Time Capsule network printing issues
GaryCason
my home for the first time. I have an older IBook G4 (10.4.11) and
realize that until a get a newer MacBook, I'm basically using the Time
Capsule as an expensive router. Anyway, my entire network is wireless,
ie, nothing is hooked directly up to the Time Capsule, not even the
printer. I have 2 PCs and one Mac and a printer I want to network. I
can't seem to get the printer working through the TC though. Any good
ideas on how to set up a network with a Time Capsule, 2 Windows
computers, 1 IBook and a printer???? Should the TC be the master
thingy? Thanks!!!!
Gary
Stefan
> I have an older IBook G4 (10.4.11) and realize that until a
> get a newer MacBook, I'm basically using the Time Capsule
> as an expensive router.
You can connect to it and use it as an ordinary afp file server.
GaryCason
> In article
> <43bbdb19-e611-4633-bd9c-51050c0ce...@a6g2000vbp.googlegroups.com>,
>
> GaryCason <gary.ca...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Anyway, my entire network is wireless, ie, nothing is hooked directly up
> > to the Time Capsule, not even the printer. I have 2 PCs and one Mac and
> > a printer I want to network. I can't seem to get the printer working
> > through the TC though.
>
> not, you will have to connect it directly to the Time Capsule.
>
> --
> Member National Rifle Association
> Member American Civil Liberties Union
> Member Human Rights Campaign
Yes, it is a wireless printer (wireless only, NO ability to connect by
actual cable to Time Capsule, computer, server, etc) and it's showing
that it IS connected to my network. I'm using the Time Capsule to
provide internet to all 3 computers, I just can't seem to connect to
the printer yet. Thanks for the reply, I totally need some help with
this one.
Gary
GaryCason
Thanks, the IBook G4 is using the Time Capsule as a LAN internet
signal right now, but I can't seem to get a network up to file share,
print, etc. Any help is much appreciated!
Gary
Stefan
> Thanks, the IBook G4 is using the Time Capsule as a LAN internet
> signal right now, but I can't seem to get a network up to file share,
> print, etc. Any help is much appreciated!
Does your Airport administration utility recognize the TimeCapsule? If
not, then go to the Apple site and download the newest version. It's
something like version 5.4 or so and runs on OS 10.4 and newer. With
that you can configure your TimeCapsule.
Actually, I don't know whether you must format that TC disk before you
can use it as file server and whether you need TimeMachine for that or
can do all configurations from the Airport utility.
GaryCason
>
> GaryCason <gary.ca...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Yes, it is a wireless printer (wireless only, NO ability to connect by
> > actual cable to Time Capsule, computer, server, etc) and it's showing
> > that it IS connected to my network. I'm using the Time Capsule to
> > provide internet to all 3 computers, I just can't seem to connect to the
> > printer yet. Thanks for the reply, I totally need some help with this
> > one.
>
> can't see it on the network, is that what you're saying? If that's the
> case, it appears to me that you do not have the drivers for the printer
> installed on an of the computers.
>
> What make and model printer is it?
>
> --
> Member National Rifle Association
> Member American Civil Liberties Union
> Member Human Rights Campaign
It's a Brother MFC-490CW Printer, Fax, Scanner, Copier.
David Empson
> On Oct 6, 10:09 am, Michelle Steiner <miche...@michelle.org> wrote:
> > In article
> > <e580ff9c-d3b4-4061-bb8e-479b345a3...@z34g2000vbl.googlegroups.com>,
> >
> > GaryCason <gary.ca...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > Yes, it is a wireless printer (wireless only, NO ability to connect by
> > > actual cable to Time Capsule, computer, server, etc) and it's showing
> > > that it IS connected to my network. I'm using the Time Capsule to
> > > provide internet to all 3 computers, I just can't seem to connect to the
> > > printer yet. Thanks for the reply, I totally need some help with this
> > > one.
> >
> > The printer shows that it is connected to the network, but the computers
> > can't see it on the network, is that what you're saying? If that's the
> > case, it appears to me that you do not have the drivers for the printer
> > installed on an of the computers.
> >
> > What make and model printer is it?
>
> It's a Brother MFC-490CW Printer, Fax, Scanner, Copier.
As it happens, I own a similar Brother MFC device, and I was helping
someone else set up another similar model on a wireless network last
night, and coincidentally they have a Time Capsule.
FYI, the MFC-490CW supports USB, Ethernet and/or Wireless connections,
so your claim that it has "no ability to connect by cable" is not
accurate - that's just how you want to use it. (You can use either
Ethernet or Wireless, not both at the same time. Not sure how USB
interacts with the other two, but there isn't any point trying to use
it.)
Given your intended network configuration, either Ethernet or Wireless
is the best choice for the printer, so all the computers will be able to
use the printing and scanning features. Ethernet will allow faster
communication with the printer, if you can situate the printer close
enough to your Time Capsule.
Judging from earlier posts, your network configuration is something like
this. Please correct these details if I've misunderstood.
1. The Time Capsule is your only wireless router. It is connected to
your broadband modem via Ethernet, using the Time Capsule's Internet
port (the one with the "ring of circles" icon). Nothing else is plugged
into the Time Capsule (apart from the power cable).
2. Your Time Capsule is creating a wireless network.
3. Two Windows PCs and an iBook (running Mac OS X 10.4.11) are connected
to your wireless network. They are able to access the Internet.
