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yaamical · Aug 1, 2000, 07:06 PM

Is anyone using USB PS on an Airport Network? My system: Standard Pismo with Airport card, and iMac DV with Airport card acting as a software base station, and an Epson 740i USB printer. I had gotten this to work once, but the next time I tried printing from the PB, it couldn't find the printer. I can network all day, but USB Printer Sharing is a no-go.
It seems simple enough: start sharing and select the local printer as shared; then go to the remote 'puter and look for the network printer. Problem: it doesn't show up now.
I know there are some tweaks to the TCP/IP control panels that may help, i.e., adding a network neighborhood, but I haven't been able to figure out how to do that either. As I said this worked once, but now it don't. Any tips would be appreciated.

Bugs Bunny · Aug 1, 2000, 10:36 PM

On the iMac, go to USB PS control panel, click on the My Printers tab. Your 740 should be visible. Click and drag to your Desktop. Copy this to your PowerBook. Open the USB PS Control Panel on the PowerBook. Click on Network Printers, and drag the 740 icon to the PB Network Printers panel. Make sure USB PS is active on both Macs and the printer is on.
That's it.

yaamical · Aug 6, 2000, 06:20 PM

Tried it. When I dragged it to PB Network Printer box highlighted, but printer did not appear in box. Looked at NSL Manager guide, but nothing jumped out at me. I did a clean install of the software on the PB but got same results. It really doesn't seem to be the iMac, since the printer shows up correctly and I was able to drag the icon to the desktop, but i'll see what a clean install does there. Any other ideas are greatly appreciated

Bugs Bunny · Aug 6, 2000, 09:17 PM

Here is a link FYI: http://til.info.apple.com/techinfo.nsf/artnum/n86036

yaamical · Aug 8, 2000, 12:50 PM

This TIL basically said the same thing as your other post. But I tried it again anyway with the same results. In my TCP/IP control panel the IP address and the router address are the same (169.254.123.31) for both computers. I'm using DHCP to configure the connection. I manually configured the PB address to 169.254.123.30 and kept all the other info the same. No change. A clean install on the iMac may be the best bet for eliminating the iMac system as the source of the problem.

Bugs Bunny · Aug 8, 2000, 03:51 PM

What kind if connection do you have to the net?

yaamical · Aug 9, 2000, 06:47 PM

Modem. TCP/IP => PPP with IP addresses of ISP set correctly. AppleTalk => Remote Only. No problems with that setup.

Tried making AppleTalk inactive as suggested in MacFixit Forum. No go. Could not establish a connection between computers. Basic control panel setups:
TCP/IP: Airport and DHCP, no search domains or other config info entered.
AppleTalk: Airport and AT Active

Here's an issue: When I click on 'Add' in the Network Printer panel on the powerbook, all I get is Appletalk, no Local Services. Is this a function of the Airport connection to the iMac? That is, does a proper network connection allow Local Services to be viewed, or is it inherent in the Powerbook regardless of the network connection? If it is inherent in the PB regardless of connection, then I've got something going on in the PB I've got to cure before I continue with this.

Bugs Bunny · Aug 10, 2000, 12:56 AM

Here are a few things for you to gaze over:
Both Macs must be using TCP/IP to communicate, AppleTalk is not supported.
Both Macs must have the printer driver installed.
In response to your last issue, Open the TCP/IP control panel and note the first domain name in the Search domains field (called "Additional Search domains" in advanced user mode). This is the network neighborhood in which the printers are registered. If the Search domains field is blank, the neighborhood defaults to "Local Services". You will need to know this neighborhood name to preselect the printer from another computer.

yaamical · Aug 15, 2000, 12:09 AM

Okay, both computers had the printer driver installed (I can print from both directly over USB.)
Both TCP/IP control panels had blank search domains.
As I said in my last post, my network doesn't connect unless AppleTalk is active. (Is that a clue, perhaps?) So my question is, how do I set up my control panels so that I'm communicating over TCP/IP and not AppleTalk? Look in my last post for my current configuration.
Am I supposed to make AppleTalk some other configuration besides AirPort (e.g., Remote Only) rather than making it inactive, or do I set up AppleTalk for AirPort and set AppleTalk Inactive? How do I set up TCP/IP so that I have a working network without AppleTalk?
Sorry if I appear to not 'get it', but I just don't 'get it'... yet. I really do appreciate the assistance.
FYI I haven't performed a clean install on the iMac yet. Baby and business come before wireless printing. Where are my priorities?

