EtherFast 10/100 1-Port and 3-Port PrintServer Setup & Troubleshooting
Getting Started
User Guide Changes
General Troubleshooting Tips
NetWare 5.0 TCP/IP or IPX Setup
TCP/IP Setup for Linux & Unix
Using Epson Printers for the PrintServer
Download the Latest Drivers
Download the Latest Windows 2000 Drivers
Note: To perform a full range of functions, most multi-function devices, also referred to as 'all-in-one devices, require a direct connection to your computer’s Printer Port. Some multi-function devices may work on a printserver, however, due to industry standards, they will perform printer functions only.
Getting Started
The most popular troubleshooting pointers for the
EtherFast 10/100 1-Port and 3-Port PrintServers
are shown below. Follow the checklist
to make sure your hardware and software
are installed properly.
If you have other ideas for
setup tips & hints, please let us know.
If you are new to networking, check out our How
to Build a Network brochure.
User Guide
The DIP Switch Settings. The dip switch settings in some versions of the user guides may be incorrect, the settings are reverse of what is mentioned in the user guide. To set the PrintServer on Autosense, put all the dip switches in the UP position.
User Guide. You can download the user guide by clicking here.
General Troubleshooting Tips
If you cannot find the SC number for the PrintServer, please install the Bi-admin software that came with the PrintServer or download the file here.
Plug in the PrintServer. Make sure that the PrintServer's power cord, network cable, and printer cables are all firmly plugged in.
Power down or Reset button. Powering off and on your equipment can sometimes fix hardware that has locked up due to a power surge or other uncommon cause. You can also hold the small black reset button on the side of the printserver for a few seconds to reset the unit.
Link light on the hub. Verify that the network cabling is built to the Ethernet standard and you have a link light on your hub for the printserver.
Avoid interference. Network cabling can be run under floors, around offices dividers, or over dropped
ceilings. When planning your wiring layout, try to keep cables away from power
outlets, florescent lighting fixtures, uninterruptable power supplies, and other
sources of strong electromagnetic interference. Make sure that your RJ-45 cabling is straight-through. Pins 1, 2, 3, and 6 at the PC should line up pin-for-pin at the hub. If you need more information about cabling, see our cabling guide.
Dip switch settings. Contrary to what the manual mentions, when all the dip switches are in the UP position, the printserver is in the autodetect mode. The dip switch settings have to be set opposite the settings in the manual.
IPX\SPX Protocol and TCP\IP. When using Windows 95 or Windows NT, you have to use the TCP\IP setup program on the 95/NT diskette, or the ADMIN program on the UTILITY diskette to set the IP number on the printserver. These programs require IPX\SPX compatable protocol to be installed on the computer running either of these programs.
Ping the Printserver. When using Windows 95 or Windows NT, after you have setup the IP on the unit, make sure your can Ping the printserver.
Printserver Driver. When using Windows 95 or Windows NT, the printserver driver has to be installed on any computer that needs to have direct access to the printserver.
Adding Ports. When using Windows NT or 95, for every port you use on the printserver you have to add a port. For example if you are using all 3 ports, you have to add 3 ports and configure each port to correspond to a port on the printserver.
Web Brower or Dial-Up Adapter Comes up When Trying to Print. If your computer runs the Web Browser or tries to get connected to the internet, you have to do following to fix the problem. Go to Control Panel, and open Network. Highlight the TCP/IP for your Dial-Up Adapter and click on Properties. Click on Bindings. Remove all the checks from the items listed in this window and click OK. You will be asked if you want to choose an item, click No. Click OK to the network window and restart your computer. If the problems persist, go into Control Panel, and open Internet. Click on Connection and remove the check form 'Connect to the Internet as needed' (if you are using IE4 from Microsoft, change the option from Modem to Network). If you use IE5 you will have to open Control Panel, Internet, Connections, and choose the option named Never Dial a Connection, then click Apply then OK. Now you will not be bothered with the dialup logon screen when you try to print or access the print server.
NEC 660 Printer. At this time this printer is not supported with the printserver.
Bindary vs. NDS. When setting up the printserver using Admin as a printserver, if the Master File Server field has a value in it, the printserver will function under Bindary mode. If you are using a Novell 4.X server and you are using NDS, nothing should be listed in the Master File Server field.
NDS Setup. When setting up the printserver using Admin as a printserver, use caution when inputting the tree name and context. The printserver contxt setup does not follow the Novell Netware convention. When filling the context, you do not start with a period ("."); you start with the container name
and work your way up to the tree name. e.g. The printserver object is being created in a container called ACCOUNTING. The ACCOUNTING container is a sub-container of the MARKETING container. The MARKETING container resides on the root which is called IMAGINARYCO. The tree name in the Admin program will be
IMAGINARYCO and the context will be ACCOUNTING.MARKETING.IMAGINARYCO. If the printserver was to be created in the root context instead the setting would be IMAGINARYCO for both tree name and context.
PSCONFIG or QUICKSET see one port only. If the PSCONFIG program or the QUICKSET program only see or setup one port on the printserver, download the latest version of these programs at this time by clicking here to fix your problems.
Node Address of the Printserver. To find the Node Address of the Printserver, replace the SC (SC number is on the bottom of the Printserver) with 00C002 (e.g. Printserver with SCC15489 number had Node Addrees of 00C002C15489).
