Re: Printer recommendation?
On Mar 5, 2:59 pm, Clark Martin cm...@sonic.net wrote: On 3/5/10 12:40 PM, t...@io.com wrote: There you go giving me helpful advice (thank you!) when it's been a few weeks since I tried this. However, IIRC, my DNS server (provided by my router) assigned the IP address. I was able to log into the router and find the printer in the list of IP assignments, I think. Which implies that ethernet is working at some level. Not DNS, SoHo Routers provide DHCP which hands out IP addresses from a pool. Yes. My bad. Thank you for the correction. My bare familiarity with networking protocols is showing. If the IP address the printer has did indeed show up in the list of DHCP assigned addresses then it should certainly be in the local subnet and therefore be accessable to you. I'll need to double check the details (son's birthday party and corn planting this past weekend, so no time then), but IIRC that is what was happening. It shows up in the list of DHCP assigned addresses but is not accessible from the Mac. I was able to use the HP printer tool (forget its exact name) while using the LocalTalk port on the card to configure it to get its IP address from the DHCP server.Then switched the connection to ethernet, cycled power on the printer, and it still wasn't recognized by anything on the computer, including the HP tool, although the DHCP server appears to have assigned it an IP address. Also odd, and possibly unconnected is that the HP tool wouldn't find the printer when it was connected by the built-in localtalk port, only when I switched to the localTalk port on the EIO card. Jeff Walther -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: Printer recommendation?
On Mar 8, 2010, at 9:23 AM, t...@io.com wrote: It shows up in the list of DHCP assigned addresses but is not accessible from the Mac. I was able to use the HP printer tool (forget its exact name) while using the LocalTalk port on the card to configure it to get its IP address from the DHCP server.Then switched the connection to ethernet, cycled power on the printer, and it still wasn't recognized by anything on the computer, including the HP tool, although the DHCP server appears to have assigned it an IP address. what happens if you try the following command in Terminal: ping ip address Substituting the IP address that was assigned to it for ip address This will tell you whether or not the system is responding on the ethernet port. If it responds, follow the directions I have in my other email to ensure that Ethertalk is switched on. (Also, make sure Appletalk is enabled in the network settings for your computer!) You should see it then. If not you can do it another way, that's a bit more work, but will work. Also odd, and possibly unconnected is that the HP tool wouldn't find the printer when it was connected by the built-in localtalk port, only when I switched to the localTalk port on the EIO card. The EIO card over-rides the built-in connections, this is expected behavior. If the card doesn't respond to a ping (and the self test page lists '0 recieved packets' and lots of packet errors in the IO section) then likely the JetDirect is foo or the ethernet cable you're using is bad. -- Bruce Johnson University of Arizona College of Pharmacy Information Technology Group Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: Printer recommendation?
On Mar 5, 12:31 am, John Musbach johnmusba...@gmail.com wrote: On 3/4/10, Tom tba...@nmia.com wrote: None of my old Laserjets has a USB port; you're stuck with serial ports on these old beasts, so you have to use a serial-to-USB adapter cable, available from places like Radio Shack, Best Buy, etc. for around $20 when I last looked. Maybe they don't have USB but they can have the next best thing, Ethernet, with a jetdirect card. :-) That's not next best, that's far superior to USB. True networkability rather than being tethered to a desktop. Network connectivity is a requirement for any printer in my house, from the old Imagewriter II to the new Kyocera C170N. Jeff Walther -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: Printer recommendation?
On Mar 4, 2:18 pm, Bruce Johnson john...@pharmacy.arizona.edu wrote: The 2100TN is a stellar performer...we have one as our shop printer, rarely have issues with it, never an issue that a restart doesn't fix. Bruce, do you have ethernet Jetdirect cards in those 2100s? I guess the TN comes with one. I ask because I picked up a J3111A card and I can't get the ethernet port to work. The J3111A is the one with a LocalTalk port, ethernet port and BNC port. The LocalTalk port on the card works (kind of pointless, since the 2100 has a built-in LocalTalk port) and the status page claims there's an IP address there, but the thing just does not show up as an available printer when I connect it via ethernet. Do you think it's possible that the J3111A has the Asante problem of not playing nice with network hardware that supports speeds higher than 10 Mbps? Of course it could just be a bad card. Jeff Walther -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: Printer recommendation?
