USB Print Server

[warragul]

A friend has a perfectly good Samsung ML-2010*. It's hung on a PPC Mini along with a HP AIO. The Mini shares the printers via a wireless access point (no Airport in the Mini).
She bought herself a MBA and wants to print. The wireless network is working OK and she can print without problems to the HP. However, no matter what combo of drivers and settings I try the Samsung can't be used from the MBA. Although Bonjour can see the printer and allow it to be installed, printing results in a printer can't be found message.
Having spent too much time on this I'm looking at a USB print server solution. But the reviews of the cheaper ones don't inspire confidence and the the rest are $150+.
Does anyone have any good stories to tell about USB print servers?

*Using the ML-1630 driver because Samsung doesn't support the 2010 beyond Tiger, apparently.

[chabig]

Since the MBA sees the printer, I don't think you have a networking problem. I think you might have a printer driver problem. Being new, the MBA is probably running Lion or Mountain Lion, right? Try downloading and updating the Samsung printer drivers:

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL905?vi...S&locale=en_US

[chabig]

Quote: Originally Posted by warragul Using the ML-1630 driver because Samsung doesn't support the 2010 beyond Tiger, apparently.

I found a support page at Samsung that says it's supported through Lion.

http://www.samsung.com/us/support/ow...t/ML-2010/XAA?

[chabig]

One more update--this page at Apple (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3669#samsung) shows no Mountain Lion support for the ML-2010. Maybe you'll get lucky with another driver (the ML-1630 driver isn't working).

[benwiggy]

If you can't get the Samsung drivers to work, try the OpenPrinting drivers here:
http://www.linuxfoundation.org/colla...rinting/macosx

(Mind you, I had a Samsung ML-2250, and it was a complete disaster. It did about 2 shades of grey (even when asked for black), and took forever. I even stumped up for the PostScript compatibility chip, and that made things worse. It worked fine on Windows, but was a nightmare on OS X. I tried Generic drivers and Samsung's own. Never again.

[anthlover]

I too would tell you its driver related. Most printers tend to cost less then wireless solutions.
The Airport express by the way is one of the most reasonable devices to make a printer wireless.

[warragul]

I know the problem is driver-related. The Mini can print just fine with the 1630 driver. The MBA can't. The latest 2010 drivers from Samsung, which are supposed to work with up to 10.7, don't work with 10.5PPC or 10.7Intel. Hence the use of 1630 driver for 10.5PPC, but that doesn't work with 10.7Intel.
Which is why I wanted to move away from using the Mini as a print server for the 2010 and use a USB print server.
The 2010 sits on a bench below the wireless access point. If I could get it onto the LAN I believe/hope that all will be well. I'll try connecting the MBA directly to the 2010 this afternoon and see what happens; probably should have done that first.
Thanks for your help, everybody. I really appreciate the time you've spent on my behalf.

[anthlover]

Direct Connect makes sense as a test

Also If we are want us to Help can we get a clean lay out of all the equipment involved.

e.g.

Macmini model Running 10.5x with X Driver

Macbook Air model running 10.7x with X driver
I believe what I have above reflects what you indicated.

It is quite possible that 10.5x can not act as a print server for 10.7x with differing drivers.

[warragul]

Well, you're probably right, anthlover. The printer works direct (USB) using the 2010 driver for 10.7 on 10.7MBA. Also works OK with 1630 driver on 10.5 on the PPCMini.
So, as a last resort, I set the 2010 up on the MBA as a Generic Postscript Printer. It now prints via the Mini. There's some real Juju going on in CUPS on the Mini.
Thanks again for all your help, people. Where's my paracetamol?

[anthlover]

Creative solution Generic drivers Do that all the time with PCs.

The Laser Jet 4 driver is problem free printing except for when you need to control trays or Color or anything more then basic.... Using it fixes so many issues with Print servers, etc.

Interesting that it was picked up with Generic Postscript. Often you can not find a printer without the correct drivers over USB.

[warragul]

The Mini knows all about the USB 2010 courtesy of the 1630 driver. There must be a RIP in there somewhere (probably in CUPS) that processes the Postscript file. One of the Epson Stylus Photo printers came with a software RIP, IIRC.