Network Printer and Static IP Help

[YChang]

A few months ago I purchased a Dell 1700N network printer. I've noticed that at the end of the month (roughly) I can no longer connect to the printer and that it's ip address has changed. The printer is plugged in straight to my wireless Linksys router (WRT54G).
I looked closer at some of the printer options and noticed that DHCP is checked. Ok, that makes sense as to why it changes. What can I do to stop that?

If I uncheck Enable DHCP I lose connection to the printer and it spits out a 0.0.0.0 IP address. I tried to put one in but that doesn't stick either. I end up having to reset the printer again.

Here's a screenshot of the options available to me. The Dell forum/support site hasn't been much help. The same question I have has been posed but not answered.

 

[Gadfly]

I'm sure you already know this and tried this but:

Make sure you are using a valid IP address, subnet, and Gateway.

Just copy the ones that the DHCP server (your router) is giving you. So, from your picture, you should just uncheck the "Enable DHCP" and the "AutoIP" options and the IP, mask, and gateway will stay the same.

Don't worry about DNS since your now static IP can be used to install the printers (or just keep it the same as in the picture).

You will also need to access your Lynksys config page to insure that the ip you chose gets taken out of the available DHCP scope (worry about this later).

Hit submit - if that doesn't do it, you got me. Keep "pinging" that ip on another system on your network and see if it drops as soon as you hit submit. If you check and it's all zeros, there has to be something wrong. It shouldn't give a crap what you put in (good or bad). I'd suggest a firmware and/or driver update if there is one.


EDIT: NetMask = Subnet Mask = Mask - all the same thing

 

[Gadfly]

Another thing to try is to connect the printer to a system in your network via a USB or parallel cable and use that system as the printer server instead of the Dell printer server software. This can be done with any printer.

You install the printer on the system like any normal printer. Right click and choose share. If all your computers use the same OS, then it's real easy. You just give access to all the needed accounts (I'd suggest "everyone" since the only people who can access your printer will be on your little network - thanks to NAT, you're virtually invisible to all of us), go to a run line (Start>Run on another system) and type "YourComputerNameYourPrinterName" *no quotes* and bam - the printer is installed.

This is under the assumption you are using a win2k or winXP. Possibly more involved under a win9x system.

 

[schnarkle]

From the looks of the screenshot you should probably uncheck DHCP and AutoIP, give it an IP address that is easy to remember and then hit submit.

Also, can you hardcode the IP address into the printer itself, bypassing the config setup?

 

[YChang]

Thanks for the reply guys...turns out I had to go into router see what my max dhcp limit is and then set one outside of it. Now it takes the ip address I've assigned it. Again...hornfans never fails!

 

[zork]

edit: oops looks like you got it while I was writing this up. I'll leave it anyway.

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