i865 - Configuration problem with network printing

[Metallo]

Hi guys,

I know this is not be the right forum, but I have always found good help and shared good experience with you, maybe you had the same problem I'm now trying to solve...

I have a small home network connected as follows:

- My Desktop (Server) wired
- My Laptop (Client) wireless
- One Printer (Canon i865)
- Linksys router WAG354G V.2
- OS on both computers: WXP Pro SP2 fully updated

I have installed on both PCs the latest driver version downloaded from the Canon website.
This is in order to comply with Canon's recommendations to use their drivers on both server and client machines.

Problem:

If I share the printer from my desktop:
I have no access to the "Preview before printing" option (greyed out), which is very important for me.

If I upload the 173e driver on my laptop, I get the "Preview before printing" option, but when I click Print I get the following message:

"Cannot communicate with printer.
Turn Enable bidirectional support on in the printer's Properties dialog
box."

It is Enabled on both Client and Server, but the Client does not see it!
I did follow the instructions in the Readme file provided by Canon in case of network printer sharing, but still I cannot print.

Did any of you face the same issue?

I tried the MS website and Canon support (they are really hopeless), no solution so far.

Thank you for any help you can provide.

Cheers
Alex

 

[jackson]

Did the setup instructions from Canon follow, in general, the steps listed below?

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/expert/honeycutt_july2.mspx

After I installed my new printer on the computer, I wanted to use it from other computers. I even wanted to print from my laptop computer, sitting on the patio, connecting to the network with a wireless NIC. Before I could do that, I had to share the printer. Windows XP doesn't automatically share printers, which is a good thing when you don't want to share your toys.

To share the printer, I opened the Printers and Faxes folder on the computer that was connected to my printer.

To open the Printers and Faxes folder


Click Start and then click Control Panel.


Click Printers and Other Hardware, and then click Printers and Faxes.


In the Printers and Faxes folder, I clicked the printer's icon and, in the tasks pane, I clicked Share This Printer.


I opened the printer's Properties dialog box, and clicked on the Sharing tab.


I clicked Share Name, and then clicked OK.

That's itthe printer was immediately available for other computers to use.

Now that I had a network printer, I was ready to connect to it and print from other computers on the network.

To connect to the printer


I opened Control Panel, and clicked Printers and Other Hardware.


I clicked Add a Printer.


Instead of adding a local printer, though, I clicked Printer Connection and then browsed the network for the printer.

The whole process took less than a minute before I was printing to the network printer as though it was connected to the computer.

Hi guys,

I know this is not be the right forum, but I have always found good help and shared good experience with you, maybe you had the same problem I'm now trying to solve...

I have a small home network connected as follows:

- My Desktop (Server) wired
- My Laptop (Client) wireless
- One Printer (Canon i865)
- Linksys router WAG354G V.2
- OS on both computers: WXP Pro SP2 fully updated

I have installed on both PCs the latest driver version downloaded from the Canon website.
This is in order to comply with Canon's recommendations to use their drivers on both server and client machines.

Problem:

If I share the printer from my desktop:
I have no access to the "Preview before printing" option (greyed out), which is very important for me.

If I upload the 173e driver on my laptop, I get the "Preview before printing" option, but when I click Print I get the following message:

"Cannot communicate with printer.
Turn Enable bidirectional support on in the printer's Properties dialog
box."

It is Enabled on both Client and Server, but the Client does not see it!
I did follow the instructions in the Readme file provided by Canon in case of network printer sharing, but still I cannot print.

Did any of you face the same issue?

I tried the MS website and Canon support (they are really hopeless), no solution so far.

Thank you for any help you can provide.

Cheers
Alex

 

[Metallo]

Hi,

Yes, that's the procedure, it's quite standard.
I can print, that's not a problem but why the "preview" function is greyed out? That's the big question to which, so far, nobody can give an answer.

Thanks anyhow for having tried to help

Alex

 

[jackson]

In printer properties>advanced
is 'enable advanced printing features' checked?

 

[Metallo]

In printer properties>advanced
is 'enable advanced printing features' checked?

Yes, it is enabled

 

[jackson]

Regarding the Canon suggestion for having the drivers on both machines (how do you have the drivers without installing the printer?):

I have two PC's, one has a Canon ip3000, the other an ip5000.
I network both printers, but I don't have each printers drivers on each pc, and mine works ok with the preview feature.
If it wasn't for the Canon suggestion, I would have uninstalled the printer from the desktop and installed it in the laptop to see if the trouble moved.

