Networking a Pixma

[ChristopherM]

Has anybody connected a 9000 or 9500 to a wired LAN using a USB to RJ45 adaptor/printer server? I thinking along the lines of those 30 -50 quid boxes from the likes of Netgear. Maybe even going wireless with a USB dongle thingy.

Any particular make/model better/worse than others? Router is a Netgear WNDR 3700 (gigabit wired, two band wireless etc)

Any issues?

[MX5]

Re: Networking a Pixma

Mine has always been connected to the network. Works fine no issues.

[ChristopherM]

Re: Networking a Pixma

Which adaptor do you use?

[MX5]

Re: Networking a Pixma

Actually its plugged into a Iomega Networked Hard Drive (which provides the print server).

So the Pixma connects to the Iomega via USB. The Iomega connects to a Netgear 8x switch via Fast Ethernet. The Netgear 8x switch connects to the Linksys ADSL/Router/Wifi box again via Fast Ethernet.

[ChristopherM]

Re: Networking a Pixma

Ah, I hadn't thought of using printer server in the NAS - Good thinking!

Cheers

[Woodman]

Re: Networking a Pixma

Check the USB port supports bi-directional communications. I got caught with a print server built into a Synology NAS box. Although it printed OK there was no info fed back as to the printer status.

[ChristopherM]

Re: Networking a Pixma

Check the USB port supports bi-directional communications. I got caught with a print server built into a Synology NAS box. Although it printed OK there was no info fed back as to the printer status.

I've finally got back to trying to make this work, and following MX5's suggestion of connecting the 9500ii to a USB port on my NAS - which is an LG N2B1D.

I appear to be having the same issues as Woodman, in that it will print (so far I've only tried the standard test page from Windows 7 pro - 64 bit). However, I have been unable to retrieve any status information from the printer. I have checked the "Enable bidirection support" checkbox on the Printer and Faxes\Canon_lp0 on LGNAS\Ports tab.

Note that I'm not trying to share the printer from multiple PCs, it's just that I wish to relocate the printer to another room and use the Gigabit LAN.

The Canon support page has this to say (my comments in italics):

Restrictions on Network Printing

These are restrictions that apply if you are using a printer in a network environment. Check the restrictions for the environment you are using.
If you are sharing a printer in a network:

<clip>

- The bi-directional communication function is disabled so that the correct printer status may not be recognized.
If a client user opens the printer driver properties and then clicks OK with the Enable bidirectional support check box on the Ports tab unchecked, the bi-directional function of the printer server system may also be disabled.

In this case, make sure that Enable bidirectional support check box is checked on both the print server system and the client system.

I think they are.....

- When you print from a client system, you cannot use Canon IJ Preview.
- If the functions on the Maintenance tab cannot be set properly from a client system, they may be grayed out.

None are greyed out

In this case, change the settings from the print server.
When you change the settings of the print server, you should delete the icon of the shared printer from the client system, and then specify the shared settings again in the client system.
If the same printer driver is installed in the print server system and the client system as the local printer:

The net crawl function may automatically create a network printer icon on the client system.

Have I missed something, or does it just not work?

If the latter, then I see that the Canon UK site is promoting* what appear to be fully fledged printer servers from Silex, with a couple of "Canon-specific" models being of interest, namely C-6600GB (Gigabit wired) & C-6700WG (wired/wireless).

*http://www.canon.co.uk/Networking/ad...working_unit)/

Has anybody got one of these?