HP printers and hubs

[Psi Baba]

Has anyone here had any experiences with HP printers not cooperating with certain brands of hubs or switches? We recently added a HP Laserjet 2430n that I wanted to connect through a Netgear hub. When I did, the printer was not available on the network. When connected directly to a data port (not through the hub) it became readily available. So I tried a different hub--a noisy old Linksys model. That worked great. No connectivity problems at all. However, the hub is getting noisier (I'm not sure why an 8-port hub needs a fan, but whatever) and I replaced it with a Linksys 5-port switch. I purposely kept to the same brand since the other one worked and the Netgear didn't. Now the printer can't be accessed through this new Linksys swtich. I know the new switch is working because other devices are running through it.

Has anyone run into this problem or have any ideas? I'm not getting any responses on the HP Message Board and HP wants me to pay for the secret.

 

[Stainless_Steel_Rat]

Does the switch have a diagnostic page you can log into? If so can you ping the printer from there? If not, can you ping the printer from your computer? Also, is your switch handing out DHCP addresses?

If the switch shows the printer is getting connectiviy (Usually a set of light linked to that port) You might have to call HP. Thier Website lists a problem like this and recommends trying to add the printer via the IP address. *shrug*

I hate printers... I have one disasembled on my desk right now.



SSR

 

[Psi Baba]

Does the switch have a diagnostic page you can log into? If so can you ping the printer from there? If not, can you ping the printer from your computer? Also, is your switch handing out DHCP addresses?

No diagnostic page. When the printer is connected to the switch, I cannot ping it. AFAIK the switch is not handing out DHCP addresses. It's not that sophisticated. Even the simpler Netgear hub causes the same problem.

If the switch shows the printer is getting connectiviy (Usually a set of light linked to that port) You might have to call HP. Thier Website lists a problem like this and recommends trying to add the printer via the IP address. *shrug*

Oddly, the light on the switch for the appropriate port seems to show some activity. The printer is using a fixed IP address, and like I said, becomes available immediately when connected directly to a data port (wall jack), but not when connected to the switch. I did find something on the website that seemed close but wasn't quite it. Do you have a link? Maybe I missed something.

I hate printers

I hate networks. I'm convinced that all networking technology was designed by insane people.

 

[Stainless_Steel_Rat]

It sounds like you hub/switches are filtering out some packets for some reason. If you hook another machine on the other side of the hub/switch can you ping back and forth?

SSR

 

[kevin]

go through the printer config and make sure all network protocols (appletalk, novell, etc...) are turned off, except the TCP/IP one.

Also make sure the IP address is set to get it's address via DHCP and not via BOOTP.

If that doesn't work, hard-code an unused IP into the printer and see if that fixes it.

 

[kevin]

whoops, i see you're already using a fixed ip. I'd check the other protocols and see if they're messing with the switch.

We have a netgear switch (FS105) connected to everyone of our HP printers without problems.

 

[Dark Jaguar]

I hate one particular printer I had the misfortune of dealing with. This thing has proprietary drivers that install a software suite, and I could never figure out how to just get the drivers in there without the software. The software itself was badly designed enough to cause some occasional problem and be a general memory hog, and of course the nature of a little hub which someone wanted to use with the printer meant that everyone on that network that wanted to use this printer needed that driver package installed in order to do it. That was just what I had realized before even going about using the little printer hub device. Once I got around to that I realized the nature of the software drivers meant it could NOT be installed unless the printer was actually attached to the machine in question. It had to "detect" it. Autodetect in the OS couldn't find the printers, and the software itself couldn't locate it unless it was physically connected, meaning the entire thing was a wasted effort.

All in all, it was a badly designed system just for the company to get pretty useless control over the system. I really can't wait for that new standard in which drivers are stored on the hardware and handled at the firmware level.

 

[BenK]

Have you tried plugging the printer into any of the other ports?

This is their list of current "basic" networking devices, if you can't find yours there you could post the model of your switch. If it like router the model number would be located on the bottom near the front of the switch.

 

[kevin]

Have you tried plugging the printer into any of the other ports?

good call. I would not only check the port the printer plugs into, but the port that plugs into the wall plate. There maybe a switch on the port that changes it to an uplink port. Try setting that swtich.

 

[Psi Baba]

Thanks for all the responses so far.

