable that no other operating system could do.  If you believe that, then I have a bridge I'd like to sell you.

At this point, the only one to blame is yourself.  I know that's harsh, but it's true.  No operating system promises the world.  Sure, OS X is better at working with other devices, but like every operating system if it's not already supported it's up to the manufacturer of that peripheral to support it.  If they don't want to, that's fine.....there are many other options.  Don't blame them because you haven't  done the research.


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## nixgeek (May 27, 2006)

To add some solution to my comment, the best you can do is return the printer you have bought for another one that is supported.  Hopefully this printer was just recently purchased.

That, or you can return the Mac and stick with the PC so you can continue to use your printer.  Of course, if you bought an Intel Mac, you could just use Boot Camp and install Windows XP on it.  Then you would have your Mac hardware and still use your printer......except that you would be running Windows.  Oh well, at least it's an option.

Just be sure to read all the information on that page.


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## TylerDurden (May 27, 2006)

well i bought the printer off of ebay and before i even thought of getting a MAC. Then a good deal came along so I decided to pick up an IMAC. 

I'm sitting here with a Mac..but yet it doesn't support one of the latest printers on the Market? 

Now I've got to break out my Linksys DSL wireless router and pray to god that it's compatible with OSX. Then I've got to get a wireless networking card for my PC laptop and use it only for printing purposes. 

And all because the so-called greates operating system in the world doesn't support an up to date style printer. i feel like slapping someone in the face..

And i'm not installing windows on my Mac. that would defeat the whole purpose of having a fuckin mac, right?

Hi, I'm a Mac and I'm not even compatible with one of the worlds biggest printer manufactuers.


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## nixgeek (May 27, 2006)

Again, WHO IS TO BLAME?  You ASSUMED that it would work.  You should have asked anywhere before you bought it.  It's Lexmark's decision to support whoever they want.

BTW, as far as support for hardware, consider that I had a NetTV-98 card that worked fine under Linux.  Mind you, this was a card that was solely supported under Windows 98.  There are NO drivers for XP for this card, and it managed to BSOD my XP machine.  So much for Windows being able to detect everything, eh?  Then again, the card manufacturer never said it would work with Windows XP.

I understand your frustration, but just chalk it up to experience.  I have various computers running OS X, Mac OS Classic, Windows XP, and Linux.  They all work flawlessly for me, but every so often i'll encounter some incompatibility.  There's nothing you can do, and bitching about it won't help....especially if you're going to bash something that many users of this Mac OS forum have not had problems with.  You'll come off sounding like a troll and won't get any help from anyone.  The best they'll tell you is to sell the Mac and continue to use your PC.

And you're not screwed.  Your router will work with the Mac.  I have a Linksys WRT54G and I have my iMac G4 running OS X 10.4.6, my Quadra 650 running System 7.6.1, my Linux PC running Slackware, and my Windows box all connected to it.  Both the iMac and the Windows box are wireless.  All of them can print to the printers (HP, since my experience tells me they work on all three platforms) and all of them can file share (for the most part...the Quadra only talks to the Linux box through netatalk and the iMac).  And yes, all of them can get on the Internet.  So rest assured it will work.

Just quit venting and help us find a solution for you that will work.


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## TylerDurden (May 27, 2006)

nixgeek said:
			
		

> Again, WHO IS TO BLAME?  You ASSUMED that it would work.  You should have asked anywhere before you bought it.  It's Lexmark's decision to support whoever they want.
> 
> BTW, as far as support for hardware, consider that I had a NetTV-98 card that worked fine under Linux.  Mind you, this was a card that was solely supported under Windows 98.  There are NO drivers for XP for this card, and it managed to BSOD my XP machine.  So much for Windows being able to detect everything, eh?  Then again, the card manufacturer never said it would work with Windows XP.
> 
> ...



Alright I'll stop venting.

So heres what I want to do....

1. I've got an IMAC G4.

2. I've got a Linksys Wireless G Broadband Router 2.4GHZ (I don't know the model or have the drivers)

3. I want to be able to set up my printer to my laptop.

4. If possible I would like to be able to set it up so that I can tell my PC to print from my Mac. Like, lets say I wanted to print t his post out. I want to be able to hit "print" and have it come out of my printer that is hooked up to my laptop.

5. I have another problem..i need to get the reinstall software for this IMACG4. Unfortunately the person I bought this Mac from is unable to be reached and all his files are on it but they are password protected. What options do I have?

Thanks for being patient.


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## nixgeek (May 27, 2006)

My mistake, I meant to say iMac G5...my finger went in the wrong direction.  But that still doesn't change anything... 