On Mar 5, 11:08 am, Bruce Johnson john...@pharmacy.arizona.edu wrote: On Mar 5, 2010, at 9:22 AM, t...@io.com wrote: Bruce, do you have ethernet Jetdirect cards in those 2100s? I guess the TN comes with one. I ask because I picked up a J3111A card and I can't get the ethernet port to work. How was the address set? There you go giving me helpful advice (thank you!) when it's been a few weeks since I tried this. However, IIRC, my DNS server (provided by my router) assigned the IP address. I was able to log into the router and find the printer in the list of IP assignments, I think. Which implies that ethernet is working at some level. Is the IP address in your local address space? This is very important, because if it's not, you can't get to it, and none of the following things will work. If this is the case, tell me what the subnet mask I will have to work my way through this list after I'm home. Thank you! That's wonderful helpful advice in easy to follow format. Jeff Walther -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: Printer recommendation?
On Mar 4, 7:34 pm, Clark Martin cm...@sonic.net wrote: We had two 4MVs that lasted for 10+ years with moderately heavy use. Additionally IIRC for postscript you needed more than the base memory (8Mb?). For those who aren't familiar with it, the 4MV is the printer in HP's family of Laserjet 4s which prints on ledger sized (11 X 17) paper. They're very nice. They also have an option for an internal hard drive. However, there is no duplex option available for the 4MV as there is for the 4M, 4M Plus, etc. The Laserjet 4 family used standard 72 pin SIMMs for memory expansion, although I think the PID pins may have been required. HP claimed that one needed to use only HP brand memory, but I remember purchasing a...darn, memory fault, their expensive desktop ink jet printer at the time. Something like Paintjet 300XL maybe? Anyway, the HP memory we purchased for it did not work at all. Some other SIMMs we had laying around worked perfectly. Gave me a giggle at the time since they were always so adamant about buying their several times more expensive memory. While it's true that color laser printers have four toner cartridges and it is expensive to replace all four, if you primarily print in black, then you only need to replace the black cartridge frequently. So, assuming similarly priced toner cartridges, the color laser is no more expensive to operate for simple black printing. Watch the consumables. Even the black toner carts for color printers can be pricey. Yes, my phrase, assuming similarly priced toner cartridges is, perhaps, under-emphasized. Most of the nice color laser printers I've looked at seem to charge about $80 for the black cartridge. The MRP on toner cartridges for black-only laser printers is usually in that ball park, but with discounts and such, one can often pay less, at least after the printer has been on the market a while. Remanufactured cartridges for my 2100 are down around $30 - $40 now. Still, when it runs out of toner next time, I'm not sure it will be worth keeping it, when I could print on the C170N at a slightly higher cost. Jeff Walther -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: Printer recommendation?
On Mar 2, 12:30 pm, Bill Spencer wspence...@gmail.com wrote: So my question is, what do you folks recommend as a good-quality, basic b/w, no need for bells whistles, laser printer that won't break the bank and will work well with either machine below? In the used market, the HP Laserjet 4M and 4M Plus are highly regarded. Similarly (but slightly less so) for the LaserJet 5M. I'm a fan of the LaserJet 2100TN. In every case, the postscript module is on a SIMM (or DIMM) and the ethernet port is on an expansion card, so when buying in the used market, you need to make sure the needed options are actually installed. The corollary is that the 4, 4 Plus, 5 and plain old 2100 might have the postscript module and ethernet module installed. The color laser printers have fallen in price a lot. So depending on your budget (won't break the bank is so subjective) you might consider a color laser printer. I picked up the Kyocera EPS C170N (postscript and ethernet built in) for $200 shipped two holiday seasons ago. The Xerox Phaser 6180 was about $50 more and there was a Brother model in a similar price/feature point. However, the Kyocera listed Appletalk as a supported protocol (as opposed to only TCP/IP) so I chose it so I'd have support for older Macs which might have trouble printing to TCP/IP. While it's true that color laser printers have four toner cartridges and it is expensive to replace all four, if you primarily print in black, then you only need to replace the black cartridge frequently. So, assuming similarly priced toner cartridges, the color laser is no more expensive to operate for simple black printing. Unless you need the very best image reproduction available, I think color laser is far superior to inkjet. If you print a lot of color, laser is better because the supplies are so much cheaper per page printed. If you seldom print in color, laser is better because you don't have to worry about print heads clogging up during long periods of disuse. Jeff Walther -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: Printer recommendation?
On Mar 4, 2010, at 9:53 AM, t...@io.com wrote: In the used market, the HP Laserjet 4M and 4M Plus are highly regarded. Only so long as you have the Postscript update in them; the original Postscript ROM for these has signiifcant issues with modern drivers. I've got a 1994 4M with the old Postscript, on my network via a built- in JetDirect Mechanically it's stellar, but I have continuing issues with print jobs blowing up on PS errors. Along about 10.4 or 10.5 HP yanked the old old HP drivers of their web site, and Apple's HP4M driver just does not work, any time I print anything more complex than plain text it blows up. Similarly (but slightly less so) for the LaserJet 5M. I'm a fan of the LaserJet 2100TN. The 2100TN is a stellar performer...we have one as our shop printer, rarely have issues with it, never an issue that a restart doesn't fix. (Our printer before that was a HP 4 with the PS ROM. It worked for years) -- Bruce Johnson University of Arizona College of Pharmacy Information Technology Group Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: Printer recommendation?
