[Breakin80]

Hi,

I've searched several forums and haven't found a solution to my specific problem yet, so here goes...BTW thanks for your willingness to help!

I just connected a Linksys Wireless-B router to my cable modem. The computers I have networked using this router are a G4 450 Desktop running 9.2.2, and a G4 tiBook also running 9.2.2 (Airport card). In addition to the 2 machines I also have a GCC Elite XL 20/1200 ethernet printer plugged into the router.

Everything seems to be working just fine as far as the machines being able to share the internet connection and files (another question about that configuration in the PS).

Here's the problem: I can't see the printer in the chooser on either machine. Where have I gone wrong??? Please advise with detailed instructions...I'm a novice at all of this.


Thanks!

PS Is selecting AppleShare in the chooser and typing the IP address for each computer the only way to go about sharing files? Thanks again!!

[arclight]

If you turn on Appletalk on each machine as well as sharing, each mac should show up in the chooser under appleshare. You shouldn't need to type in the IP. Check to make sure the Appletalk control panel is set to Ethernet and appletalk is active in the Chooser.

As far as a network printer goes in OS 9, you have to creat a desktop printer using the desktop printer utility in the utilities folder. This will create an icon on the desktop that you can drop files onto to print. The setup utility will guide you through the process-

repost if you have problems-

[Breakin80]

Thanks for the quick response! I hope I won't be too much of a bother...

AppleTalk is active on both computers as well as sharing - with "Ethernet" set in the AppleTalk control panel on the desktop machine and "Airport" set on my tiBook, but still nothing coming up in the chooser. If I enter the "Server IP Addresses", they can communicate. BTW, in the AppleTalk control panel it says "no zones available" - is that significant?

Using the Desktop printer utility - do I need to set it up with "AppleTalk" or "LPR"?

If I choose "AppleTalk" then "change" the printer selection I get no AppleTalk zones and no printer to choose. If I choose "LPR" It asks me for a printer address and queue and I have no idea what that means or where to find those things.

Thanks again!

[John Strung]

Not all wireless routers support AppleTalk on the wireless side. I believe that the LinkSys wireless router is among those that does not support AppleTalk on the wireless side. This is discussed here:

http://www.macintouch.com/wirelesslanreader13.html

[arclight]

I can't believe you did this to me but I'm actually writing this post from OS 9. I haven't seen this desktop in at least a year and a half! It all seems so foreign compared to OS X (panther).

Anyway, I looked into your problem a little further and I found out a few details about your printer. You have to set the IP on the printer manually through the front display. I have a link right here to help with that. As far as the desktop printer utility goes, you should choose LPR and the IP should be the same as the IP you entered into the the printer directly. It may have a default IP but it may not. The printer documentation should have some info.

When asked to enter the default router IP in the GCC printer setup, it should be 192.168.1.1. Have you configured your router before? You must have had to at one point. Anyway, the default address is 192.168.1.1 and the password is admin unless you changed it. Sorry if this is old hat but I don't know if you;ve done any of this before.

The Appletalk issue of having no zones is normal. Appletalk isn't necessary to connect to the printer. It will be going through TCP/IP directly. Appletalk is only needed for filesharing between your two macs. The wireless issue brought up by the other poster may have something to do with nothing showing up in the chooser. If appletalk isn't suported on the wireless side then you have to use another method. Have you ever tried Timbuktu? It works over TCP/IP and you can control remote computers directly through a window on your machine. It's just like VLC but a little cooler. If this interests you just ask and I can pooint you in the right direction-

Thanks for the trip down memory lane

Tim

[John Strung]

Arclight is right. If your printer supports IP printing, then you don't need AppleTalk to print. You don't need it to file share either, as you seem to have found out, as with OS9 and up you can also file share using TCP/IP by typing the IP address into the chooser window. To avoid having to to that every time, make an alias to the other computer's hard drive once you have mounted it on your desktop, and then you will be able to connect in the future by double-clicking the alias.

[Breakin80]

Thanks to all! You have gone above and beyond. I do still have a couple of questions pertaining to setting the IP address on my printer...

1. When I get to the menu on my printer that asks for the IP class, I don't know what that means or where to find the "class" of my particular network.

2. As far as the subnet mask goes - do I just enter the subnet #'s from the TCP/IP control panel?

3. Since the IP addresses of my computers are 192.168.1.100 and 192.168.1.101, can I make the printer 192.168.1.102?

Thanks for going "old school" and digging into OS9. As soon as the software that I use to make a living provides a carbonized version, I intend to go to OSX and never look back!

[arclight]

Hello again-

I thought you may have some questions about the subnet mask. You can enter the settings that are in the TCP/IP control panel. Normally, the default subnet is 255.255.255.0

The IP class is C since it starts with 192.xxx.xxx.xxx. Hope this all helps. the idea of making an alias for your network volumes is an ecellent idea-

Good Luck

The IP you selected for your printer is fine. You want to stay in the same class and same subnet-

[John Strung]

Actually, it is a better idea to use 192.168.1.99 for the printer IP. The reason is that the LinkSys DHCP server uses the range 192.168.1.100 to 192.18.1.149 for DHCP IP addresses and there is a danger that if you use any address in that range for a fixed IP address, the LinkSys DHCP server might try to use the same address for a different device.

You are safe in giving your printer any IP address in the ranges

192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.99

or

192.168.1.150 to 192.168.1.254.

[arclight]

OOPS! John is right, DHCP may hand out the IP you give the printer. Better to be safe than not printing-

[Breakin80]

Thanks to arclight and James!!!

I have successfully printed from my desktop machine (wired) and my TiBook (wirelessly) via the Linksys router.

I couldn't have done it without you guys!

Now I just have to figure out encryption...

Mike - in Nashville, TN