HP p2035n Printer Issues
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Likely that means that they are talking to the printer, not the print server. So the Mac Mini is doing something completely different and that is why it is working. It is the connection between the server and the printer that is likely having the issue.
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Ok we are seeing other Ethernet drop issues all over the office so that could be it then.
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I agree, it sounds like the Mac has a "sideband" conversation with the printer not going through the same channel as the Windows machines. So when the Windows machines have a hiccup through that channel the Mac has no idea that anything is wrong.
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Next question than, if the printer and the server are having issues talking via the network why would the mac's not?
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@Minion-Queen said:
Ok we are seeing other Ethernet drop issues all over the office so that could be it then.
That could sure do it.
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@Minion-Queen said:
Next question than, if the printer and the server are having issues talking via the network why would the mac's not?
Well several reasons.
- The Mac talks directly to the printer not through a broker, so that means only 50% of the possibly places to have a network break.
- The Mac uses a different protocol that might be more resilient to network problems.
- The network problems might be isolated to specific ports or specific equipment.
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If the Mac is using Bonjour, it's bypassing the print server and talking directly to the printer. It sounds like you might be having network issues with the print server, or some other piece of networking equipment. It could also be a spooler issue. When you are having this issue with this printer, are you able to print to other printers on the same network connected to the same print server?
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I've had issues like this in the past, it's almost always the NIC on the printer that causes it.
Sometimes a firmware flash of the printer will solve it. -
@thanksaj said:
If the Mac is using Bonjour, it's bypassing the print server and talking directly to the printer. It sounds like you might be having network issues with the print server, or some other piece of networking equipment. It could also be a spooler issue. When you are having this issue with this printer, are you able to print to other printers on the same network connected to the same print server?
Yes we are still able to print to every other printer in the office.
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If it was the printer NIC I would expect that the Mac would have equal issues. Not necessarily, but likely.
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I did have a printer once that would print for windows but not for an AS400. It turned out the cable to the printer had super high latency - it caused the AS400 to file, but windows was able to handle it.
I suppose the same could be said here - Windows won't accept it, but Bonjour will?
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@Minion-Queen said:
@thanksaj said:
If the Mac is using Bonjour, it's bypassing the print server and talking directly to the printer. It sounds like you might be having network issues with the print server, or some other piece of networking equipment. It could also be a spooler issue. When you are having this issue with this printer, are you able to print to other printers on the same network connected to the same print server?
Yes we are still able to print to every other printer in the office.
So we can eliminate the spooler as the issue, most likely.
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@scottalanmiller said:
If it was the printer NIC I would expect that the Mac would have equal issues. Not necessarily, but likely.
Agreed. That being said, I have seen situations like what @Dashrender is talking about. Some protocols and systems have more robust timeouts, etc.
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Yes, protocol differences can definitely explain it. Not the most likely thing, in my estimation, but a very real possibility.
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@Minion-Queen, did you say there were other issues on the network right now?
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Yes we have some cabling issues all over.
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We know they need new Ethernet cabling in pretty much the whole office. lots of dead drops and other weird issues.
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@Reid-Cooper said:
I agree, it sounds like the Mac has a "sideband" conversation with the printer not going through the same channel as the Windows machines. So when the Windows machines have a hiccup through that channel the Mac has no idea that anything is wrong.
Bonjour is a routeless protocol, like IPX or NetBEUI. Discovery works through IP but it broadcasts instead of point to point. So it can work on non-routeable IP addresses like 169.254. I would bet a buck that the Mac and printer are on the same switch.
Other than cleaning up cabling and replacing crap switches, not much to do.
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I almost read that as a ruthless protocol.
