[wizwoz]

I'd like to connect an Apple Laserwriter 4/600 via Asantetalk to the Ethernet port of an iMacDV, which connects to the local network via the internal Airport card to a Graphite ABS in another room which is in turn connected to a local network via a router.

The Asantetalk connects to the Ethernet port with a crossover cable, and printing works fine if the iMac is configured to use Ethernet for it's networking, but not if it uses Airport.

(How) can I:

1. Configure the iMac to use both the Airport card for network connectivity and the Ethernet port for printing to the Laserwriter?

2. Allow others on the (Airport) network to print to the Laserwriter (if the iMac is running)?

My understanding is that the Laserwriter 4/600 supports Postscript Level 2 and thus can be accessed over wireless.

OS is 10.2.3, all updates installed.

Suggestions?

[Rainy Day]

This printer is designed as a stand-alone networked printer; you don't need to treat it like a dumb ink-jet by hanging it off a computer such as your iMac. Instead, think of it as another computer on your LAN, at least from a networking perspective.

If you connect the AsanteTalk directly to your router (using a regular cable, not a cross over), everything should work just fine for you. Any computer on your LAN should be able to see and use it (as an AppleTalk printer) whether or not the iMac is on.

[aaanorton]

Originally posted by Rainy Day:
If you connect the AsanteTalk directly to your router (using a regular cable, not a cross over), everything should work just fine for you.

It sounded to me like he wanted to keep the printer in the same room as the iMac. What about just a long e'net cable to the router? That would work.

[wizwoz]

wanted to keep the printer in the same room as the iMac [/B]

This is the case, as the iMac is far away from the router, and the LaserWriter is right next to the iMac. I *have* made this work by connecting the AsanteTalk directly to the iMac's ethernet port using a crossover cable, and using Locations to switch back and forth between the wireless network and hardwired network. Internet access *or* printing.

The issue in question is how to configure networking so that both the wireless and the hardwired network can function simultaneously. I know that Appletalk must be turned on in only one port, and that must be the hardwired port in order for the laser printer to work. I had thought you could use an airport-equipped Mac as a bridge, effectively allowing network traffic to pass between the wireless port and the hardwired port, but how?

[wizwoz]

The secret to this is hidden in <a href="http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106919">Apple Knowledge Base Article#106919</a>, which details the following basic concept:

Set up networking to have both Airport and Ethernet ports active at the same time;

Drag the Airport setting to the top of the list so that an internet connection is found there first;

Set a manual IP address for the Ethernet interface such as "10.0.1.1", with a Subnet Mask of "255.255.255.0".

Make sure that Appletalk is set "On" for the Ethernet port.

Apply!

I can now print web pages accessed via Airport to a locally-connected network printer.

I have not yet determined whether other computers on the Airport network can also get to the printer, but hey!