Apple's Extreme Print Problem
News Analysis. Some Mac users are complaining about wireless print problems. I'm one of them. |
Based on forum posts, problems started with the Mac OS X 10.5.2 update, which busted printing through some AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule base stations. Frustrated forum posters expressed similar stories: Wireless printing worked fine with Leopard 10.5.1 or earlier Mac OS X versions. Printing stopped working after applying the 10.5.2 update.
This Apple forum post is fairly typical: "I've been having the same problem as of recent! I purchased my [Samsung] ML-1630 printer and Airport Express last September! No issues then! I think it may have something to do with the 10.5.2 update, because prior to this update it worked like a charm on my Macbook."
Based on Apple support forums, the wireless printing problems affect models from Canon, Epson, HP and Samsung, at the least.
I experienced wireless printing problems on two different all-in-one printers, both sold at Apple's online store: The Epson Stylus Photo RX680 and Samsung SCX-4500. Both printers ship with Mac OS X drivers. I have a Time Capsule, purchased after moving to San Diego.
I recently put aside Windows Vista as my primary operating system (I also blog Microsoft Watch). I hadn't used Leopard enough, and Office 2008 needed to be tested. I started with Leopard 10.5.2, so I have no printing experience with 10.5.1. I never successfully completed a printing job, on either a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, to the RX680 connected to Time Capsule. The drivers installed and the printer was detected. But printing always failed.
Last week, my father-in-law's Epson all-in-one printer stopped functioning. So, I offered him the RX680. I figured the printing problem had something to do with the all-in-oneness of the device; I would buy a nice photo printer. But I couldn't find the right photo printer at the local Fry's Electronics. I took a chance on another all-in-one, the SCX-4500. Printing failed again, and I wrongly assumed the all-in-oneness was to blame.
After exploring various forum posts, including Apple support, I discovered an endemic problem that affected many different printers. Not only was I not alone with this problem, I had loads of companions.
"I just bought the new Samsung ML-1630 and hooked it up to the Airport Express," wrote one Apple support forum poster. "The station is picking up the printer while I am connected to my network but it won't print anything."
I'm really perplexed that Apple hasn't fixed this problem. The 10.5.2 update released about four months ago, and forum posts about wireless printing problems started right away. Besides, wireless printing is one of the major benefits of AirPort Extreme or Time Capsule. Very few other Wi-Fi base stations offer wireless printing as a feature. Rather, base station manufacturers more typically sell separate print servers.
One forum poster offered an interesting network ID fix that didn't work for me but helped other people having wireless printing problems.
I can't definitely say whether Leopard 10.5.2 is the problem, as I hadn't printed with 10.5.1. But many Apple support forums on wireless printing problems point to the update as the culprit. But not all. This thread on Canon Pixma MP610 reaches resolution by updating printer drivers. Another thread pegs an AirPort firmware update as the cause for wireless printing problems.
For the record, in troubleshooting my problems, I updated drivers, tried different drivers and reinstalled printers. Printing failed on three different Macs.
At the time of posting, Apple hadn't yet responded with comment about the wireless printing problems.
Comments (7)
Now, I am sure if this happened on Vista, there would be no end on this one. But I guess thats how the cookie crumbles.
Posted by Andre Da Costa | May 13, 2008 9:15 PM
Andre Da Costa wrote: "Now, I am sure if this happened on Vista, there would be no end on this one."
I know, Andre. Is it:
* Too few Mac users
* Mac users don't care enough
* Apple Watch needs more readers
* Apple gets slack Microsoft doesn't
Take your pick!
Joe
Posted by Joe | May 13, 2008 10:51 PM
I am curious about this and other 'known issues' out there.
I have an Epson (well several and they all work) connected via USB 2 hub to an Airport Extreme . The Epsons can be printed to from; a PC using Bonjour, an iBook G4, an 8 Core Xeon Mac Pro, a MacBook, 2 G4 Mac Pros and a Dual G5 Mac Pro. None of them have any problems.
The PC is even using a plug in USB 2 Wi Fi dongle that talks to the Apple network for its connectivity as well as printing. The Mac Pro also runs Parallels and VMWare, Vista and XP Pro on both, all four VMs using Bonjour to print to the same printer no problem.
All machines have run like this through every iteration of Leopard.
In addition I have a 3rd party USB HD attached to the Airport Extreme running as the Time Machine back up to the MacBook wirelessly and flawlessly.
So many things above I read over and over can't be done or don't work! How come they work fine for me?
Posted by Michael | May 19, 2008 3:13 PM
You are not alone. I also have an Epson RX680 AIO, and you can blame the Epson drivers. I have never been able to print wirelessly to a AEBS since Leopard 10.5.0 release. I am on 10.5.3 now and I still cannot print wirelessly.
Gutenprint drivers were updated recently to support Epson RX680 and I was able to install those drivers and finally get wireless printing working, however, the options are limited (eg, always prints from the back rather than front, cannot print both sides - at least none that I can find options to change). I need the standard Epson drivers to work!
Maybe you can persuade Epson to update their drivers?
Posted by Lucky | May 30, 2008 10:59 AM
Just bought the Samsumg scx-4500 for network printing over airport extreme and pulled out my hair and cursed more then a few times. Then finally, A SOLUTION! - with no help from Apple or Samsung.
1. Make certain your usb is plugged into the airport
2. Open airport Utility and double-click your airport
3. Select Printers
4. if your printer doesn't show then click update and your airport should restart - once it restarts your printer should show up.
5. go to print & Fax in the System Prefs and control click the printer pane to Reset the Printing system
6. Add printer with the + and it should find your printer in the airport.
7. Print and relax.
Posted by #13 | June 12, 2008 7:30 PM
I had an Epson DX4200 all in one which after 2.5 years started getting a little wonky so I bought the DX4400. It's supposed to be an upgrade but it's actually slower, which pissed me off, but that's not my point. The old one, the 4200, worked fine wirelessly off my Airport Express BS right through my MacBook's update to 10.5.3. But the new one, the 4400, won't print wirelessly off the laptop. My old PPC Mac Mini was able to immediately print wirelessly on the 4400. So, by process of elimination, it has to be something about how the Epson Intel driver (latest available) interacts with 10.5.3. (To be specific: The new printer shows up fine in the Airport Utility. It's listed as a Bonjour printer in the "Add Printer" window. Everything seems correct. When I choose Print, the printer icon appears in the dock and the window states "Printer Ready." but no print job appears. If I reconfigure the Printer in the Preference pane, giving it an IP of 10.0.1.1 (matching the address given in the Airport Utility), when I choose "Print", the printer icon appears in the dock; the print job appears in the window, followed immediately by "Communication Error"; I've reset the printing system and restarted the BS and the printer in a variety of orders as well as un- and re-installing the driver)
Posted by bookmanjb | June 13, 2008 9:26 AM
I downloaded the Gutenprint driver and I can now print wirelessly.
http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/MacOSX.php3
I wasted a hell of a lot of time before stumbling on this fix. Surely Apple & Epson know about it; why don't they just tell us?
Posted by bookmanjb | June 13, 2008 10:02 AM