Help, unable to open printer port

[bob]

I had to reload windows due to some particularly tenacious and obnoxious mal-ware and thus had to reinstall Flexi and create new stetups for my printer and plotter. Note that all this gear functioned perfectly before the re-install.

Windows XP Home

Flexi 7.6v2

Mutoh Falcon Outdoor 46/48 on TCP/IP with little print server widget plugged into the printer and an Ethernet cable from the CPU to the widget.

Graphtec FC7000-75 on USB.

The plotter works flawlessly, not a problem there.

The printer, however, is proving to be a real challenge. The Production Manager can't seem to be able to open the printer port. It processes, it RIPS, then it reports "cannot open port".

Yes, the Production Manager setup for the printer is correct, just like it was before the reload. Yes, the IP address is correct, just like it was before the reload. Yes the LAN connection on the CPU is configured correctly for DHCP, just like it was before the reload. Yes, the Ethernet card is functioning properly, I have two and my internet connection works perfectly in either one. The printer does not, in either one. Yes, I've been through every possible iteration of unplugging and powering off and rebooting of all of the computer, the print server widget, and the printer. All of these things are in the 'Is it plugged in' category of question. We can skip to the next page here.

I'm stuck...There's something I'm missing here and I can't for the life of me think of what it might be.

Help...

 

[signage]

Bob are you running Nortons internet security? If so you need to unblock app.exe and app2.exe not sure of second ones name but it is something like that.

 

[SAS]

Have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers for the printer. I know with my cutter Flexi 7.6 dose not come with the correct driver. The driver that came with Flexi will work with com port 1 but not with the USB I had to download the correct driver from summa. My printer on the other have I have not had a problem with the driver that came with Flexi.

 

[Rhinoz]

Set a static IP address for the printer.

 

[anothersign]

might help

I am not familiar with the Mutoh Falcon Outdoor 46/48 or the print server widget but i do work with networks, canon color photo copiers and fiery print controllers. I would start by trying to ping from the pc to the print controller and make sure they can talk. I would also web into the controller and check all the setting in it. if you have questions pm or email me at anothersign@gmail.com

 

[Rhinoz]

Just to add to my post, if you are running 2 network cards in one computer and then the print server is running DHCP, the easiest way to make sure no network glitches EVER occur is to run all your printers with static IP addresses, that way you are not relying on DHCP which can get quirky at times with Flexi.

If you need help with it, I'll be happy to chat with you about it.

 

[bob]

Just to add to my post, if you are running 2 network cards in one computer and then the print server is running DHCP, the easiest way to make sure no network glitches EVER occur is to run all your printers with static IP addresses, that way you are not relying on DHCP which can get quirky at times with Flexi.

If you need help with it, I'll be happy to chat with you about it.

The print server has always had its own static IP address. It's the Ethernet card that's DHCP. Always has been.

The thing here is that this EXACT setup, same EXACT hardware configuration, functioned flawlessly before I had to reload Windows and reinstall Flexi and other various applications. Every facet of the system, both in and out of Flexi, seems to by functioning correctly except that the Production Manager is unable to open the printer port.

If I ping the print server IP address, it finds it but the print server doesn't respond. Understandable.

If I attempt to run the print server configuration software, it doesn't seem to answer the helm in the manner predicted by the instructions provided. As I recall through dim memory, it was pretty much this way the first time I did it a year or two ago.

I'm about to take a length of rope into the woods...

 

[Rhinoz]

Bob, can you just do a couple of checks for me and post them here.

1st, go to your start button, then run, then type "cmd" then open. Once you've done that, type "ipconfig /all" in the blackbox that comes up and then press enter, post what it lists for IP's including subnet masks.

2nd, please post the IP address of the Print Server, including subnet mask.

3rd, Do you have windows xp service pack 2 installed?

4th, Why the print server? do you have other printers hooked up on your network? If not, you can just plug the printer straight into the network card and give it a static IP address.

Working with 2 nics in one machine can be a headache sometimes, thats why most people just run a regular router externally and have 1 nic with all the printers coming off of the one router.

Just on a quick side note. If the ethernet card has always been DHCP, is your print server a router as well to be able to assign DHCP?????

Whats the make and model number of your print server, we'll get to the bottom of this so you don't have to take the long walk with the rope.

See attached config on most networks, rough drawing and layout.

 

[Baz]

Allot of people had trouble when they went to Service pack 2 and Flexi. Had something to do with Windows firewall.

 

[bob]

Communique from Bizarro World...

Based on principles unknown to me, or anyone else for that matter, the printer just decides to start working. Just like it's supposed to. This is very scary, what is one supposed to do if it decides to stop working in the same mysterious manner?

But to answer your questions...

Yes, the only change is SP2 on that machine. I have three machines, all connected through a router. The printer is plugged directly into an Ethernet connection on the sign shop machine for many reasons, all of them good. It;s not possible to plug it into the main router due to cabling considerations in a hopefully temporary environment.

Other weirdness includes and inability to share files on the sign shop machine with my main house machine and vice versa. So just as incomprehensibly as the printer deciding to work, I can all of a sudden map a network file on my house machine that's shared on the sign shop machine. But not vice versa. The files are properly shared on both machines.

More bizarreness...When I start up the sign shop machine it comes up in what appears to be a normal manner but...if you, say, do Start->settings->network connections nothing happens for two or three minutes and the little connection icons aren't in the task bar. Then, after an excruciating period of time, the icons appear and the network connections window appears. From then on all is normal, or at least appears to be what passes for normal around here. Until the next reboot where it does it all over again.

AAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!

 

[Rhinoz]

Bob, just a recommendation, don't shut down your machines at all, just let them run. I have one here that I use as my main "storage" that has not been switched off (restarted yes) in over 18 months.

As for not being able to share, double check that any files or folders you are using for shares have the permissions set correctly. Also another thing to look at it to make sure the computers are all in the same workgroup. here's how if you don't know, my apologies if you do:

Right click the "my computer" icon on your desktop and go to properties, click on the tab that says computer name, make a note of the "workgroup" and do the same with all computers. If one is different, change it to match the others, then restart that 1 comp.

If you have any other problems, I'll be happy to help.