Installing HP printer drivers in MacOSX networked environment

[ChrisR3]

Hello;

In our environment we image and maintain hundreds of MacOSX machines which are on several different subnets.

We also have a large number of HP printers, which are all networked and on a couple of different private VLANs.

We can get drivers for older printer models from the Apple site, but they don't seem to have them for newer printer models, and those are the ones with which we are having problems.

HP offers HP Easy Start for the newest printer models but it does not work efficiently in our environment as it seems to expect that the computers be on the same subnet as the printer. 

So we are now looking into the HP Essentials packages to see if we can extract just the drivers for specific printer models.  However, there seems to be several different versions available on the HP ftp site:

hp-printer-essentials-

SE-5_5_5.pkg

S-5_5_0

L-5_5_0

G-5_5_0

D-5_5_0

SJ-5_3_2

K-5_3_2

Does anybody know the difference between these versions?  Or is anybody else trying to accomplish this and has a different strategy?

Thanks!

[ShlomiL]

Hi,

This is the only possible method to get the drivers beside HP Easy Start.

How many printer models do you have? are there many different models or different multiple printers of the same model? each package is intended for a range of specific printer models

May you provide a list of your printer models?

I may guide you further which packages you would need to install accordingly.

Shlomi

[ChrisR3]

Hi Shlomi;

Thank you for the quick response!

We have the following HP printers in our environment (# of printers and model):

We can get drivers for these from Apple:

1 - HP Color LaserJet 4700

 1 - HP Color LaserJet CP2025dn

 1 - HP Color LaserJet CP3525

 1 - HP Color LaserJet CP4005

 2 - HP Color LaserJet CP4025

 1 - HP Color LaserJet M553

 1 - HP LaserJet 400 M401dne

 1 - HP LaserJet 400 color M451dw

 1 - HP LaserJet 4050 series

 3 - HP LaserJet 500 color M551

 4 - HP LaserJet 600 M601

 6 - HP LaserJet 600 M602

 2 - HP LaserJet M605

 2 - HP LaserJet P3015

 5 - HP LaserJet P4014

 2 - HP LaserJet P4515

 1 - hp LaserJet 1320 series

 1 - hp LaserJet 2430

These are new models that don't have drivers:

1 - HP LaserJet M402dn

1 - HP LaserJet M506

1 - HP LaserJet MFP M527

Unfortunately in our environment, different departments can go out and buy any printer they like and we have to figure out how to incorporate it into our images.  Is there an easy way to know which package has drivers for a specific model?

Thanks again;

Chris

[ShlomiL]

Hi Chris,

S-5_6_0 is the package you would need.

This package include most HP Laserjet Printers.

While reviewing your list, each and ANY of your printer models are included in that package (approx. 180 differejnt HP Laserjet models are included).

http://ftp.hp.com/pub/softlib/software12/HP_Quick_Start/osx/Installations/Essentials/hp-printer-esse...

Once installing it you will have any printer driver available, you should not install any further drivers from Apple...

Regards,

Shlomi

[ChrisR3]

Shlomi;

Thank you SO much for your help!  One last question, do you think that the next time we rebuild our image, we should ONLY use the drivers in the HP Essentials package for all printers?  Or do you just mean 'going forward' and it will be OK to continue using Apple drivers for the older printers?

Chris

[ShlomiL · Accepted solution]

Hi Chris,

There is no much difference.

By installing the package for your image, any of your printer drivers will be included for that image as those been installed as art of this package anyway, the only difference might be the driver version which anyway being updated by Apple Software Update if any newer version is available.

Hope that fully answer your question, please let me know otherwise.

Shlomi

[ChrisR3]

Hi Shlomi;

Might as well just have one source for the drivers.  I am already experimenting  with putting just the HP Printer Essentials in the image, but it looks like it will be OK.

Thanks again for your brilliant advice, hopefully it will help others in the same boat:smileyhappy:

Chris

[DaveNaz]

If you can ping the printer you can use HP Easy Start.

An hour on a chat line with HP could not tell me this, but it turns out you just click on the magnifying glass and punch in the manual IP address. This lets you find the printer on another subnet.

Hope that helps someone.

dave