Printing Video Stills with Mac and old ethernet printer

[HowardNeedsHelp]

I've got a Mac running OS Leopard. I want to print video stills on a printer with an ethernet port. However, there is NO eithernet in my house. If I plug a cord into my eithernet port on my Mac directly to the printer port-- that does not work. This printer used to be at my old work place and when it was connected to a real eithernet, I would plug my Mac into the ethernet and it all worked well-- printed everything I wanted. What kind of device (hopefully simple and low cost) do I need to get to put inbetween my Mac and My printer at my house to make it work?

Thanks!

[redwudz]

Are you sure you have the correct LAN address for the printer? Most printers have a default address. Most times they have a info panel to display or change the address. Your Mac must be able to access this same address. You need to know what address the printer is using before you can communicate with it.

One other factor that's a good possibility is that you may need a 'reverse' crossover ethernet cable when making a direct connection to the printer. Those should be fairly easily available. http://www.ehow.com/how_6872417_make-reverse-ethernet-cable.html

Most setups for this use a router and it can use a direct cable or a reverse one. Most routers can do this automatically. A router makes this a bit easier as it can usually 'see' any device plugged into it, then you just need to set up a mutual address.

[AlanHK]

You need to set up network printing.
Should be part of the printer setup.

In that you give the type of printer and its IP.
Network printers have a default IP, but that can usually be changed.
If you can print a test page from the printer's control panel it may include its current IP in that.
In an office often someone will stick a label on a printer and write its IP on it for future reference.

Look in the manual; or Google for "printer name" and "default IP" and probably get an IP you can try.

Otherwise, you can get a network scanner.
Something like this: http://mac.softpedia.com/get/Network-Admin/IP-Scanner.shtml
which will report all devices on your local network and their IP.

[rumplestiltskin]

Please provide the brand and model of the printer. That will make this issue much easier to resolve. Thanks.

[HowardNeedsHelp]

Hi,
The printer is an Apple LaserWriter 8500. and my computer is an Powerbook G4 running os 10.5.

I am going to go to get a crossover cable before work Tues. I am still trying to find the LAN address. At the time this printer was made OS X had not come out. So all the instructions on how to connect that I can find on the net are for OS 9 and earlier. However, in January 2011 this printer was working in my old work place and working fine with the ethernet there between my same Mac Powerbook.

I appreciate all you guys help and I am working on assimilating all you have said and testing it out. Will let you know my progress.

Also, Any info. anyone has on the connection between this specific printer and my powerbook is appreciated.

[rumplestiltskin]

If the printer worked before, at your office, then it should work now. The cross-over cable is a good option although I think all Macs have had ethernet ports that would 'auto-crossover' if connected to a patch cable and yet required a crossover cable. Also check whether the printer was assigned a static IP at your office and should now be reset to DHCP. also see if AppleTalk is turned on in your Network System Preference. That old printer does, IIRC, require AppleTalk. I doubt you'll find a driver for it otherwise. However, if you do assign it a static IP (assuming it even has the ability to do more then AppleTalk), then configuring your Mac to print to an IP printer (of that IP address) as a 'generic postscript printer' may do the trick.

[AlanHK]

These seem relevant:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=122036&tstart=463
-- especially the last post.


http://gigaom.com/apple/how-to-resurrect-your-appletalk-printer-in-snow-leopard/
-- the "Print Over IP" section.

It would be simpler if you had the printer connected to your LAN; i.e., plugged into a router, then any user could print.
How are you connecting to the Internet if not via a router?

[HowardNeedsHelp]

Thanks for getting back to me!

I do have appletalk and I think there should be a way to work that with the right cable and perhaps and some kind of address setting. What is the difference between a patch cable and a crossover cable?
What you say about putting in an IP should work. The links on the net I have found so far make that seem a bit complicated, but if the crossover cable and appletalk don't work, that is what I will try next..

I will check out the posted links by AlanHK next.

I like the idea of simpler. If I buy a rounter to put between my powerbook and the printer, would all I have to is connect crossover cables between everything and it would automatically work? What should I look for in a simple router if I was to get one?

I am connected to the internet with my powerbook modem via dial up due to financial constraints.

[AlanHK]

I like the idea of simpler. If I buy a rounter to put between my powerbook and the printer, would all I have to is connect crossover cables between everything and it would automatically work? What should I look for in a simple router if I was to get one?

I am connected to the internet with my powerbook modem via dial up due to financial constraints.

Dialup isn't that simple these days. Not much current hardware supports it.

See http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/wireless/f/wlansharedialup.htm
One of the routers he mentions is the "Apple M8799LL/A AirPort Extreme Base Station with Modem and Antenna Port"
http://support.apple.com/kb/sp55 which you can find on Amazon for $40. (Current Airports don't have the modem.)

That would seem to be a neat solution, its built in V90 modem does the dial up, you connect the laptop by wifi and the printer by ethernet.

But in the meantime you should be able to get the printer working by direct cable connection.

[rumplestiltskin]

If you must connect to the Internet via dial-up, then you may still use a crossover cable to connect your printer to the Ethernet port. Your computer will be sending IP through the modem but you'll point AppleTalk through the Ethernet port. I don't see any details about you in your profile so I can't tell where you live. In the US, however, DSL's cost (for the lowest speed which is still way faster than dial-up) is about $15/month. AT&T has a $25/month deal for their fastest Elite service; you just have to commit for a year.

[HowardNeedsHelp]

The crossover cable to the printer worked!!! You guys are awesome! Thanks for all the great info!

I will look into ATT DSL in my area and the benefits of having a router. Cheers!

[redwudz]

Glad the crossover cable worked.

One of the big advantages of a router is that you are behind a security wall. All your individual devices will use NAT (Network Address Translation). That way your devices and computers aren't directly exposed the the internet because those NAT address they will use aren't normally accessible from the internet. This has no effect on surfing the net or using most programs, just helps prevent direct access. (Hacking) You can also block sites or programs or computers from direct internet access. I do this with my video servers.

[rumplestiltskin]

AT&T's 2Wire DSL Gateway includes the router and a 4-port 10/100mbps switch and b/g WiFi. They usually charge $100 for it and provide a $100 credit towards your bill that takes about three months to show up (so they're sure you're serious about keeping their service before they chuck $100 at you).

edit: Also should mention that I recently upgraded from DSL to Uverse (Internet and digital phone only) and it was actually cheaper than DSL & analog phone. No TV; I only watch the news and some PBS stuff live; the rest I stream. My DSL was 6mb/768kb and the Uverse is 12mb/1.5mb. Not a bad deal.

[HowardNeedsHelp]

This is great information. Does anyone have a link to where I can read more about different rounters and which ones have the best security. Once I buy a router, is it just a question of downloading free security upgrades as time goes on like with my mac... Are certain brands of routers better?

I don't have cable either. Other than the cost are there any differences between digital home phone and analog home phone service. I have ATT for my home phone service no and I am paying $40 per month or so. Can I ask what the charge is for DSL and Uverse? Is Uverse cell or land line?

[rumplestiltskin]

Check the info here:

http://www.att.com/u-verse/#fbid=IBfff5XNTIw