Airport Express

murphey

murphey

Touchdown! Greaser!
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murphey
I'm having a problem with the Apple Airport Express widget. Due to knee surgery, the computer is now upstairs but I left the printer downstairs in the basement. I don't want to run up & down the stairs all the time (once a day is fine right now) so I installed the AE and connected the USB cable to the printer and the ethernet cable to the wireless modem.

Thought I had the sucker configured - it's more aggravating than I thought. I was really hoping that it would just "show up" on my list of printers, but noooooo.

And to make matters worse, I think I "deleted" all the printers so it looks like I'll have to take the computer downstairs afterall and reload the printer info.

Any suggestions? Any insights to this debacle?
 
I clicked on this wondering, "What sort of technical trouble could someone be having with a park-and-ride shuttle service at the airport?"
 
murphey said:
Any suggestions? Any insights to this debacle?
Click to expand...

No suggestions at this time. This Saturday I will be reconfiguring my sister's home network (including attempting to use the airport express to connect an old HP 4050N to the wireless verizon DSL modem).

If you are still having problems this weekend (I know, that's a looong time to wait) I may have some suggestions then.
 
murphey said:
I'm having a problem with the Apple Airport Express widget. Due to knee surgery, the computer is now upstairs but I left the printer downstairs in the basement. I don't want to run up & down the stairs all the time (once a day is fine right now) so I installed the AE and connected the USB cable to the printer and the ethernet cable to the wireless modem.

Thought I had the sucker configured - it's more aggravating than I thought. I was really hoping that it would just "show up" on my list of printers, but noooooo.

And to make matters worse, I think I "deleted" all the printers so it looks like I'll have to take the computer downstairs afterall and reload the printer info.

Any suggestions? Any insights to this debacle?
Click to expand...

Murphey,

Can you give us a few more details? I'm having a little trouble picturing everything.

What kind of computer (desktop/laptop, which operating system)? What model printer? Was the printer previously connected directly to the USB port of the computer you're trying to get working over Wi-Fi now?

What model of wireless modem do you have? Is it downstairs too, next to the Airport Express and printer?

While we wait, I found a couple of Apple support items that might help:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2586

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2372
 
Bob Noel said:
No suggestions at this time. This Saturday I will be reconfiguring my sister's home network (including attempting to use the airport express to connect an old HP 4050N to the wireless verizon DSL modem).
Click to expand...
The N at the end of 4050N indicates its a network printer, which is nice.

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsuppor...=en_US&prodSeriesId=25475&prodTypeId=18972#A5

I'm assuming the wireless Verizon DSL modem has 3 or 4 LAN Ethernet ports, so you could plug right into that.

You cannot use the Ethernet port on an Airport Express to feed an Ethernet-enabled printer. Your only option for printing from the AE is to use the USB port.
 
rpadula said:
The N at the end of 4050N indicates its a network printer, which is nice.

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsuppor...=en_US&prodSeriesId=25475&prodTypeId=18972#A5

I'm assuming the wireless Verizon DSL modem has 3 or 4 LAN Ethernet ports, so you could plug right into that.

You cannot use the Ethernet port on an Airport Express to feed an Ethernet-enabled printer. Your only option for printing from the AE is to use the USB port.
Click to expand...

Knew the printer had ethernet (I had given her the printer a while back).

Unfortunately, we cannot easily run copper to/from the DSL router/modem. So I'm going to have some "fun" this weekend. I might bring an older Airport Extreme with me and use that to create a small subnet (possibly along with a switch)

I should never have given her that iMac....
 
rpadula said:
You cannot use the Ethernet port on an Airport Express to feed an Ethernet-enabled printer. Your only option for printing from the AE is to use the USB port.
Click to expand...

Sorry, but yes you can, you need to put the AE into bridge mode. That will make the Ethernet port active. plugin the network printer and your good. This is assuming there is an Airport base station at the other end. difficult to bridge with a non Airport router. :mad2:

Dave
 
magicj said:
Sorry, but yes you can, you need to put the AE into bridge mode. That will make the Ethernet port active. plugin the network printer and your good. This is assuming there is an Airport base station at the other end. difficult to bridge with a non Airport router. :mad2:
Click to expand...
Yes, you are right; he could use WDS mode. I just assumed it wouldn't work with the VZ wireless gateway. Didn't want him to :mad2::mad2::mad2: all day! :)
 
murphey said:
I'm having a problem with the Apple Airport Express widget. Due to knee surgery, the computer is now upstairs but I left the printer downstairs in the basement. I don't want to run up & down the stairs all the time (once a day is fine right now) so I installed the AE and connected the USB cable to the printer and the ethernet cable to the wireless modem.

