5 minute delay on printer

[kevin197]

I am getting a 5 minute delay when re-print a document.

I can print fine the first time but if I try to print again after it waits 5 minutes. It waits the same amount of time each time.

It's the same problem as

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080514200838AAqt9tZ

I've tried reinstalling the printer driver but it's still the same.

The printer is on a network and all computers printing to it are the same.

Has anyone else had this before? What could cause a 300 second delay in printing but only after it's already printed once?

 

[kevin197]

Does anybody know anything that could cause a 5 minute delay on a network? I'm really stuck on this one and I'm not sure where to start looking.

 

[cdogg]

Kevin,
Does it happen on other computers as well?

What is the make/model of the printer?

Is the problem relatively new or has it been an ongoing issue?

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Einstein
[tab][navy]For posting policies, click [/navy]here.

 

[kevin197]

I happens on other computers too.
The printer is a Epson LQ-2180.
It's been a ongoing issue for awhile now. What I don't understand is how it only has the 5 minute delay after it has already printed straight away the first time.

 

[Prydonian]

The only thing I could find on several Epson web sites (US, UK and RU)that says if the print head on the LQ-2180 overheats, it will stop printing for about 5 minutes to allow it to cool down.

Epson states the duty cycle for this printer is 25% which translates into 2 hours of print time per workday. Is it possible with sevral people printing that you are surpassing the designed capabilities of the printer?

Or perhaps the area where the printer is located has insufficient ventilation?

Mike

If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a veteran!

 

[G0AOZ]

This printer looks like it has a parallel port interface. Can you temporarily make the host computer print at the DOS level with something like MSDOS's PRINT.EXE? This would help to establish if it's a heat problem as suggested by Prydonian...

You said "It's been a ongoing issue for awhile now" so do we understand that it DID provide immediate reprints at one time in the past?

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[cdogg]

Kevin,
Since it appears that the problem is on the printer side, there might not be much you can do except one of two things:

1) Replace or reconfigure the print server that is connecting the Epson printer to the network in hopes that a bad setting or component is causing the problem.

2) Contact Epson or an authorized service provider for help troubleshooting the issue as a "hardware" problem.


It looks like Prydonian was able to find a few things on the net about your printer. That should get you started...

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Einstein
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[kevin197]

Thanks for your replys, I've took the printer off the network and put it on LPT1. It prints fine like this, no delay at all. I changed the printer cable too just incase and then put it back on the network and it was the same 5 minute delay after the first print job again. You can print 100's of pages if you want and there is no delay as long as it's just one print job. Try and print just one page and then another and the second print job takes 5 minutes to start.

I noticed that when I start the second print job both lights by the "Tear off / Bin" section flash. Then when the job prints they go off again.

I'm thinking now that it can't be anything to do with the printer as it is fine on LPT1. The printer is connected to a windows NT box, could this have some kind of setting that leaves a 5 minute delay between print jobs?

 

[cdogg]

Ah, so you are sharing the printer through another computer. That is key.

I'm assuming the Windows NT box was built up a long time ago and could be suffering from a variety of issues that can impact performance on the printer. To answer your question though, no. Having it connected to a Windows NT box in general is not an issue. The condition of that operating system, however, could very well have an impact.

Especially in this situation where the printer works fine as a local printer, but not over the network. The problem then must be with the component acting as the print server - in this case the NT box. Let me ask you this. When the printer is networked, have you tried printing to it locally from the NT box? Does it have the same issues?

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Einstein
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