stonesmith
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Network printer not ready.
We have recently connected a Lexmark T630n printer to our TCP/IP network. When we set it up on a workstation, it works fine .... for a while. Then we will get a "Printer not ready" error message. We have discovered that if we go into the printers folder on the workstation and view the port properties of the printer; it will start working again. We don't change anything -- just viewing it will somehow make it want to work again. The problem is the same in Win XP and Win 98 SE.
We have other network printers that don't have this problem. The only peculiar thing that I have noticed is that the T630n gives a message on its LED stating "WARNING: Gateway specified is not reachable". The gateway that we use is the same one used on our workstations. It is the address for our Cisco router to reach the internet. It is not in the same range as our workstations. Our workstations and the printer all have static IPs.
Any ideas would be appreciated. It's a real pain to have to stop and view the properties three or four times daily. Thanks.
We have other network printers that don't have this problem. The only peculiar thing that I have noticed is that the T630n gives a message on its LED stating "WARNING: Gateway specified is not reachable". The gateway that we use is the same one used on our workstations. It is the address for our Cisco router to reach the internet. It is not in the same range as our workstations. Our workstations and the printer all have static IPs.
Any ideas would be appreciated. It's a real pain to have to stop and view the properties three or four times daily. Thanks.
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Our IP range for our workstations is something like 108.266.143.129 - 108.266.143.191, the subnet mask is 255.255.255.192. SBC is our internet provider with a T1 line. They installed the Cisco router and have us using a gateway like 142.167.13.185 and their DNS servers. This is how all of our workstations and the other network printers are set up. But for some reason, the Lexmark T630n doesn't like that gateway. Whether or not that is a contributing factor to my problem, I don't know.
The gateway for your workstations would HAVE to be on the same network. I would bet it's 108.266.143.129 since your mask is 255.255.255.192. The router would have to be the default gateway. An easy test would be to run a traceroute.
From a command line, put in: tracert www.cisco.com
The first hop is the default gateway of the network you're on. Whatever the result is, try making the printer's default gateway the same and see if that works.
From a command line, put in: tracert www.cisco.com
The first hop is the default gateway of the network you're on. Whatever the result is, try making the printer's default gateway the same and see if that works.
I think what pseudocyber means is the both printer and PCs must in the same workgroup.Sometime i could say the security permission would cause the printer show the msg "printer not ready" which i get sometime.TQ
Well, what I mean is that a host (printer, pc, server) can't have a default gateway that isn't on it's own IP network. The error message coming from the printer about the gateway being unreachable sounds like the gateway is wrong.
IF the printer is on the same IP network as the workstations, it needs the same default gateway - except that the default gateway that Stonesmith said makes no sense - it's not on the same network according to the subnet mask.
IF the printer is on the same IP network as the workstations, it needs the same default gateway - except that the default gateway that Stonesmith said makes no sense - it's not on the same network according to the subnet mask.
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If anyone is not clear about the above post, just think :
Why would a printer need a gateway?
On a single subnet, all data is sent to local hosts.
The gateway would only be required if there was a host on another subnet which needed to communicate with the printer.
Also, I have come across network intrusions which attempt to probe printers, many of which nowadays run a version of NetBSd, Linux, or even Windows as an operating system.
Why would a printer need a gateway?
On a single subnet, all data is sent to local hosts.
The gateway would only be required if there was a host on another subnet which needed to communicate with the printer.
Also, I have come across network intrusions which attempt to probe printers, many of which nowadays run a version of NetBSd, Linux, or even Windows as an operating system.
I only mention it because of, "T630n gives a message on its LED stating "WARNING: Gateway specified is not reachable".'
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I think the gateway setting probably is irrelevant as to the problem. One of the girls just told me that the problem occurs when she sets the default printer to her desktop printer and then back to the network printer.
pseudocyber:
I take your point, but it is probably a red herring.
stonesmith:
Why is she changing the default instead of just selecting the printer from the application?
Are you using some application which only prints to the default printer?
If so, it could be that she is changing the default before the port is free, thus locking the spooler, viewing the properties would restart it.
I take your point, but it is probably a red herring.
stonesmith:
Why is she changing the default instead of just selecting the printer from the application?
Are you using some application which only prints to the default printer?
If so, it could be that she is changing the default before the port is free, thus locking the spooler, viewing the properties would restart it.
ASKER
I don't know why she changes default printers. That doesn't make any sense to me. I did change the gateway address to one inside our range and we have stopped havng problems. But, during all of this, I also reinstalled drivers and checked connections. Since I have other network printers working with the original settings I outlined, I'm just not convinced that that was the whole problem.
Anyway, pseudocyber and wyliecoyoteuk both took the time to give me some thoughtful input. I'm going to split the points between the two of you.
Thanks.
Anyway, pseudocyber and wyliecoyoteuk both took the time to give me some thoughtful input. I'm going to split the points between the two of you.
Thanks.
Thanks! :) Glad to hear you got it worked out.
If your worksations are 192.168.1.0 with a mask of 255.255.255.0 and default gateway of 192.168.1.1, and your printer is in this same network then it needs to be the same subnet mask.
If the Cisco router to the Internet is 10.1.1.1 and it's mask is 255.255.255.0 then somewhere in your network, you're routing 192.168.1.0 over to 10.1.1.0. If the printer is 192.168.1.50 you wouldn't make it's default gateway 10.1.1.1 ...