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Printer won't grab IP, but Laptop WILL on same ethernet wall jack port 2

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searcherrr

Technical User
Nov 6, 2005
24
US
I have an HP LaserJet M401N, brand new out of the box.

Its set to DHCP. Refuses to grab IP on this 1 certain wall jack.

I plug a laptop into the same wall jack and immediately get IP and internet connection.

The M401N is at its latest firmware. Have done all the usual stuff: reboot printer several times, shutdown and pull power from printer, tried various ethernet cables at both ends of the LAN drop.... Laptop gets 1000mbps connection, but Printer doesn't get IP at all.

I have no idea what could be causing that. Any suggestions?
 
Use the other wall jack.

...

Does your router use NAT filtering, like mine does?
Did you forget to tell the router about the new hardware, like I always do?








 
Turn off DHCP, and set an IP address, You need to verify the NIC on the printer is good, before you start troubleshooting why DHCP isn't working.
 
First, I would check that there are available IP addresses within the subnet you are connecting to. That would explain why the laptop connects fine (it has been leased an IP) but not the printer which is trying to obtain a new lease.

If there are available IP's, then you can try to set the IP manually like rclarke suggests, but make sure you setting the correct subnet mask and gateway IP.

Also, some HP LaserJets (usually the smaller personal size ones) take a long time to initialize when they're first turned on. I had one recently that took 10 minutes to finally initialize. Even when the screen doesn't say it's initializing anymore, the NIC might still be. Print out a configuration page while you're waiting. It will tell you under the Network Statistics if the NIC is still initializing.



-Carl
"The glass is neither half-full nor half-empty: it's twice as big as it needs to be."

[tab][navy]For this site's posting policies, click [/navy]here.
 
You might also have static DHCP address allocation via MAC address or your comms guys have set up some network security so that only previously authorised devices can attach to the network.

NT
 
If this is using a small business or home router, I'd suggest power-cycling the router after plugging in the printer as well. Assuming DHCP, it could be always expecting the same piece of hardware at that connection, and a power cycle would force it to re-check. 'Course this thread is a bit old.

Did you ever get the issue resolved? What did you end up doing?

"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57
 
My Brother MFC-7840W printer just flat won't complete a DHCP negotiation with a router; at least it won't with two different routers from two different providers. It will sit for days in mid-process and never throw an error message and never get an IP address.

My HP C6380 all in one printer will complete a DHCP negotiation and get an IP address, but then some time later, like a couple of hours, it starts using an address that's +1 to the address assigned, so the router can't find it anymore, and it interferes with the computer that was actually assigned the +1 address by the router.

In both cases, I just assigned them a fixed IP address and had no further problems.


 
If the switch you are plugging into is a managed switch (likely not) you could try setting the speed/duplex manually for the port that the printer is using to 100/full duplex. Once in a while, two devices just can't negotiate a connection. The DHCP issue might be secondary to a hand shake issue.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.
 
Unbelievably, the cable run was OPEN on 2 of its wires. Had the network boys come fix it and it worked instantly after that. Not sure how that happened, as no one usually is in the server room behind the patch panel... but someone had to have loosened it. Thanks to all that replied. Good guesses.
 
I wouldn't have suspected that, since you said the laptop was obtaining an IP address using the same wall port. Had it been a wiring issue, the laptop should have had the same problem.

 
LOL, in hindsight, was the laptop actually making a wired connection thru the jack, or a was it making a wireless conection?
 
LOL, in hindsight, was the laptop actually making a wired connection thru the jack, or a was it making a wireless conection?
Yes, that would seem to be the only way given the apparently bad network cable.

This just shows that basic and thorough troubleshooting has to be done from end to end before you start looking at some really strange phenomenon. Any aspect of the connection from client to end point can be the cause.
I've seen it all:
Dead NIC on client
Bad wall jack
Bad patch cables
Bad CAT5 within the walls (rats!!)
Bad patch panel
Bad switch port
Duplex mismatch
Cable not connected at patch panel/switch

Good times!!!!

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.
 
Bad CAT5 in the ceiling (squirrels)(tree rats, maybe?)


Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.
 
but someone had to have loosened it.
Add "disgruntled employee" to the list.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.
 
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