Urgent Help - Network Printer

I am on location right now trying to get this done and am banging my head.

I have a Konica 7030 MFP that I am attempting to connect to a wireless network via a wireless access point. The printer is connecting via ethernet to Wlan on a D-link 2100AP. I am positive that all ip settings are correct and that the AP is configured correctly. I have tested this connection method (Ethernet to WLAN) with the AP on a PC and I can ping the PC. However, when I connect it to the Konica 7030 I can't ping the printer but can ping everything else on the network. If I run a long patch cable to the router then I can ping the printer fine from any PC. It is just when I have it connected to the AP nthat I can't ping it and obviously and most importantly print to it. Has anyone had a similar issue to this. Any help would be appreciated.

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Silver Bullet

Ok...not onsite anymore but am still looking for a solution and any help will be appreciated.

Thanks

garv221

Silver Bullet wrote:

I am on location right now trying to get this done and am banging my head.

I have a Konica 7030 MFP that I am attempting to connect to a wireless network via a wireless access point. The printer is connecting via ethernet to Wlan on a D-link 2100AP. I am positive that all ip settings are correct and that the AP is configured correctly. I have tested this connection method (Ethernet to WLAN) with the AP on a PC and I can ping the PC. However, when I connect it to the Konica 7030 I can't ping the printer but can ping everything else on the network. If I run a long patch cable to the router then I can ping the printer fine from any PC. It is just when I have it connected to the AP nthat I can't ping it and obviously and most importantly print to it. Has anyone had a similar issue to this. Any help would be appreciated.

Have you set the printer up through your computer using drivers & the software disc. It will promt for SSID, MAC ,IP..ect....???

Silver Bullet

Thanks Garv......I have the printer setup on all pcs and can print to the printer if it is hard wired to the router. I just can't see it when I have it connected to the Access Point.

garv221

I don't really understand whats going on here? The AP has to be added to the wireless network by some form of security & given a static.

keatron

Have you set up any security on the AP? Check to make sure some security setting is not causing the issue.

You said you are certain you have IP setup correctly. Could you post exactly how you have everything set up, for example; what are the current settings on the AP? Is DHCP involved at all or is the entire network static?

Silver Bullet

Thanks for helping me try to figure this out. This is the setup

Access Point: D-Link DWL-2100AP
Static
IP: 192.168.1.50
Subnet: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1
Mode: AP Client (In this mode, the Access Point acts as a wireless card for the device it is attached to via ethernet and works this way when connected to a PC)
No security involved at the moment so all security is disabled is disabled.
Ethernet to WLAN is enabled

Printer: Konica 7030 MFP
Static
IP: 192.168.1.60
Subnet: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1

Note: I ran a long patch cable from the printer to the router and can ping and print to it from any PC on the Network. I can ping the Access point when it is connected to the printer but not the printer. If I connect the access point to a PC with the Access Point having the same configuration then I can ping the PC and the AP.

The only difference between when I connect the AP point to the Printer and when I connect it to the PC is that the PC is on DHCP and the printer has a Static IP. Do you think this has something to do with it. I am grasping at straws now because this just does not make sense that it is not working.

Again, Thanks

garv221

I would re-attach your PC to the AP. Verify you can ping it, copy all the DHCP settings down. Take that PC off the network, & paste those settings to your printer and see what happens. If it doesn't work, look into your router for an answer. It kind of sounds like the AP is not fowarding packets by an incorrect gateway..?? Let us know.

/usr

Are you locked into using that setup?

If it keeps giving you problems, I would try using the AP solely as an AP for your wireless clients, then buy a small bridge and plug your printer into that. I know D-Link makes one for around $50. If you're interested in this route, I can get the model number.

Other than that, I'm still a little confused.
Your AP (that the printer is plugged into), is the AP your wireless clients are authenticating to, right? Is the AP doing DHCP or are you assigning all clients static addresses?

EDIT:

Switch your printer over to DHCP and see if the AP will assign is an IP address, rather than giving it a static address. I know your assigning it a valid address, but try it anyway.

Silver Bullet

/usr wrote:

Are you locked into using that setup?

EDIT:

Switch your printer over to DHCP and see if the AP will assign is an IP address, rather than giving it a static address. I know your assigning it a valid address, but try it anyway.

