WD n900 router will not recognize my Canon MF4360-4390 network laser printer

WD Legacy Products My Net Networking Devices
1

Hi everyone;

I am hoping to get some help with my n900 router. I set it up in my network. I have Cat5 run to offices and my printer station. My printer is a Canon MF4360-4390 laser network printer with its own NIC card in it. I thought that the n900 would see the device and let my computers on my network connect and print. But the n900 see the NIC card but does not recognize the device and it wont allow any connection to it.

2

not an expert on this issue but when you say can’t see… is it in WD printer share software?

If you run a map from one of your computers, does the printer appear in the map?

My Samsung printer was giving me issues as well, but since it allows for wireless connectivity, I am just not using it with the router.

3

When I said it could not see the printer I was talking about the device its self.  The IP and MAC addresses can be seen in the routers table of addresses as well as in the printers menu on the printer, and they are the same. It’s like the NIC card in the printer is recognized and given an address by the router but the machines are not talking to one another to send the packets through.  I am thinking it might be a protocol issue but I am not sure

4

Plugging in the printer to the router’s USB port will not allow the printer to show up as a network device from your computer.

You have to use the WD Print Share Control Center software included in the CD or downloadable from WD’s website.

The procedure I’ve found to get it to work is:

  1. Connect the printer to the computer and install all necessary printer drivers (if not done already)
  2. Connect the printer to the router
  3. Install WD Print Share on computer in step 1
  4. Launch WD Print Share and it should detect the router and the printer attached to it.
  5. Click connect or set up auto connect and from there the printer should show up in your applications print menu
5

So you are saying

Rob21719 wrote:

Plugging in the printer to the router’s USB port will not allow the printer to show up as a network device from your computer.

You have to use the WD Print Share Control Center software included in the CD or downloadable from WD’s website.

The procedure I’ve found to get it to work is:

  1. Connect the printer to the computer and install all necessary printer drivers (if not done already)
  2. Connect the printer to the router
  3. Install WD Print Share on computer in step 1
  4. Launch WD Print Share and it should detect the router and the printer attached to it.
  5. Click connect or set up auto connect and from there the printer should show up in your applications print menu

So you are saying that I have to move my printer to where my router is so that I can connect it with a USB connection for this to work? My prnter is a network printer already, with a NIC card in it, I would think that I could put it anywhere I have a RJ45 connection to the network, plug it in and have the router do its job assign an IP address and go to work. That is what I did with my old junky M1000 Actiontec router that did it just fine. Slower then tar dripping but it worked.

I am loosing faith in this n900 router’s ability to perform simple tasks.

6

  1. Verify UPnP is turned on in N900, without it on, it will not be browseable

  2. Verify the workgroup name of the router matches the PC’s.  This is probably the issue.  With the router workgroup name being different you PC is only scanning its workgroup, not the N900 workgroup

  3. Any IP device should be visible on the network, i.e… Printer, webcam, NAS, etc…

  4. If all else fails you need to set the printer to a static IP address inside your LAN range, then use manual printer install in windows and point to it using the manual IP addy

The previous comments assume you have a USB printer, not a printer with a NIC

FYI - Windows XP UPnP is clunky and slow, it sometimes takes over 30 minutes to show up, windows 7 is instant

7

First off I want to thank you for responding - All of you.

Sorry I didn’t give all the info, this is what I have done and tried:

1 - UPnP is on 

2- The printer is not connected to any computer

3 - The printer is a stand alone ethernet network printer (has its own NIC card) with its own MAC address

4- Print drivers have been installed on all computers connting to the network.

5 - All computers are Win 7 OS

6 - The printers MAC address is in the n900’s IP log of found MAC addresses and has been given an IP address by n900

7 - I did not created any work groups on my network, it is peer-to-peer

8 - the printer does has a port for a printer to USB cable bu no USB port

9 - The printer is located on a different floor then where the n900 router is located which is in my basement where wiring for my house Cat5 wires have been run to a control panel of RJ45 connectors.

I have not seen (nor find in the emanual) how to put a static IP on the n900 router. 1. Can I just add an address to the router log page of IP address?

  1. And will that make that address a static address?

Sorry if I seemed a little kurt in the other responces -  I am a little more than just frustrated, I have a work at home business and not having a printer is about killing me. I set up my old router back up just so I can do my printing.

8

No problems being short and frustrated, it comes free of charge with every WD router.

  1. Windows uses workups or domains.  By default you have a workgroup.  Right click “My computer” go to properties, the scroll down.  It will be listed under there.  I suggest either changing the windows or the router to match.

  2. In the old days, XP could not share a printer (what you are trying to accomplish) due to workups being different

  3.  The static IP will come from the printer.  You must investigate the printer, is it set to auto or static?  Setting the printer to auto would be a good start, then verifying the device shows up in the router table.  Once there add it to be remembered.

  4. Record the IP address of the printer at this point.

  5. Go to start menu, devices and printers, add a printer, it should show up in the box (you need to fix workgroup for this) if not shown, click the “box at bottom, Is not listed”.  Then add a printer using TCP/IP, then enter the address from #4.

The real problem with IP printers is that the printer address is auto and could change.  This is why I suggested static.  If it changes your entire windows setup is hosed.  Once you add the printer through windows, it should go and download the correct drivers afterwards.

The only other problem I can see would be win7 network setup.  When you create a new network it will ask if it is a home network, public or work.  This determines your security, visibility, etc…  I would investigate here also.  It sounds like a windows problem, not a router problem.  The router only gives it an address, windows has to reach it.