On Thu, Mar 4, 2010 at 3:18 PM, Bruce Johnson john...@pharmacy.arizona.edu wrote: On Mar 4, 2010, at 9:53 AM, t...@io.com wrote: In the used market, the HP Laserjet 4M and 4M Plus are highly regarded. Only so long as you have the Postscript update in them; the original Postscript ROM for these has signiifcant issues with modern drivers. I've got a 1994 4M with the old Postscript, on my network via a built-in JetDirect Mechanically it's stellar, but I have continuing issues with print jobs blowing up on PS errors. Along about 10.4 or 10.5 HP yanked the old old HP drivers of their web site, and Apple's HP4M driver just does not work, any time I print anything more complex than plain text it blows up. I don't think that's anything new actually, I recall using those printers at elementary school and on the ones without the newer postscript ROM anything beyond the basics printed gibberish. -- Best Regards, John Musbach -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: Printer recommendation?
I'm using old HP Laserjet 5 and 6MPs with my Macs (with Tiger and Leopard), and I even have several spare one on the shelf (there was a government auction and I picked up a pile of these old Laserjets for cheap, mostly to get the toner cartridges out of them). None of my old Laserjets has a USB port; you're stuck with serial ports on these old beasts, so you have to use a serial-to-USB adapter cable, available from places like Radio Shack, Best Buy, etc. for around $20 when I last looked. The best drivers to use with these adapter cables are the CUPS ones, for example here: http://tinyurl.com/yhpkonf. I had lots of errors in printing until I started using these CUPS drivers, but very little trouble since. These old Laserjet 5 and 6MPs are bulletproof and utterly reliable once you get one working well with a Mac. Some of them need a bit more memory than they came with stock, though, (they take RAM chips just like a computer) in order to work at their best. Tom -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: Printer recommendation?
On 3/4/10 8:53 AM, t...@io.com wrote: On Mar 2, 12:30 pm, Bill Spencerwspence...@gmail.com wrote: In the used market, the HP Laserjet 4M and 4M Plus are highly regarded. Similarly (but slightly less so) for the LaserJet 5M. I'm a fan of the LaserJet 2100TN. In every case, the postscript module is on a SIMM (or DIMM) and the ethernet port is on an expansion card, so when buying in the used market, you need to make sure the needed options are actually installed. The corollary is that the 4, 4 Plus, 5 and plain old 2100 might have the postscript module and ethernet module installed. We had two 4MVs that lasted for 10+ years with moderately heavy use. Additionally IIRC for postscript you needed more than the base memory (8Mb?). The color laser printers have fallen in price a lot. So depending on your budget (won't break the bank is so subjective) you might consider a color laser printer. I picked up the Kyocera EPS C170N (postscript and ethernet built in) for $200 shipped two holiday seasons ago. The Xerox Phaser 6180 was about $50 more and there was a Brother model in a similar price/feature point. However, the Kyocera listed Appletalk as a supported protocol (as opposed to only TCP/IP) so I chose it so I'd have support for older Macs which might have trouble printing to TCP/IP. While it's true that color laser printers have four toner cartridges and it is expensive to replace all four, if you primarily print in black, then you only need to replace the black cartridge frequently. So, assuming similarly priced toner cartridges, the color laser is no more expensive to operate for simple black printing. Watch the consumables. Even the black toner carts for color printers can be pricey. One of the color printers we had was GCC. It worked well enough (although there was a weird problem printing to it via AppleTalk) but the only source for consumables was GCC and they were frequently back ordered. As far as I could tell the printer was made by Xerox but I was never able to find what Xerox toner carts would fit the GCC. -- Clark Martin Redwood City, CA, USA Macintosh / Internet Consulting I'm a designated driver on the Information Super Highway -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Printer recommendation?