It sounds like you hub/switches are filtering out some packets for some reason. If you hook another machine on the other side of the hub/switch can you ping back and forth?

SSR

SSR, Yes, there is a networked copier currently plugged into that switch and I can ping the copier.

go through the printer config and make sure all network protocols (appletalk, novell, etc...) are turned off, except the TCP/IP one.

Also make sure the IP address is set to get it's address via DHCP and not via BOOTP.

If that doesn't work, hard-code an unused IP into the printer and see if that fixes it.

Good suggestion (I hadn't thought of that)--all of the other protocols were in fact enabled, so I turned them off, but unfortunately that didn't change anything.

Have you tried plugging the printer into any of the other ports?

Yes, I moved the cable to different ports.

This is their list of current "basic" networking devices, if you can't find yours there you could post the model of your switch. If it like router the model number would be located on the bottom near the front of the switch.

I have the Linksys SD205. The Netgear hub I have is the DS104

good call. I would not only check the port the printer plugs into, but the port that plugs into the wall plate. There maybe a switch on the port that changes it to an uplink port. Try setting that swtich.

The Linksys switch does not seem to designate any particular port as the uplink nor are there manual switches to toggle between normal and uplink--I assume it detects what to do automatically. The Netgear hub designates the last port as the uplink and provides a switch for that port.

Right now I have the printer connected to the Netgear hub which is on my desk and has a free port (the Linksys is in use at another workstation) so it's more convenient for me to tinker with the control panel settings. I figure if I can get it to work through the Netgear hub, it should work in the Linksys switch.

Here's a summary in case this is getting confusing:
Printer is a HP Laserjet 2430n
IP address is fixed.
All other network protocols (except TCP/IP) are now turned off.

Printer is available on network when connected:
directly to LAN
through old Linksys hub (FEHUB08W)

Printer not available on network when connected:
through Netgear hub
through new Linksys switch

All the hubs and switches are working fine for other devices (computers and three other printers).

I'm now going to try using DHCP instead of a fixed IP.

Here's something to ponder that may trigger an idea from those more knowledgable than I: I wonder if the old Linksys hub, which is not labelled as being 10/100mbps or anything like that--just "Fast Ethernet Hub" (I don't have any documentation on it) is hardwired to a speed and duplex mode that by coincidence, matches what the printer is trying to use. Newer hubs and switches supposedly auto-detect everything. Is there perhaps a speed setting or duplex mode setting that I can toggle in either the printer or the hub that would allow them to talk to each other?

 

[kevin]

i believe hp has a way to set the network card to auto-detect or to a fixed speed. you can try that.

What happens if you plug a computer into the hub, does it work?

have you tried other cables (obviously one is good, the one you tested into the wall with, I'm thinking of the other cable.)

 

[Psi Baba]

i believe hp has a way to set the network card to auto-detect or to a fixed speed. you can try that.

What happens if you plug a computer into the hub, does it work?

have you tried other cables (obviously one is good, the one you tested into the wall with, I'm thinking of the other cable.)

Actually, I just finished experimenting with speeds and duplex modes. When I set it to 10-Half (on Auto, the printer defaults to 100-Half), it worked through the Netgear hub (I also tried 100-Full but that didn't work)! However, it still doesn't work in the Linksys switch--none of the fixed speed/duplex settings did. Yes, there is a computer (and a networked copier/printer) in the switch now and they are working. I have tried two cables and both seem to be okay.

If I can't get it to work with the Linksys switch, I'm just going to swap that out with the Netgear hub, since I've gotten the printer to connect through that, though I don't know why it would have to be set to 10-Base T to work. Does that sound right?

 

[BenK]

Here is the manual for your printer, they have a troubleshooting network connections starting at page 172. Some things have already been discussed but there might be something useful.

 

[kevin]

10-Base T to work. Does that sound right?

if it's a very old hub. Old hubs sometimes have problems with the auto-detect circuitry in them. Forcing the NIC to the speed the hub defaults to can fix this.

 

[Psi Baba]

if it's a very old hub. Old hubs sometimes have problems with the auto-detect circuitry in them. Forcing the NIC to the speed the hub defaults to can fix this.

No, the Netgear hub is new--just bought last year. That's what's odd. The printer worked fine through the really old hub with no alterations necessary.

BenK. Thanks. I'll look over some of that information.