Update:If it's any comfort I set up my Virtual PC's XP machine on my home network and duplicated your problem.
Also, when a network printer is added, Windows warns that new drivers will be installed.
Will study it and meanwhile hope someone will chime in.

 

[Fenrir Enterprises]

I just noticed this thread, and, basically, you don't have an option. Because a networked printer receives its data in an extremely different way than a printer directly hooked through USB, you will not have all the functionality of the printer that you would have in a normal connection. It could be your specific model depends on communication from the printer to create the print preview.

You could try doing this: Uninstall the printers on both computers by running the un-install software if there is one, then deleting the printers from the Printers and Faxes folder. Then, still in that folder, go to File -> Server Properties -> Drivers , and deleting the drivers from there. Then follow the instructions here to make sure that all traces of the drivers are removed.

http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/CleanPrinterDrivers.htm

Download the newest drivers from Canon's website.

Install the printer on both computers by running the installation program /and/ plugging the printer directly into each computer. Delete the printer from the laptop again, but do not remove the driver in the Server Properties this time.

Put the printer back onto the desktop and make sure it's on, shared, active, and can print a test page, etc.

Go back to the Laptop and Add the printer from a Network Location, it looks like you've done this before so I won't type out the instructions again.

If this does not solve the print preview problem, then the printer probably needs to be hooked directly to the laptop in order to use 100% functionality. You could try using a print server, which usually has a driver that 'emulates' a direct connection rather than just being 'another networked printer', but this tends to be an even worse solution - many WinPrinters (where most of the printer's functions are software based rather than being hard coded in the printer itself) won't work at all. I've only had this problem with Lexmarks and Brothers, though. The other solution would be to buy a print server directly from Canon that's specifically listed as having full functionality with your model. Lexmark sells these because their printers won't work with 'regular' print servers, but I don't know if Canon sells something similar.

 

[Metallo]

I just noticed this thread, and, basically, you don't have an option. Because a networked printer receives its data in an extremely different way than a printer directly hooked through USB, you will not have all the functionality of the printer that you would have in a normal connection. It could be your specific model depends on communication from the printer to create the print preview.

You could try doing this: Uninstall the printers on both computers by running the un-install software if there is one, then deleting the printers from the Printers and Faxes folder. Then, still in that folder, go to File -> Server Properties -> Drivers , and deleting the drivers from there. Then follow the instructions here to make sure that all traces of the drivers are removed.

http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/CleanPrinterDrivers.htm

Download the newest drivers from Canon's website.

Install the printer on both computers by running the installation program /and/ plugging the printer directly into each computer. Delete the printer from the laptop again, but do not remove the driver in the Server Properties this time.

Put the printer back onto the desktop and make sure it's on, shared, active, and can print a test page, etc.

Go back to the Laptop and Add the printer from a Network Location, it looks like you've done this before so I won't type out the instructions again.

If this does not solve the print preview problem, then the printer probably needs to be hooked directly to the laptop in order to use 100% functionality. You could try using a print server, which usually has a driver that 'emulates' a direct connection rather than just being 'another networked printer', but this tends to be an even worse solution - many WinPrinters (where most of the printer's functions are software based rather than being hard coded in the printer itself) won't work at all. I've only had this problem with Lexmarks and Brothers, though. The other solution would be to buy a print server directly from Canon that's specifically listed as having full functionality with your model. Lexmark sells these because their printers won't work with 'regular' print servers, but I don't know if Canon sells something similar.

Hi,

Thank you very much for your detailed instructions above.

I followed them to the letter, but unfortunately the result is the same.

I will have at look at the print server, otherwise I will have to give up the "preview before printing" option

Cheers
Alex

 

[Fenrir Enterprises]

I suspect a print server would not solve the problem, but if you can borrow one from a friend, you could at least try it. Also check Canon's website, but print servers tend to be so expensive it's cheaper to just buy a network-ready printer.

 

[Metallo]

I suspect a print server would not solve the problem, but if you can borrow one from a friend, you could at least try it. Also check Canon's website, but print servers tend to be so expensive it's cheaper to just buy a network-ready printer.

Yes, I just had a look and already given up.
I agree with you, it's cheaper to buy a new printer.

Once again, than you for you time.

Regards
Alex