Thought I had the sucker configured - it's more aggravating than I thought. I was really hoping that it would just "show up" on my list of printers, but noooooo.

And to make matters worse, I think I "deleted" all the printers so it looks like I'll have to take the computer downstairs afterall and reload the printer info.

Any suggestions? Any insights to this debacle?
Click to expand...

Gimme a ring...

I can probably help you figure out how to get the printer back on the Mac. (There's some goofy stuff you can do if it's not showing up after deleting it. BTDT.)

Plus I owe you one for helping us out with an oil filter.
 
rpadula said:
Murphey,

Can you give us a few more details? I'm having a little trouble picturing everything.

What kind of computer (desktop/laptop, which operating system)? What model printer? Was the printer previously connected directly to the USB port of the computer you're trying to get working over Wi-Fi now?

What model of wireless modem do you have? Is it downstairs too, next to the Airport Express and printer?

While we wait, I found a couple of Apple support items that might help:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2586

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2372
Click to expand...

DSL Modem <->Linksys firewall/router/wireless <-> mac (OSX 10.6.x)
^
|-- Airport Express (with ethernet cable)
^
|-- HP P1006 printer (USB cable)

Wasted 2 hours waiting for the "Genius Bar" at the local Apple store.

GB: Did you bring in the computer?
Me: Not a computer issue, your sign says "advice". I'm here for advice.

[so far, not a good sign. but I did bring a diagram of the network]

GB: Did you bring the AE?
Me: No, why? This is a question of network design.

[not going good at all]

GB: Go install the latest drivers for the printer
Me: Aint none. HP & Apple have an agreement that all the drivers are inside OSX.

GB: Connect the ethernet cable from the AE to the DSL Modem.
Me: Not on your life. The Linksys is the hardware firewall and the wireless modem. The DSL modem has a single ethernet wire to the Linksys, and the Linksys handles the router to all other hardware.

[At this point it's obvious that everyone at GB trusts CenturyLink's DSL modem firewall. I don't. My firewall has specific MAC addresses that are allowed to use it. Yes, I put the printer's MAC address into the Approved list. Still didn't work.]

GB: Well, some printers don't work with Air Print and AE. You need to check the Apple website for the list.
Me: Thank you (for wasting 2 hours of my life.)

Turns out that using AE doesn't work with my printer. Using AirPrint (3rd party software) doesn't work either. But.....Printopia works just dandy.
So the AE is going back to the store and I trust they will refund all or most of the $100 I spent.

The only downside is that Printopia requires the Mac to be awake, so I can't let it sleep. Bummer.
 
As you are mentioning Printopia, I'm guessing you have a iPhone/iPad in the mix? An app like iNet can wake and sleep the Mac remotely using WOL.
 
Murphey,

Found a few more links about the P1006. Seems like something got dorked up with HP printers and Snow Leopard printing while connected to Airports.

Try taking a look at some of these threads.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2132691?start=60&tstart=0

https://discussions.apple.com/message/10295130?messageID=10295130#10295130?messageID=10295130

P.S. Check your Software Update? I see an HP printer driver update 2.8 that was issued in October 2011:

http://support.apple.com/downloads/#hp
 
Last edited:
rpadula said:
Murphey,

Found a few more links about the P1006. Seems like something got dorked up with HP printers and Snow Leopard printing while connected to Airports.

Try taking a look at some of these threads.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2132691?start=60&tstart=0

https://discussions.apple.com/message/10295130?messageID=10295130#10295130?messageID=10295130

P.S. Check your Software Update? I see an HP printer driver update 2.8 that was issued in October 2011:

http://support.apple.com/downloads/#hp
Click to expand...

Sorry but much of the info at these links is outdated. I already have the most recent drivers. And reading the "solutions", forget it. $20 for Printopia solves most of the problems with the iPad. As for the mac being upstairs and the printer downstairs - no longer an issue. Everything is back in the basement office. I don't like it - I really enjoyed being upstairs. On the other hand I now have my kitchen table returned to its original use. And the Apple Express will be returned to the store on Thursday.

Any time I need to spend more than an hour trying to resolve something that I'm not being paid for, forget it. There's always another solution that's either cheaper, faster or simpler.

thanks anyway - it was a valiant effort.
 
WOL - Wake On Lan. You can wake a computer that's asleep remotely by sending a special packet to it on your network. The iNet app even lets you put it back to sleep. Great if you are using a computer as a print server for your iPad. Leave it asleep until the odd time you need to print. Wake, print, put back to sleep.
 
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