[mr_eloquent_young]

Here is a Doozy:

I am having trouble printing from my new Intel iMac over a wireless network, through an attached print server.

Here is the layout & issue:

Configuration:
I have a Windows XP PC & iMac in my office.
I have a wireless network connecting the 2.
On this network & have attached the SimpleShare 250GB network HDD, with print server
I have a Canon Pixma 800 attached via USB to the SimpleShare print server.

Issue:
The iMAC cannot print out of the printer.
The iMAC searches, finds & installs the printer (im thinking all is well...)
It sends the job & says the job is done (looking good!).
I hear the HDD fire up (a couple clicks). But nothing prints out & the printer does not recognize a job was sent to it. (ARGHH!)

I have:
upgraded to the latest firmware on SimpleShare.
The windows PC prints fine to the printer, through this same configuration.
The iMAC prints fine to the printer when connected directly.
The iMAC reads/writes fine to the HDD itself through the network.
The internet connection works fine through this configuration.

The ONLY issue is getting a print job from the iMAC to the printer.
ANY & ALL help is appreciated, its driving me crazy...

[ghporter]

Firstly, I don't think calling a network drive with a print server a "PC Print Server" is really accurate; however I think there's a really good chance that your problem has a simple answer.

How are you installing the printer on the iMac? If you go through the Printer Installer in System Preferences, you'll need to specify that the printer is connected through the network, and probably provide the IP address it's supposed to use as well.

Now for the clincher: what is the queue name you're using? If you used "default" in the setup, that is most likely your problem. Go back into the setup and change it to "LPT1" (without the quotes of course). Try again. Betcha it works.

Here's why: the "PC" issue is that msot PCs expect their printer's queue name to be "LPT1" because that's the way PCs set up their queues (unlike OS X's ability to provide a more meaningful queue name). The print request gets to the server, but it doesn't have a queue with the default name, so it just goes away.

[mr_eloquent_young]

Thank you for your reply, Im hopeful it works.
BUT, I have not been able to access & change the print queue setting.

I install the printer through the system preferences, it finds it on the network, assigns it a workgroup location & name (MP800).

The print queue is then assigned MP800 as well, & I cannot access/change it (doesnt allow for manual changes that I can see).

Any help here on how to specifically get in & make this change, or if this still looks like the issue?

[ghporter]

Go to the Print and Fax preferences pane and select Help. Type "queue" (no quotes) in the Ask a question box and search. You'll find a topic called "Setting up to print to an IP Printing network printer;" select this and you'll get all the detailed instructions.

Basically it walks you through manually installing an IP printer. It's no big deal, but it does take a few steps more than having it done automatically for you. BUT it DOES show you how to select a non-default queue name, which is the big deal.

[mr_eloquent_young]

Again, thank you for the direction.
I appreciate the below & have followed those directions.
My new question is that Im unsure what IP address to give for the printer.
Previously I had set it up through the "finder" method where it discovered it on its own.

I tried the IP address for the HDD (print server) & that hasnt worked: 192.168.1.66.
It says it is busy when it tries to reach it.

I have looked in both my Windows & MAC settings to see if the printer was given an IP address when set up through those networks, but there is none.

Windows lists it solely as being a member of "Net 250GB" (my HDD name) on the network. Any suggestions here?

[ghporter]

What does the manual say? It should have some sort of browser-based interface that lets you mess with the settings. That would tell you what the IP of the print server is. I'd look it up and let you know, but I can't find a manual on SimpleTech's site.