Problem adding new port for a network printer... 2

[mrq35]

hi and thanks in advance for trying to help...

i have a home network: Linksys router (DHCP enabled), one XP Home machine connected via Ethernet and 2 PCs (XP Pro and a Home) connected via wireless. no problems.

i just got a Lexmark E120n printer. i installed it on all 3 computers using their CD. on the 2 wireless-connected machines, i successfully did this:

Add Printer|Local|...and eventually i entered the IP address of the printer and after few more steps i was able to print.

i did the same procedure on the Ethernet-connected machine, and when i get to the point of entering my IP the machine either crashed, simply closes the window as if nothing happened, or shows the hourglass icon forever (i have to do a hard reboot then). this machine has the latest XP patches.

any ideas?

 

[ncotton]

is the machine actually getting a valid DHCP address. It is possible, if you have an ADSL modem that has DHCP addresses, and your router isn't fully configured that you could be getting addresses from two different DHCP servers.
Check your IP address of the machine.

Start > Run > cmd

c:\>ipconfig /all

do that on all the machines, make sure that they all have the same DHCP server and are all on the same subnet. It maybe that the wireless and the printer are gettings addresses from the router, and your ethernet connected one is getting an address from the ADSL modem/router.

Hope this Helps.

Neil J Cotton
njc Information Systems
Systems Consultant

 

[mrq35]

Neil,

thanks for the quick reply.

they are connected to a single router here. same everything except that CP is ethernet and other 2 are wireless. anyhow, that PC has 192.168.1.100. my wirless laptop is 192.168.1.101 and the printer is 192.168.1.102.

seems ok, right?

 

[mrq35]

Neil,

i forgot to mention that all PCs have same address for subnet mark, default gateway, dhcp server, and dns servers.

 

[Kooch]

Try first installing the printer as if it was connected to LPT1. Then go to your printer properties, hit the Ports tab, and hit the Add Port button. Does Windows still stop responding?

 

[Kooch]

Another workaround to try would be to add a port with a bogus IP address (100.100.100.100 or something), if Windows gets through the addition without crashing, hit Configure Port and change the address that it's pointing to to the proper IP of your printer.

 

[mrq35]

Kooch,

thanks. i did try your first idea a few times. actually, you can get to that Add Port in 2 different ways. nevertheless, it fails. actually, in one of these way, once i enter the IP and click enter, that window closes immediately as if nothing happened.

as to your second idea: do you mean add a printer IP port, or just a port in general. if it is the latter, how do i do that?

 

[mrq35]

well, i reinstalled all Lexmark software. then
Printers and faxes|File|Add Printer|Local Printer (automatically is unchecked)|Cretae a new port as standard TCP/IP| then i enter the printer address (192.168.1.102 in this case). as soon as i click Next that window is gone, everything on the desktop is gone except for the background, then the desktop returns few seconds later. i tried to enter another non-existent IP address, but had similar result.

Lexmark software has an IP setup utility. i tried using it. it searched finds the printer and the correct IP address, but when i say Next it crashes.

any more hints?

 

[ncotton]

Everything seems fine, seems like some conflict between the installer program and your machine. Have you tried installing it manually through the add printers wizzard, rather than though the bundled software, and install it as a network printer.

Hope this Helps.

Neil J Cotton
njc Information Systems
Systems Consultant

 

[mrq35]

Neil,

i have tried many things, an di think i did try your idea. but i will try it after work today.

i am not sure it is as an issue of the installation software. Add Printer etc' is an operating system aspect, right?

thanks again. -yc

 

[mrq35]

I tired Add printer...as a network printer, but it cannot see it. ths is strange since i can ping it. i even disabled the XP firewall, bu tno help.

any further hints?

 

[ncotton]

You have file and print sharing enabled? Shouldn;t make a difference, just grasping at straws.

Hope this Helps.

Neil J Cotton
njc Information Systems
Systems Consultant