As for the OS install discs, the only options you have are to continue contacting this seller to get the discs that came with that Mac or you could purchase the OS X retail installation discs.  Don't bother asking about downloading since it's against the board rules here.  Check here for purchasing OS X:

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/osx-center/software-and-more/

As far as getting the Mac to print to that Lexmark which will now be connected to a PC, there's an option in Windows to install Windows Services for Unix (or something like that).  This allows Windows to share out printers to Unix machines as an LPD printer server.  Since Mac OS X is basically a Unix operating system, it could theoretically connect to this service once installed on the Windows laptop.  I'll look further into this as an option and I'll keep you posted.

As for the wifi router, the actual model number and revision should be on the bottom of the router itself.  Mine is a WRT54G rev. 3, for example.  You don't really need any drivers for it.  You might not even need the routing portion of this router...just the LAN switch ports since you're on dial-up.


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## TylerDurden (May 27, 2006)

thanks man..i'm on DSL though. not sure about the terminology you guys use as to if you call that dial up or not.

thanks for the help. 

anyways ummmm so if i wanted to get a blank slate on this Mac i would need to install OSX? thats basically want i want.. a blank slate because the douche that sold me this thing is harder to get ahold of then the president.

thanks


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## nixgeek (May 28, 2006)

Are you able to login to it at the very least?  If you can, then head to the Apple Menu (top left) and then select "About This Mac."  Once you've got that open, click on the "More Info" button.  That will give you all of the specs on the iMac.  You can also check out Low End Mac for the Mac you have specifically.  Reason I'm asking is that I want to make sure you can run Tiger without it being too sluggish.  Otherwise, I would recommend Panther (10.3.x) which is just as good (and cheaper now ).

As for the terminology, it's either broadband or DSL.  Dial-up refers to using an analog modem, like the 56K ones and below.  Even though with DSL you're "dialing" a number, it's completely different than a real dial-up connection.  DSL, like with cable, can be an "always on" connection since it's not inturrupted by a phone call from a person.  This is how I have it set up at home.

Regarding my DSL setup, I have set up my DSL modem to function in "bridged mode."  This allows it to pass all the routing functions over to the router (my Linksys WRT54G).  You can configure this on the modem through the HTML interface as per the instructions of your DSL modem.  Before you do that, however, write down all the login information for your DSL connection, as well as the listed DNS nameserver IP addresses (these help resolve HTTP names like www.macosx.com to IP addresses so that you can type www.macosx.com and reach the designated site).  You're going to take this information and configure it on your Linksys router once you've switched the DSL modem to bridged mode.  This is how I have it set up at my house.

Let us know how it all turns out.


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## TylerDurden (May 28, 2006)

it has a 1GHZ processor as well as a 256 RAM. would i be able to run Tiger w/o a problem or should i go with Panther. I believe he is running Panther now. 

Plus I want to get ILife 06 would there be any compatibility issues between Ilife 06 and Panther.

And finally..he does have some progs on here that i want...how can i burn them so that when i install a new OS i can just reinstall them.

thanks


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## bobw (May 28, 2006)

It will run Tiger fine, but get more ram, as much as you can afford.


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## TylerDurden (May 28, 2006)

hmmmmm...i might upgrade the RAM..but these G4s are a little awkward.


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## bobw (May 28, 2006)

Apple's DoItYourself manuals


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## TylerDurden (May 28, 2006)

does Tiger come bundled w/ ILIFE 06?


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## bobw (May 28, 2006)

No it doesn't.


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## fryke (May 28, 2006)

Cheaper solution: Stay with Panther (it's a good OS) and get iLife '06. Runs fine on Panther AFAIK.


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## TylerDurden (May 28, 2006)

Now I'm having another problem. I'm trying to network my Laptop w/ my WRT54G router but I can't get onto: http://192.168.1.1/

i found the linksys instructions and setup guide for the router and it tells me to goto http://192.168.1.1/ and type in "admin" as the password but i keep getting a 401 screen.

the thing is my laptop is getting a 100 percent connection but i can't connect to the internet w/ it. i have a linksys wireless networking card in it.

somehow i'm doing something wrong?

Nix, do you have an advice on this since you have the same router.

thanks,
TD


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## TylerDurden (May 28, 2006)

fryke said:
			
		

> Cheaper solution: Stay with Panther (it's a good OS) and get iLife '06. Runs fine on Panther AFAIK.



yah thats probably what i'm going to do.

thanks.


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## TylerDurden (May 28, 2006)

bump


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## nixgeek (May 28, 2006)

Just so you know for future reference, it's not good practice to bump a thread here within a few hours.  We might not be in (I've been out until just now), others might not have seen the thread yet so they haven't had a chance to respond, or they just don't have the answer and are waiting for someone with the answer to post instead.

