TCP/IP printer setup

fitzov · 05-09-2007, 11:13 AM

My understanding of printing on network printers is that if the device is connected to a windows machine, you need samba, but if it is simply a network printer (connected via a tcp/ip port) not connected to any machine, you can use cups only to use the printer. I can obtain the ip address of the printer that I want to use. Is this enough to use the printer?

tredegar · 05-09-2007, 11:32 AM

Quote:

I can obtain the ip address of the printer that I want to use. Is this enough to use the printer?

Yes, pretty much.
Turn the printer on, and connect the network cables. Of course the printer's IP must match your network (eg it cannot be 10.0.0.5 if your network is 192.168.0.x)
Fire up cups (usually with http://localhost:631 but I know (k)ubuntu is different)
Add Printer
Tell it it is a networked printer, follow the prompts. There's even an option for cups to scan your network for printers.
It installs (in my case). It prints a test page. Set it as the default printer and you are done.
The first time I used cups I was astounded by how easy it all was, I was expecting a nightmare (The last time I set up printers had been with SCO unix in the 80's - horrible!!).

fitzov · 05-09-2007, 01:43 PM

I've tried the CUPS http interface administration, but that doesn't seem to work. It might be that the printer isn't publicly accessible. (My Windows system that uses the printer is connected to an active directory.) I'll have to ask the resident Linux expert, I guess.

utanja · 05-09-2007, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fitzov

I've tried the CUPS http interface administration, but that doesn't seem to work. It might be that the printer isn't publicly accessible. (My Windows system that uses the printer is connected to an active directory.) I'll have to ask the resident Linux expert, I guess.

i dont know about active directory but you must make sure the windows printer is shared....

tredegar · 05-09-2007, 04:07 PM

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I've tried the CUPS http interface administration, but that doesn't seem to work.

This is not helpful information to us. What doesn't work: What are you doing and what are the errors you are receiving?

Quote:

It might be that the printer isn't publicly accessible. (My Windows system that uses the printer is connected to an active directory.)

You told us in your first post that

Quote:

it is simply a network printer (connected via a tcp/ip port) not connected to any machine

But now you are telling us that it is connected to another machine with "active directory". I have no idea what that means because I have not used windows since win98.

Quote:

It might be that the printer isn't publicly accessible.

It is a networked printer. "publicly accessible" is not a feature of the printer itself, but the OS you are using to print to the printer. Please make up your mind which OS you wish to use to print to the printer: If the printer is connected to a MS network, you need samba, if it is linux, you need cups

Please be consistent.

If you do not know how your network is set up, and you are unable to tell us, then we will be probably be unable to help.

Quote:

I'll have to ask the resident Linux expert, I guess.

Please do that.