NT Spooler Error or Lock up. If you are getting NT spooler errors frequently and you need to reboot the server or stop the spooler and start it again, you can get a new release of a firmware by clicking here.
HP Deskjet printers connection drops- Check HP web site to disable the bidirectional features and disabling Cartrige Query.
Epson inkjet may need driver needs to be adjusted to spool on a local driver and enable Print Management option. Check Epson web site for detail.
NetWare 5.0 TCP/IP or IPX Setup
Click here to download the latest version of the Quickset program required for IPX setup.
Click here to download the instructions to setup the Printserver to use IPX.
Click here to download the instructions to setup the Printserver to use TCP/IP.
TCP/IP Setup for Linux & Unix
Note that the examples below should not be used verbatum, as your system's
configuration will certainly be different from ours. Your IP address may be different, and you can substitute another name for printserver in the examples below.
These instructions are provided for your convenience only. Linksys does not
provide Technical Support by telephone for Unix or Linux at this time. If you have
difficulties getting the installation to work, try using the Linksys listserver by sending
e-mail to: Majordomo@listserv.linksys.com
and include the words SUBSCRIBE SUPPORT-HELP in the body of the e-mail. |
The 10/100 1-Port and 3-Port PrintServer is supported under all flavors of Linux and Unix via the TCP/IP protocol that
use LPR/LPD printing. Follow the example below to get the PrintServer up and running with your system.
/etc/hosts
10.0.0.10 printserver # linksys printserver
An IP address can be assigned to the unit using arp/telnet or arp/ping or rarp protocols.
For rarp:
You need to create /etc/ethers if it does not exist.
Get the ID number off the bottom of the PrintServer unit. It will usually
have a number like SCXXYYZZ or SCCXYYZZ.
Convert the number into a MAC address by combining them with the prefix numbers 00:c0:02. For example,
if the number is SCXXYYZZ, then the MAC address will be 00:c0:02:XX:YY:ZZ. If the number is
SCCXYYZZ, then the MAC address will be 00:c0:02:CX:YY:ZZ. In both of these examples,
be sure to replace XX, YY, and ZZ with the numbers from the bottom of the PrintServer unit.
/etc/ethers
00:c0:02:XX:YY:ZZ printserver
Verify that rarp is running.
On System V type : ps -ef | grep rarpd
For BSD type : ps -ax | grep rarpd
If rarp is not running, type rarpd -a
Note: The PrintServer will only use rarp if the IP address is 0.0.0.0 in the PrintServer unit.
Using arp and telnet:
Use the following commands after creating the proper entries in /etc/hosts
Arp -s printserver 00:c0:02:XX:YY:ZZ
Next issue the command : ping printserver
You should get back normal ping replies.
Using telnet printserver:
Telnet commands are: monitor, followed by exit. Use Ctrl-C to stop the monitor command.
To store the IP address as permanent using tftp do the following:
tftp printserver
tftp> get CONFIG
tftp> quit
Edit CONFIG with vi or some other text editor:
0001 BOX_NAME: SCXXXXXX
4000 IP_ADDR: 0.0.0.0
4001 GATEWAY: 0.0.0.0
4002 MASK : 0.0.0.0
Make the changes needed and then do the following:
tftp printserver
tftp> put CONFIG
tftp> get RESET
Wait for the red light on the printserver to go out and then issue:
tftp> quit
Your printserver is now configured.
Next, make an entry in /etc/printcap for each port on the print server:
/etc/printcap
# hp printer on lpt1 of print server
hp|Remote Printer1|lp1:\ # this line can be anything you want
:lp=:\
:rm=printserver:\
:rp=L1:\ # L1 for LPT1, L2 for LPT2, L3 for LPT3
:sd=:\ # usually something like /var/spool/lpd
:mx#0:
# buble jet printer on lpt2 of print server
bj|Remote Printer2|lp2:\ # this line can be anything you want
:lp=:\
:rm=printserver:\
:rp=L2:\ # L1 for LPT1, L2 for LPT2, L3 for LPT3
:sd=:\ # usually something like /var/spool/lpd
:mx#0:
# dot matrix line printer on lpt3 of print server
lp|Remote Printer3|lp3:\ # this line can be anything you want
:lp=:\
:rm=printserver:\
:rp=L3:\ # L1 for LPT1, L2 for LPT2, L3 for LPT3
:sd=:\ # usually something like /var/spool/lpd
:mx#0:
The above example is for EPSX3, the Linksys 3-Port PrintServer. The same can be used
for PPSX1, our single port model, except that only L1 is valid for the rp line.
To get your printers started, you may need to issue:
lpc start hp
lpc start bj
lpc start lp
For OS’s that need direct socket support,
the following is a correlation between sockets and ports:
LPT1 is socket 4010
LPT2 is socket 4020
LPT3 is socket 4030
Spooling Setting for Epson Printers
- Double-click on My Computer, double-click on the C: drive, and create a folder and named EPSON.
- Click on Start, Programs, Epson, Epson Spool Manager.
- Highlight the Epson printer.
- Click Queue, then Setup.
- Put a check on Spool to Local Printer and Print Manager for this port.
- Set the Spool Directory to C:\EPSON
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