Anyways, back to your problem.  Here's what I did to access the web interface on my Linksys

1. Connect a computer (PC or Mac, doesn't matter) directly to the Linksys using an Ethernet cable.  Also make sure to manually set your IP address on that Mac/PC to something like 192.168.1.5 or something other than 192.168.1.1 (which is the address of the router).

2. Once both are connected from an ethernet cable, open up a web browser and type http://192.168.1.1 in the address bar and hit Enter/Return.  If all went well, you should get a login box.  Just enter the default password without a username and that should bring you to the configuration page of the router.  CHANGE THE DEFAULT PASSWORD TO SOMETHING MORE SECURE THAT ONLY YOU WILL KNOW.

3. In the Linksys configuration page, make sure that you configure it to work as a DHCP server so that the router can give out IP addresses to the rest of the computers on your network.  I've set up a scope from 192.168.1.100 - 192.168.1.200, but you can make the scope as large or small as you like.

4. In the wireless section, make sure to enable the highest encryption that is allowed by your wireless computers.  If you have various devices that support WPA and one that only supports WEP, then you'll be forced to use WEP for encryption.  It's not the best, but it's better than no encryption at all.

5. Also, be sure to set up your SSID (the name for your wireless signal on the router) and don't have it broadcast (makes it easier for people to detect your network if you leave the broadcasting on).  Make it something that only you will know.

As for your modem, you might not need to do anything to it.  However, if you choose to do so then you can configure the DSL modem to work in bridged mode.  To do this, you will have to do the following:

1. Connect a computer (Mac/PC) to the DSL modem directly using an Ethernet cable.  Make sure the TCP/IP configuration is set to receive an address through DHCP before continuing.

2. Open up a web browser and type in the internal IP address for the modem in the web address bar.  This internal IP information should be included with the modem when it shipped to you.

3. Once you're logged in to the modem's config page, go into the section that has your DSL username account and password.  WRITE IT DOWN ON PAPER.

4. Next, find the section with your ISP's DNS nameserver IP addresses and domain name.  This information is what allows you to type in "http://www.macosx.com" and reach this site, for example.  WRITE DOWN THIS INFORMATION ALSO.  You'll find this information probably in a Connection Status page.  I couldn't tell you exactly as all modems are different from one another.

5.  Once you have all that information, head over to the modem's advanced section (if it has one).  In there, you should have an option for "bridged mode" or something similarly named.  Enable it and accept any changes.  REMEMBER YOU NEED THE PREVIOUS INFORMATION BEFORE DOING THIS AS YOUR ROUTER WILL BE DOING THE JOB OF THE MODEM AS WELL!!

6. Disconnect the computer and connect the router's WAN port to the modem's Ethernet port.  Connect the computer to your router's switch port.  _(If you've already configured the router to act as a DHCP server, then leave the computer set to DHCP.  If not, then follow the above directions on the router configuration before continuing with this step.)_

7. In the router (this is the part I haven't included yet in the above steps for the router), you'll notice a section for a username, password, and connection type.  My DSL uses PPP over Ethernet (PPPoE), so I have the router set to that.  Set your router to the appropriate connection type from your ISP.  In the username section, enter the username used to connect to the Internet and your password under the password section.

8. Under the DNS section, enter the DNS nameserver IPs that you took from your modem config page.  Also include the domain name if your router asks for it.

That should pretty much do it.  Yes, it's a bit to do, but it will work for you.  It works for me just fine.

As for the printing, I checked my Windows box and the option is called "Printing Services for Unix" which is located in the Add/Remove Programs-->Add/Remove Windows Components.  Once you have that up, it's under the option "Other Networking Services" or something like that. 

Hope this helps.


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## TylerDurden (May 28, 2006)

> 2. Once both are connected from an ethernet cable, open up a web browser and type http://192.168.1.1 in the address bar and hit Enter/Return. If all went well, you should get a login box. Just enter the default password without a username and that should bring you to the configuration page of the router. CHANGE THE DEFAULT PASSWORD TO SOMETHING MORE SECURE THAT ONLY YOU WILL KNOW.



Nix,

I did that and it kept booting me out telling me I had the wrong password. I typed in "default" like it told me to do but kept getting a 401 error.


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## nixgeek (May 28, 2006)

I wasn't saying that the password was "default", but that the _default password_ (the password that is set from the factory and in the firmware of the router) would need to be changed.

Try "admin" as that's usually the default password that I've come across with Linksys routers.  If that doesn't work, then you might have to reset it.  Check the instructions for the Linksys router on how to reset it.


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