Network printing with an Apple Time Capsule router - PC-BSD Forums

Protagonist · #1 04-14-2009, 04:14 AM

This is more a heads up than a request for help, but I would not turn down any help if someone has a solution. I have an Apple Time Capsule which is basically a network HD and Wireless N router built into one unit.

I have had no problems accessing my networked laser with this setup until recently. Apple updated the Time Capsule firmware last month, (to V7.4.1), and every since I can not print from my IBM. This also affects the Windows 7 installation on the same computer. CUPS shows the job being sent to the printer but comes back shortly with a message about the printer being busy and it will try again. It keeps doing this and never prints.

Now I managed to solve the printing in Windows 7 by deleting the printer, installing Bonjour for Windows and then adding the printer with Bonjour. Apparently they made some change in the firmware that prevents a network printer from being used unless it has been added with Bonjour. So far I have been unable to figure out how to do that in BSD.

After extensive reading in the Apple discussion forums I have found several people who resolved the printing problem by reverting to the previous firmware. I haven't tried this myself so I can't verify it. But if you have a Time Capsule and use BSD and probably Linux you might want to hold off on a firmware update until this issue gets resolved.

Protagonist · #2 04-18-2009, 05:16 AM

Originally Posted by Protagonist

After extensive reading in the Apple discussion forums I have found several people who resolved the printing problem by reverting to the previous firmware. I haven't tried this myself so I can't verify it. But if you have a Time Capsule and use BSD and probably Linux you might want to hold off on a firmware update until this issue gets resolved.

OK, I managed to solve the problem. It seems that the firmware update actually changed the IP address assigned to the printer, or at least the IP address you have to send print jobs to. The log files on my Mac seemed to indicate it was still sending it to 200, but to print in PCBSD I have to send it to xxx.xxx.xxx.2 instead. I found this out when installing Ubuntu 9.04 today. It actually automatically searched for and found my network laser and installed the driver for it. We need that capability in PC-BSD. :-)