Help setting up old printer

[SaulJaffe]

I'm hoping someone here can help me.  I have an old (~10 year) 6980 printer that I need to connect up to my wireless network.  I had been using the printer for many years but my router recently died and I have a new router.  The new router can't talk to the printer because the printer doesn't "broadcast" and connect up seamlessly like newer devices.  I tried specifying the MAC address to the router to give the printer a fixed IP address but that doesn't seem to work.  The printer still comes up as IPv4 0.0.0.0 instead of 10.0.1.3 that I set in the router.  None of the software that I've seen - the HP setup wizard or any of apple's software can find the printer.   When I set the printer up previously with the old router, I used a wired ethernet connection between my Mac and the printer to get to the printer's controls and manually set the IP address.  However, the new Macs don't have ethernet ports!  I can't seem to connect to the printer by any means - the printer won't connect to the router or the Mac.  If I try to connect by USB (which works), it won't let me access the networking information or setup pages on the printer.  To make this clearer (I hope):

 - The printer thinks it's IP address is 0.0.0.0, Gateway 0.0.0.0, etc.

 - The router is configured to put the device with the printer's MAC address at 10.0.1.3 but that isn't working for some reason (don't know if it's the printer's fault or the router's)

  -  If I don't set the MAC address on the router, the router still doesn't find the printer

  - The Mac laptop can't connect to the printer except by USB but that doesn't let me set the IP address on the printer.  It won't even find the printer via Bluetooth because the device's bluetooth address is 0000000000000000 and a scan doesn't find it.

   - Everything used to work just fine with the old router so I have a hard time believing that the printer is the problem.  But, I can't prove it's the router that has the problem either.

Any suggestions/help??

[ShlomiL]

Hi,

As an older printer, the provided software is much more limited, therefore using the Embedded Web Server would be the most recommended and stable way.

Temporary connect the printer to your router with an ethernet cable, allow it a few minutes to connect and print a report by pressing the Report button twice, locate the URL on that report and access it from your web browser.

On the EWS, click the Networking tab.

Under the Connections heading, click Wireless (802.11).

On the Wireless Setup tab, click the Start Wizard button.

Follow the onscreen instructions to enter the new settings and finish the configuration.

Once the printer was configured for your new router, unplug the ethernet cable and allow it a few moments to establish a wireless connection with your router.

For any issues I suggest referring to the network guide below:

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c00591717

Shlomi

[SaulJaffe]

Did all that.  Didn't work.  It won't establish a wireless connection with the router.  Like I said, it used to work with the old router... and the new router works wirelessly with my laptop.  So, I don't know what the problem is.  All I know is that after I follow the procedure you mention above, and remove the ethernet wire, the printer and the router can't talk to each other.  When I print out the status page, the IP address is back to 0.0.0.0.  When I connect the printer via a wire again, and I look at the settings, both for the wired connection and the wireless connection, they look just fine.   I can't tell if the problem is on the printer end or the router end.  

[SaulJaffe]

Update:  When connecting to the printer with an ethernet cable, I can connect to the printer and access the EWS page.  Everything looks good on that page - it says the printer is connected, it has the right IP address and everything looks good,  But, when I try to print to it, the MacOS says that the printer is not connected.

In the printer preferences pane on the Mac, it says the printer is idle and when I try to print, it changes to say "in use" but the pop-up that appears to show the printer queue, it says "printer is not connected".

So, I really don't understand what's going on.  I even tried running the HP Easy Start program which claims that the printer is "installed and ready for use" but I still can't print to it.  

I've tried rebooting the printer.  I've tried rebooting the router.  I can access the printer's EWS page... and change the settings... but it has no effect.  I cannot print to the printer either wired or wireless through the router.  As I said in an earlier message: I don't know if the problem is the router or the printer.

[SaulJaffe]

Latest update:

I changed routers.  The router came with my cable so I could replace it for free with the "latest and greatest" router they supply.

I've managed to install the printer an can print via USB or wired connection.  But, I cannot connect to it wireless.  When I pull out the ethernet cable (which runs to the router) and print a status page, the IP address reverts to 0.0.0.0.   I tried reserving an IP address on the LAN in the router settings so that the MAC of the printer would come up with a fixed IP address... but it doesn't work.  I can't tell if the router isn't picking up the MAC address, or the printer isn't broadcasting.  But, at least I can print to it wired or USB although it's a PITA.

Unless someone has some insight, I guess this thread is done.  Now, if there were some place here I could post to ask for suggestions on a replacement printer... 🙂

[Ducati749]

I'm not going to be much use to you SaulJaffe, but strangely my printer just stopped working over wireless - but, a small thing I know.....I can print to it from my phone ... wirelessly.

I started a thread of my own, trying to see if anyone could help.....

The one thing I will take from your thread however, is that I should try to print via a cable from my Mac got the printer, see if that works....it will at least give me what I need (as I don't specifically need a wireless connection from my Mac to the HP printer - it's an old printer too, but a good one   Photosmart eStation C510).

Cheers

Caroline