Printer to second Ethernet Card

Forums › Desktop computing › Printer to second Ethernet Card - help please

Tokes

68 posts

Master Geek

#14501 6-Jul-2007 16:11

We have just installed a second ethernet card to connect directly to our printer (as it was too slow through a router). Unfortunately I'm not sure how to configure the network to connect.
I installed the card and then connected the network cable that runs from the printer to the new ethernet card. However it says in the network properties that there is only limited network connectivity on the new network. Is there anything i can do to get this working - do I have to configure the network? The printer is saying that there is no IP connectivity - so something isn't right.

Help would be appreciated,

Thanks!

Mutly

250 posts

Master Geek

#77180 6-Jul-2007 19:47

I am surprised that your printing is slow via a router.. sounds like something else is going on. Also, why not just connect the printer directly via LPT or USB? However, to your question... If you are running this new ethernet card directly to your printer you will have to use a crossover cable as you are not running through a hub/router/switch etc. Set a static IP on this card and the printer (unless you are happy running your PC as a DHCP server for this card only). IF you were wantign to share this printer, you may want to set routing between the the ethernet cards in your PC.

I can't brain today. I have the dumb.

Tokes

68 posts

Master Geek

#77408 9-Jul-2007 11:33

Printer is a large format printer - and so only has a network connection. I'm not really sure how to configure the IP address - the printer already has one set - so for the network card, do I go into the network cards properties and set the TCP/IP to use a set address? The printer had an IP address of 192.168.4.122 and i set the Network card to have 192.168.4.123, but nothing happened. Any idea with this limited information?

Mutly

250 posts

Master Geek

#77469 9-Jul-2007 16:23

You need to make sure you are using a crossover network cable, not a normal network cable. If you are doing so, the limited connectivity wanring may be because the printer only connects at 10mb/s rather than 100.

I can't brain today. I have the dumb.

w00t

51 posts

Master Geek

#77476 9-Jul-2007 17:07

Tokes: Printer is a large format printer - and so only has a network connection. I'm not really sure how to configure the IP address - the printer already has one set - so for the network card, do I go into the network cards properties and set the TCP/IP to use a set address? The printer had an IP address of 192.168.4.122 and i set the Network card to have 192.168.4.123, but nothing happened. Any idea with this limited information?

If the IP address 192.168.4.122 was used when the printer was attached to the router, it's likely that your first network card has an IP address in the 192.168.4.xxx range too.

Thanks to the way TCP/IP netmasks work, you will not have much luck when you add a second network card in the same address range unless you can change the mask to split the subnet (not an easy task for the uninitiated). Your PC may still be trying to contact the printer via the first card as it's a valid route for the entire subnet, even if the limited connectivity errors are gone.

I'm sorry to say that your best bet is to change the IP address of the pronter to something like 192.168.5.122, and set the IP address of your second card to 192.168.5.123 instead. What sort of printer is it exactly? HP's ith a JetDirect card aren't too hard to reprogram.

Tokes

68 posts

Master Geek

#77486 9-Jul-2007 18:03

Thanks guys - I will give that a go. Definitely using a Cat 6 cross-over cable, will try the differing IP addresses to see if that resolves the issue.

Tokes

68 posts

Master Geek

#77487 9-Jul-2007 18:04

Oh yeah - its a new HP Z6100...

Tokes

68 posts

Master Geek

#77702 11-Jul-2007 08:25

All working now - altering IP address worked a treat (had to configure IP address in the RIP as well). Thanks for your help!