I wonder if anyone on here can help me with a problem I have trying to set up an additional network printer on my home network.

I have avery simple set up consisting of a laptop which connects to the network Wirelessly via my Linksys wirless router/hub

I also have a HP network printer which connects using a patch cable directly to the hub, this arrangement has been working fine for a number of years.

I have recently added an additional HP network all in one printer to the setup which connects directly to the hub.

The problem I have had is that when I set up the new printer through the network, it works fine, but I can nolonger print to the old printer. If I re install the old printer, I can then print to the old printer but not the new one, and I seem to be going round in circles trying to get them both working together to give me the choice of which printer to print to.

Any suggestions would be much appriciated.

It sounds to me it is a possibility the printers are obtaining the same ip address from the router and just swapping between them.

Woudl it be possible to configure each printer with a static ip and define this on the router settings? DHCP can of course be left for other devices.

Printers can then be configured in Windows with a local ip port address so you can choose between them.

If they are network printers then set each printers IP address manually.

Then follow these instructions here

Any indication on how to set the IP addresses of the different printers manually?

If they are network printers then set each printers IP address manually.

Then follow these instructions here

Any indication on how to set the IP addresses of the different printers manually?

What model of printer?

I have a HP Photosmart 8450, and a HP 2610 (I think that is the model number of the all in one printer but I could be wrong)

What model of printer?

If they are network printers there should be a menu option to change from DHCP to manual settings, then you can enter an address fitting the ip address range from the router

If they are network printers there should be a menu option to change from DHCP to manual settings, then you can enter an address fitting the ip address range from the router

Remember to set it to an address outside of the DHCP range in the router.

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c00230503.pdf

is the manual for your 8450. There should be one for a 2610 around too.

You need to go into the network settings, which may be below 'I/O settings'- I can't find a menu map online.

Look in your router at the LAN config. Look for the router's IP address/subnet mask, and the DHCP range.

If the router IP is 192.168.0.1, mask 255.255.255.0, and the DHCP range is (say) 192.168.0.50 - 192.168.0.100, then pick 2 addresses outside this- say 192.168.0.200 and 201. Set the printers to these adresses, and follow the instructions elsewhere in this thread.

Using DHCP unless the two printers have the same MAC then they will get different addresses.

Me thinks something is set statically inside the printer and it's working purely by chance that nothing else is on that address.

I'd suggest connecting to the printer through its IP address and using the jetdirect management interface to configure everything properly.

Using DHCP unless the two printers have the same MAC then they will get different addresses.

Problem is you can't guarantee it will always be the same for each printer. BTW, ever had a duplicate MAC? It's a nightmare to diagnose .

Me thinks something is set statically inside the printer and it's working purely by chance that nothing else is on that address.

And maybe sometimes something grabs that address maybe? Could be.

I'd suggest connecting to the printer through its IP address and using the jetdirect management interface to configure everything properly.

Not a bad idea, provided you can be sure nothing else will get that address.

I literally meant putting a crossover cable in the printer, configuring it to have an IP on DHCP, then configuring the DHCP server onthe router to give out fixed addresses to the specific MAC's given.

That way they always get the same IP and no machine will get DHCP assigned their address.

Usually these printers come static on 10.0.0.1 or 192.168.0.1 etc and then you set them up from there.

I literally meant putting a crossover cable in the printer, configuring it to have an IP on DHCP, then configuring the DHCP server onthe router to give out fixed addresses to the specific MAC's given.

That way they always get the same IP and no machine will get DHCP assigned their address.

Usually these printers come static on 10.0.0.1 or 192.168.0.1 etc and then you set them up from there.

Thanks for all the advice so far, but I think I need some advice at a slightly lower less technical level, as I am lost in the discussions above.

ok find the manual for the printer and look for the printers default IP address.

What you need to find out in addition to this is:

- What IP range your router is giving out to the items on it's DHCP network.

Open a command line and type ipconfig to get your current IP address for a start,

but you will need to log into the router (listed as gateway in the windows info) to get this information.

- You need to provide a way for the two printers to have different addresses. Either on DHCP or by static addresses.

Read the manual for the printer and it will tell you how to do this.

I think your problem is that both printers try and claim the address so when you turn the second one on the first will go off the network. Once you have corrected this, you should be able to see them both.

If you have the HP image monitor app, then it could be favouring the newer printer even with the IP's set differently.

Either in your router assign the IP as fixed to each printer/MAC address, or in setup on the printer panel you should have a network option. Enter the IP address there that you want.

On my HP 2575 I have it set to 192.168.1.16, with DHCP on my livebox starting at 20 and the network bridge upstairs being 11 - so I know that address wont get issued by the router to anything else.

Your printer port when you look in control panel should be the IP address and have an option to locate the printer as the IP address may change.