yaamical · Aug 15, 2000, 01:06 AM

Okay, I had a successful network set up between the two computers over AirPort. Had the iMac hard drive open on the PowerBook.
AppleTalk: Connect via: AirPort
AppleTalk: Make AppleTalk: Active
TCP/IP: Connect via: AirPort
TCP/IP: Configure: Using DHCP Server

No other options selected. If I change any of the AppleTalk settings (Connect via: to whatever, or Make AppleTalk: Inactive) the fileserver connection closes. So my question stands: How do I make a TCP/IP network without AppleTalk?

Bugs Bunny · Aug 15, 2000, 02:56 AM

I think we are confusing FileSharing and USB Printer Sharing!! My basic setup is this.
Pismo, wireless.
Airport, connected to 5 port hub
B&W G3 connected to hub
Cable Modem connected to hub
Epson printer connected to the B&W G3
FileSharing is off, AppleTalk is off.
Now, I'm assuming that when you try to print from your Pismo, the iMac is not sleeping.
Also, which driver are you using on the iMac/Pismo for the Epson?
And how is your TCP/IP control Panel setup on the iMac? Check your extensions and make sure that the NSL and SLP extensions are enabled.
Which version Airport software are you using?

yaamical · Aug 15, 2000, 12:48 PM

That's very likely the problem. I was thinking that I needed to see the computer in order to use the printer attached to it. After the server disconnected as described above, I never tried to setup the printing. So if I understand, I don't need to be able to see the server/network in order for USB Printer Sharing to work. The connection will still be there for remote printing. Interesting. I'm not at home right now, but I'll try that tonight.

I imagine that I can have the settings on the iMac set up for filesharing, and disable Filesharing/AppleTalk from the PowerBook so that I can either share files or print by simply changing PB locations. I'll try it both ways and play with that too.

** Now, I'm assuming that when you try to print from your Pismo, the iMac is not sleeping. ** Not asleep. Please, I'm not lame.
** Also, which driver are you using on the iMac/Pismo for the Epson? ** Latest from Epson, whatever that is. Like I said, I can print from the PB when it's hooked directly to the 740i.
** And how is your TCP/IP control Panel setup on the iMac? ** Same as PB. See above.
** Check your extensions and make sure that the NSL and SLP extensions are enabled. ** They are. That was part of the standard install, and was explained in the NSL Manager Guide.
** Which version Airport software are you using? ** 1.1? 1.2? Whatever the latest is from Apple Software Update CP.

So is there anything else useful I can do with this setup? I imagine that it's similar to having the iMac in Software Basestation mode in that you have a connection that is not really visible, the difference being that the Basestation acts as a bridge to the internet rather than a bridge to the USB port.

Bugs Bunny · Aug 15, 2000, 05:04 PM

With Epsons drivers, you may setup print sharing via AppleTalk, instead of USB Printer Sharing. It's a tad slower then USB Printer Sharing, but it works. On the iMac, go to chooser and select the printer, click on the setup button. make sure AppleTalk is on. After you click setup, your printer should be visible. Do the same on the PowerBook. Now you will be able to share the Epson via AppleTalk. Like i said, it's slower, but it works.

yaamical · Aug 16, 2000, 06:50 PM

Haven't tried the Epson-over-AppleTalk solution. Yet.
On the PB, when I disable AppleTalk and open the USB PS CP, nothing is displayed in the 'Network - Add' pop-up - no AppleTalk and no Local Services. So I'm sure this is where my problem is. I have the NBP plugin and SLP plugin installed, and the NSL UI Library (I think I'm getting these names right) as shown in Conflict Catcher (8.0.7). Am I something missing else? Tonight I'll try to see if there are any differences between the extensions folders of the PB and the iMac.
Workman's Comp is coming over tomorrow to audit us. Gotta run.