4. Brother MFC-490CW is connected to the wireless netowrk.
I assume you are using the iBook to administer the Time Capsule (via
Airport Utility), but the Windows PCs should also be able to do this.
Not relevant to the problem at hand.
I assume you have the current model Time Capsule (introduced March
2009), which supports simultaneous dual-band networks.
One thing to check is that you haven't accidentally enabled the Guest
Network feature of the Time Capsule, and then have either the printer or
any of the computers connected to that wireless network. The guest
network doesn't allow any local device to communicate directly with any
other local device - they can only access the Internet. This would
prevent access to the printer, and access to the Time Capsule's hard
drive.
Probably not relevant, but worth checking as it will cause other
problems: if you have a broadband modem/router, and it is acting as a
router, i.e. it is a DHCP server and doing NAT (Network Address
Translation), you should have the Time Capsule configured for
"Connection Sharing: Off (Bridge mode)". If you use the "Share a public
IP address" setting you will have two NAT routers, which can cause
problems with some software. The "Distribute a range of IP addresses"
setting is also likely to cause problems if your existing router is
acting as a DHCP server.
On the other hand, if your broadband connection is via a simple modem
which is not acting as a router, and you have a single public IP
address, the Time Capsule should be set to use "Share a public IP
address", so it will act as a DHCP server and do NAT.
Assuming you have something acting as a DHCP server, all computers and
the Brother MFC should be set to acquire their IP address automatically
from the DHCP server.
It may help if you can make a note of which IP address your printer has
been assigned. I haven't had a close look at the user interface, but I
assume there is some way to find this. If you are using DHCP, it may
change from time to time.
I assume you have installed the drivers from the CD on each computer
(following the instructions in the Brother quick start guide).
Given all that, then on the iBook, you should see the printer by going
into System Preferences > Print & Fax and clicking the + button to add a
printer. The "Default" printer browser should show any networked
printers. The Brother MFC advertises itself via Bonjour, so as long as
everyone is connected to the same wireless network and with compatible
IP settings, everything should just work.
In addition, the Brother software installs the "ControlCenter2"
software, which appears in your menu bar and lets you access the
scanning features. You need to choose a device, and it is best to do
this by name, because the printer's IP address might change if the DHCP
server happens to issue it a different address.
I haven't looked at the details of how to use it on Windows, but the
manual should cover that.
--
David Empson
dem...@actrix.gen.nz
David Stone
dem...@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson) wrote:
> GaryCason <gary....@gmail.com> wrote:
[snip]
> >
> > It's a Brother MFC-490CW Printer, Fax, Scanner, Copier.
>
> As it happens, I own a similar Brother MFC device, and I was helping
> someone else set up another similar model on a wireless network last
> night, and coincidentally they have a Time Capsule.
> Given your intended network configuration, either Ethernet or Wireless
> is the best choice for the printer, so all the computers will be able to
> use the printing and scanning features. Ethernet will allow faster
> communication with the printer, if you can situate the printer close
> enough to your Time Capsule.
I have an older Brother laser printer hooked up via USB to an Airport
Extreme (same as a Time Capsule sans internal drive). The USB connection
is fine for printing. You do have to make sure that you have the correct
printer driver on all networked computers, however.
> Probably not relevant, but worth checking as it will cause other
> problems: if you have a broadband modem/router, and it is acting as a
> router, i.e. it is a DHCP server and doing NAT (Network Address
> Translation), you should have the Time Capsule configured for
> "Connection Sharing: Off (Bridge mode)". If you use the "Share a public
> IP address" setting you will have two NAT routers, which can cause
> problems with some software. The "Distribute a range of IP addresses"
> setting is also likely to cause problems if your existing router is
> acting as a DHCP server.
The internal software on the TC should warn you if there is such
a conflict via Airport Utility, and ask if you want it to switch
to bridge mode.
David Empson
> In article <1j77tha.5i18f8voykg0N%dem...@actrix.gen.nz>,
> dem...@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson) wrote:
> > GaryCason <gary....@gmail.com> wrote:
> [snip]
> > >
> > > It's a Brother MFC-490CW Printer, Fax, Scanner, Copier.
> >
> > As it happens, I own a similar Brother MFC device, and I was helping
> > someone else set up another similar model on a wireless network last
> > night, and coincidentally they have a Time Capsule.
> [snip]
> > Given your intended network configuration, either Ethernet or Wireless
> > is the best choice for the printer, so all the computers will be able to
> > use the printing and scanning features. Ethernet will allow faster
> > communication with the printer, if you can situate the printer close
> > enough to your Time Capsule.
>
> I have an older Brother laser printer hooked up via USB to an Airport
> Extreme (same as a Time Capsule sans internal drive). The USB connection
> is fine for printing. You do have to make sure that you have the correct
> printer driver on all networked computers, however.
The USB port on the Time Capsule is only useful for printing (or
connecting a hard drive). It would not allow access to the other
features of the Brother MFC, such as scanning.
A similar option would be connecting the MFC to a computer via USB. That
would probably allow sharing of the printer (with possible OS
compatibility issues), but it requires the host computer to be on
whenever anything is to be printed. Sharing of the scanner is likely to
be nonexistant or have OS compatibility issues.
The MFC's built-in networking support is designed to support multiple
users sharing it as a printer and scanner.
That is why I said that Ethernet or Wireless is the best option in this
case.
--
David Empson
dem...@actrix.gen.nz