Accessing Network Printers

Finding the printers DNS hostname:

You’ll need to know the DNS hostname of your printer before accessing it from your computer.  Ex: myprinter.chem.cmu.edu

  1. Find the printer’s IP address or Ethernet hardware address.  Usually this is done by printing a network test page from the printer itself.  For older HP printers with two buttons, pressing both buttons at once for 5 seconds usually prints this page.  Newer printers with LCD menus have menu options to print this page.  For example, the Dell 3100cn will print the configuration page by selecting Menu, Configure, Reports, Printer Settings.  Printers connected via a JetDirect External Print Server have a test button on the print server box that prints the network configuration page.
  2. Visit http://netreg.net.cmu.edu, search machines (this assumes the machine is registered under your user ID), and enter the information you found above.  The ‘hostname’ is the DNS hostname.  If the printer isn’t registered under your name, email me the hardware address or IP address and I can look up the hostname for you.  You can also just use the printer’s assigned IP address in place of its DNS hostname, but IP addresses do change from time to time, so it is best to only use the DNS name.

 

Registering a new network printer:

If you’ve just bought a new network printer, you’ll need to register it at http://netreg.net.cmu.edu in order for it to be assigned a campus IP address, just as if it were a new computer. 

  1. Find the printer’s hardware address.  Step 1 from ‘Finding the printers DNS hostname’ has suggestions on how to do this.
  2. Register it at http://netreg.net.cmu.edu and write down what IP address netreg assigns to your printer.
  3. It takes about 15 minutes before information about newly registered machines propagates through the campus infrastructure.  Wait 15 to 20 minutes and reboot the printer.
  4. Verify that the printer has picked up the new address, usually by printing a network configuration page or going through the printer’s menus

 

Windows XP (also Windows 2000/NT4):

  1. From the Start menu, select Printers and Faxes. (Windows 2000/NT4: Start menu, Settings, Printers)
  2. On the left side of the window, in the Printer Tasks section, click on the link for Add a Printer.
  3. In the Add Printer Wizard window, click Next.
  4. In the Local or Network Printer window, select Local Printer. Uncheck ‘Automatically detect and install my plug-and-play printer’. Click Next.
  5. In the Select a Printer Port window, choose Create a new port. From the Type of port list, select Standard TCP/IP Port. Click Next.
  6. In the Add Standard TCP/IP Printer Port Wizard window, click Next.
  7. In the Printer Name or IP Address field, enter the DNS hostname of your printer (ex: myprinter.chem.cmu.edu). The Port Name field can usually be anything you like (without spaces), like ‘lp0’ or ‘print’ or the DNS hostname.  Click Next.
  8. Click Finish. It may take a few moments before the next window appears.
  9. From the Manufacturers list, select the printer model of the printer you wish to use. From the Printers list, select the model number of your printer, followed by the designation (ex: HP LaserJet 4000 Series PS). Click Next.
  10. If you are asked whether you want to keep an existing driver, select Keep existing driver, then click Next.
  11. In the Printer name field, put the DNS hostname of the printer.  This is actually the display name of the printer for just this machine and can be anything, but it’s a good idea to set it to the DNS name as a visual reminder that it’s an IP printer that can be used from anywhere.  Most IP printers also have built in web servers that display status information about the printer, so recording the DNS name here can be a reference to use when typing in the printer’s web address, like http://myprinter.chem.cmu.edu.
  12. If this is the printer you will be using most often, select Yes to use this printer as your default printer; otherwise, select No. Click Next.
  13. If you are asked whether you wish to share the printer, select Do not share this printer. Click Next.
  14. When you are asked whether to print a test page, select No. Click Next.
  15. Click Finish.
  16. If you receive a message that a Microsoft digital signature was not found, click Yes to continue the installation.
  17. To check if the printer is working correctly, go to Start > Printers and Faxes. Right-click on the newly created printer and pick Properties, and choose Print Test Page.

 

Mac OS X:

  1. Find the printer’s full DNS name using the instructions at the top of this page.
  2. Go to Applications, Utilties, Printer Setup Utility.
  3. Click Add.
  4. Select IP Printing.  Some inkjet printers may install their own section, like ‘hp IP Printing’ or ‘Epson IP Printing’.  If so, select that instead.
  5. Leave the printer type at its default value of LPD/LPR
  6. In the Printer Address field, put in the full DNS name off the printer, such as myprinter.chem.cmu.edu.
  7. Leave the queue name blank.
  8. Select the appropriate printer model.  (If your printer model isn’t listed, download and install the OS X driver for your printer from the printer vendor’s website and go back to step 2)
  9. The display name of the printer can be anything, but it’s a good idea to set it to the DNS name as a visual reminder that it’s an IP printer that can be used from anywhere.  Most IP printers also have built in web servers that display status information about the printer, so recording the DNS name here can be a reference to use when typing in the printer’s web address, like http://myprinter.chem.cmu.edu.

 

Unsupported Operating Systems:

Windows 95/98:
Windows 95/98 does not come with IP printing capabilities.  Intelliscribe (http://www.intelliscribe.net/) is a commercial product that can add this feature.

Mac OS 8 - 9:

  1. Once you have the address of the printer, you need to launch the Desktop Printer Utility. This can be found on your Macintosh HD in the Applications->Utilities directory.
  2. Click "Printer (LPR)", then click "OK".
  3. Click the "Change" button in the PostScript Printer Description section.
  4. Select your printer from this list. If you printer is not found in this list, you will need to select "Generic". Make your selection, then exit with either the "Generic" or "Select" button.
  5. This will bring you back to the previous dialog box. You now will need to click "change" next to the "LPR Printer Selection" section:
  6. Enter the DNS name you obtained at the beginning of this process in the "Printer Address" section. Leave the "Queue" section blank. You can click "verify" to make sure you entered a valid address. When you have finished, click "OK".
  7. Again, you will be returned to the previous dialog. Click "Create" here to proceed. You will be prompted to give a name to this printer:
  8. The printer icon should now appear on the desktop.