Hi there: It's looking like my beloved old Apple LaserWriter 12/640 PS may be on its last legs...it's pulling several sheets at a time, and therefore jamming, more and more often, and it seems to be getting somewhat slower too, though I just ordered some more memory for it to go from the stock 4MB to 16 MB (this before I had caught on to the jamming issue). Plus the multi-purpose tray has never pulled anything through; as soon as it starts to do so it stops with a loud clunk sound, and displays a paper jam even though the paper never moves more than about 1/16 of an inch and comes back out with no resistance at all. Because of the age of this thing (and the fact that I got it for free [!] about seven years ago) I suspect it's not worth a service call, and the fix-your-own-printer folks don't have anything to service it myself that I can find...and the forums there make it sound like a large pain in the hoo-hah to work on anyway. So my question is, what do you folks recommend as a good-quality, basic b/w, no need for bells whistles, laser printer that won't break the bank and will work well with either machine below? Yes, I know you get what you pay for, but I just can't pay for very much, unfortunately. This would be for basic home printing: no photos or high-end graphics, almost no high-volume needs, nothing out of the ordinary. The only two things I can think of that might be nice-to- haves are a wireless connection and the ability to copy scan too, but even those are not necessities, let alone the ability to make coffee or vacuum the car. *ahem* If you have suggestions for reviving the 12/640 instead, I'm glad to hear those too. As always, my thanks in advance! *** Bill Spencer in Maryland IMac Core Duo 2.4 ghz/1 g RAM/Snow Leopard IMac Core Duo 1.83 ghz/1 g RAM/Snow Leopard -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: Printer recommendation?
On Mar 2, 2010, at 11:30 AM, Bill Spencer wrote: So my question is, what do you folks recommend as a good-quality, basic b/w, no need for bells whistles, laser printer that won't break the bank and will work well with either machine below? Yes, I know you get what you pay for, but I just can't pay for very much, unfortunately. I've become a big fan of Brother. A Brother HL6050DN. (D==Duplexing; N==Network) Built like tanks, run forever and ever. An EXCELLENT workgroup printer. Their only drawback is that repair parts seem quite hard to source. We replaced one a year back was simply having problems with paper feed, but I was unable to find a source for the take-up rollers in the back, which were the probable issue. HP's 2nnn and higher numbered printers are also good. Brother makes the smaller, desktop-sized HL5050, dunno if it has a N option too, but we have another one of those that's been giving yeoman service for about 7 years now. Brother, unlike HP doesn't change their printer lineup every 35 days, when we replaced the Hl6050DN, it was the very same model as the one we'd purchased 6 years prior. This is starting to catch up to HP, we've had a few come through that were intractable lemons (beware the old 4400 series BW workgroup printers, and three of the four low-end color laser printers we've gotten from them have died; logic board issues, I guess, because they just flat stopped working.) so if you go for an HP model, scour the web for problems with it before you buy. It's sad because HP at one time made the best laser printers on the planet. Another thing with the Brothers, the toner is separate from the drum, so feeding them is cheaper than most other printers. -- Bruce Johnson University of Arizona College of Pharmacy Information Technology Group Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: Printer recommendation?
On Wed, Mar 3, 2010 at 2:04 PM, Bruce Johnson john...@pharmacy.arizona.edu wrote: On Mar 2, 2010, at 11:30 AM, Bill Spencer wrote: So my question is, what do you folks recommend as a good-quality, basic b/w, no need for bells whistles, laser printer that won't break the bank and will work well with either machine below? Yes, I know you get what you pay for, but I just can't pay for very much, unfortunately. I've become a big fan of Brother. A Brother HL6050DN. (D==Duplexing; N==Network) Built like tanks, run forever and ever. An EXCELLENT workgroup printer. I second the brother HL line suggestion, I have a HL5250DN and am very happy with it. -- Best Regards, John Musbach -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: Printer recommendation?
On Mar 2, 2010, at 1:30 PM, Bill Spencer wrote: So my question is, what do you folks recommend as a good-quality, basic b/w, no need for bells whistles, laser printer that won't break the bank and will work well with either machine below? Yes, I know you get what you pay for, but I just can't pay for very much, unfortunately. Bill, Consumer Reports did an article on printers in its December '09 issue. Two Brother models were tested and both got the check mark recommendation and an excellent for quality text printing. They were models HL-5370DW ($250) and HL-2170W ($150). Both support ethernet and wifi. The more expensive model is given a cheaper per copy cost presumably because its toner cartridge is larger. Dale -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
Re: Printer recommendation?
At 10:30 AM -0800 3/2/2010, Bill Spencer wrote: So my question is, what do you folks recommend as a good-quality, basic b/w, no need for bells whistles, laser printer that won't break the bank and will work well with either machine below? Like der Bruce et al, I like Brother current. But... take your time, peruse the normal channels - your local Craigslist, local zip search on eBay, LEM Swap, etc. A cheap/free used HP LaserJet or Canon or Brother or often beats the cost of a new printer, especially for basic b/w. FWIW, - Dan. -- - Psychoceramic Emeritus; South Jersey, USA, Earth. -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to g3-5-list@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
