[The Wolf]

I just acquired a hand-me-up HP4550 Color LaserPrinter. The original owner (who used it w/ a PC) was about to throw it out b/c it "stopped working". So, I am in a difficult spot. I want to try to get it working, but I don't want to sink a bunch of money into it only to find out that it can't be fixed. I suspect that it has never been serviced - and I have always owned DeskJets so this is all new to me.

Obviously, the very first thing that I need to do is acquire some kind of port OR converter that will let my Ti connect to it (right now it only has a parallel printer port, a small port that says "c-link," and a third rounded port that kind of looks like an s-video port).

So, can someone give me some guidance as to how I should proceed? I suspect I need to acquire an ethernet port and install that into the printer (this is my guess). Is this right? Will the printer accept one of these? etc...

And beyond that, what do I do? Do I immediately replace the drums (not sure what/where they are I but I suspect that they are the 'original' ones that came with the machine). Also, can I buy cheap ink somewhere and recyle the cartridge that I have to save some money?

I really am lost right now, but I am hoping that this will work out. Thanks, T.

[tooki]

I suggest you take it to an HP repair center for an estimate. Color laser printer supplies are expensive, and you don't want to buy all these supplies just for diagnostic purposes only to find out it's something else.

tooki

[The Wolf]

This is amazing! I just plugged it in and printed a test page from the control panel and it worked perfectly!!! I am mad psyched right now.

Do you recommend getting this USB adapter, or is there an ethernet adapter that I should check out???

** Update **

k, forget about the USB adapter. Obviously, I want an ethernet connection. My question is what is the difference btwn the HP internal print servers and the "token rings". They look identical. I found an HP JetDirect 600N J3112A Token Ring on ebay for $5. Will this do the trick, or do I need the more expensive internal "print server" that is J3110 or the 615N? I am really confused about this.

- I am running 10.3 on my Ti if that matters.

Thanks again!

[tooki]

Token Ring is a totally different network type than Ethernet. They are not compatible.

You need an Ethernet print server. (Ethernet is better for PostScript printing than USB, IMHO.) Note that it by no means has to be an HP print server: you can get it from any brand you feel like, pretty much, although an internal print server is the best choice, if you are willing to spend the money. Otherwise, shop around and buy an ethernet-Parallel print server.

tooki

[tooki]

P.S. The ideal print server for that machine is the JetDirect 620n (J7934A). The 615n is a bit slower, and the 600n series is only 10baseT (slow for large color jobs).

tooki

[The Wolf]

Thanks for saving me from wasting $$$ on the "token" - and the sound advice.

[The Wolf]

K, after weeks of procrastination as to which card I should buy I finally have a 600N. Granted, it's not the fastest - but the price was right. On my way home today I spotted a bunch of printers on the curb that were headed to the trash. Sure enough, there was an HP with the card I need!!! (another perk of living in NYC!) Now, before I get tooo excited, can someone give me hint as to how to configure it since my Ti doesn't seem to want to find it automatically. i.e., after I select "add printer" what do I do next?

AppleTalk???
IP Printing???
HP IP Printing???

Thanks, T.

[tooki]

Well that all depends on how you first set up the 600N card!

Use the menus on the little display to configure the printer's network settings (I suggest using TCP/IP and disabling AppleTalk).

Then, in Add Printer, using IP Printingshould be enough, then choose "Socket/HP JetDirect" as the printer type . (I don't know what "HP IP Printing" adds over standard IP printing.) Type in the printer's IP, choose HP from the Printer Model menu, and choose the correct model from the list.

tooki

[The Wolf]

ahh, that could be my problem. My IP on my Ti is set to 10.0.1.x with a subnet of 255.255.255.x. At the same time the "JetDirect Configuration Page" I printed says that the HP's IP is 192.0.0.192 with a subnet that is "not specified" and a default Gateway of 192.0.0.192. I am assuming that this is my problem

While I figured out how print this info from the HPs little display, I don't see anything that let's me manually set the IP and subnet on the HP??? Sorry for my incompetence.