That crossed my mind last night in my search for a solution. However, the AP is not assigning DHCP addresses to clients and no other wireless device connects to the network through this Access Point, it is acting as the wireless card for the printer in the mode I have it in. DHCP is being assigned by the router and since I can't ping from the printer I will try the printer in DHCP mode to see if it can obtain an IP address.

There is one other thing that I started questioning myself about...... on this particular printer, there is a software installation step that has to be performed before being able to add the Network printer to the PC. Konica provides this IP-P2P software and during the installation it asks for the IP assignments and one of the sections is HOP count. The default value for the hop count is 2. I don't really see how this could effect the good ole PING command but maybe so. I am thinking that PC > Router > AP > Printer NIC is 3 hops. Anyone agree on this hop count and do you think that this software installation could effect the PING command?

Thanks

/usr

I still say return the AP and get a bridge.

Silver Bullet

/usr wrote:

I still say return the AP and get a bridge.

Which model? This DWL 2100AP has the ability to function as a Bridge if I remember right. Maybe I need to just put it in bridge mode!!

Silver Bullet

I am also considering performing a force install of a sledge hammer to the top of the printer!!!!

EverythingPCowner

I just glanced....so sorry if im way off topic....but, Are you sure your AP/Router has the appropriate ports configured.. ex. 9000 for jet direct.

drainey

This may not help either, or may not be something your interested in but have you considered making the AP just an AP and putting a hub between it and the printer. That way the printer connects to the hub, which sends the packets to the AP, which should forward it on to the router, etc, etc.

Have no idea if that would work or not. But it seems likely.

Silver Bullet

drainey wrote:

This may not help either, or may not be something your interested in but have you considered making the AP just an AP and putting a hub between it and the printer. That way the printer connects to the hub, which sends the packets to the AP, which should forward it on to the router, etc, etc.

Have no idea if that would work or not. But it seems likely.

Actually I have. Thought about getting a print server and connecting the printer to it and then connecting the print server to the AP. But like you say, don't know if it would work or not. One would think that if it were setup like that and could be seen on the network then it could be seen the way I am attempting to set it up now.

There have been 4 IT companies to this guys business attempting to get this connected and none of the others were successful at even getting the printer connected wired, let alone wireless. He had someone set this up for him before and now he, the Business Owner, has moved to a different location and then had his computers stolen. Router and access point were left behind so all that the first person that came out had to do was reinstall the printer's software/driver but, NO, they had reset both the router and access point. He said that it took the guy that initially set it up forever to get it going but said he did. I asked him if he was sure that he didn't run a CAT5 drop to it and trick him, but he was confident that it was setup through this access point. I plan to be going back out tomorrow and I will let you guys know the outcome whether if it is a success or if the sledge hammer was installed.

Thanks

PSI

I don't really know if this will help but here goes:

You can ping it with other computers, right? Maibie it is not the printer or the DHCP at fault, maibie the problem is with the PC that cannot ping it?

I'm just a beginer (mispelled, sorry) so it might not be of use. Sorry if someone else has said this...

drainey

Just had a thought. You are trying to bridge a wireless gap. I believe an earlier post was correct. You probably need to get a bridge. The other option I thought of was a wireless print server. I know Linksys makes one.

/usr

Just had a thought. You are trying to bridge a wireless gap.

He said he could hook the PC up to the AP, with the same configuration, and ping it. I suggested a workgroup bridge because they are simple to use and easy to setup.

I would suspect the printer before the AP though, if he is able to use the same configuration and ping a PC behind it, but not the printer.
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Silver Bullet

Well............. it's connected

The first thing I did was put the AP back on the printer and enabled DHCP on the printer. Power cycled the printer and Voila, it went out and got an IP address. Good to go right .........wrong. Still could not ping the printer. Went back to a workstation and opened the printer software and, this is strange, the printers software can find the printer on the network but the PC on which the software is installed can't ping or print to it while it is behind this access point. Went back and power cycled the printer again and began pinging the printer right after it was power cycled but after about five minutes I couldn't ping it anymore. I power cycled the printer again and again was able to ping the printer again but after 5 minutes or so I was not able to again. It is acting like the Printer NIC is going to sleep after a short period of time when it is behind this access point and is causing me to loose network connection to it, however the printer's software can see that it is on the network but will not connect to it.

Solution: Dumped the Access Point and ran a Cat 5 drop to the printer.

shadown7

That's weird! But, I'm glad the Cat5 drop worked.