I have a Mac (OS 10.2.8) and a PC (XP) on a wireless network. The PC has an Epson Stylus Photo R200. I finally figured out how to connect from my Mac to my PC and back again, but now I can't set up the printer properly. It works fine on the PC (it's hooked to the PC by USB wire), but the mac can't even see it. I've installed the printer software on the Mac. I've tried to add it in the Print Center, using Apple Talk, and all the other options, but it can't be seen. I've selected "Share Printer" on the pc.

Can anyone give me advice?? Epson said the don't give tech support for Mac. (grrrr)

Hello,

You have a protocol problem. XP does not listen to AppleTalk; only Windows 2000 Server and 2003 Server do (Well, NT 4 does too). When you check the box to share the printer on XP, you are setting up a SMB sharepoint... SMB <> Appletalk. This is one of several fundamental differences between a Workstation OS, and a network server OS.

You MIGHT be able to use OS X to share the printer using SMB protocols, but I am not sure that is supported.

You might also need a solution on the Mac side to see the printer, such as Thursby Software's Dave product. What you are trying to do is enable a print server.

P.S. Epson gives Macintosh tech support. Never had a problem with it.

Let us know,

Christian

Hmmm. That's funny. Epson told me they didn't provide technical support for macintosh. From the email to me from Epson web support:

"The only type of support we can offer is printer sharing accross the pc
computers".

I was told by someone at work that the person probably didn't know the answer and just said that, so I tried again and am waiting on a response.

Can you think of any way to use the printer on both machines? Like, is there something I can connect the printer to that BOTH computers could see it from, instead of connecting it to the PC?

Thanks for the help. I'll look into your suggestions and welcome more from anyone!!

I'm running 10.3.5 right now, so I can't PROMISE this function exists in 10.2.8 I wasn't sharing my printer at the time I used that version. I also have no idea how much tech knowledge you have, so sorry ahead of time if it insults your knowledge. This assumes your 2 computers are set up to connect over TCP/IP. This is sharing via TCP/IP not Appletalk, and I use it to share a Canon Bubble-Jet between a powermac running 10.3.5 and a Dell running Windows XP Pro SP1

But at least in Panther what you want to do is go to your System Preferences - Print & Fax - Set Up Printers... - Then you're going to add a printer it's right there in front. 2 option menus are there in the new window. That's prolly where you're picking Epson Appletalk from. If you scroll around that (at least in 10.3.x) there's an option called Windows Printing.

If you pick Windows Printing the second Menu should show the workgroup your 2 computers are in. As long as that workgroup is front and center both your mac and pc should be showing in the box below.

Double click on the machine your printer is hooked to and it will prompt you for user and psswd then bring up a new window. There's a box in that window that should have the name of the shared printer that you've installed those drivers for like you said you did. Highlight the name of the printer and then pick your model from below. It should be good to print after that.

You are Da Bomb!!

I just now upgraded to 10.3. Sweeeeet timing. Thanks much!!!

Oh, great. Now that I set up the printer, it thinks it's a postscript printer. I checked under its "information" and noticed "generic postscript printer" was selected, but there is no "Epson Stylus Photo R200" under the Epson printers. Does anyone know if there's a work-around for that or if Macs have something like Windows' ".INF" files that tell the computer what kind of device is set up?

I'm almost there!

I'm in exactly the same pickle here. Mac OS X 10.3.6, talking to a Win 2000 Pro with an Epson R200 printer. I can see the Windows box and interact with folders on it. I've told Windows to share the printer, but the Mac doesn't see it. Frustrated!

It doesn't look like OS X comes with that driver, so you'll need to go to the Epson website and download it from their site. After you install it just follow the instructions listed above to add it to the printer list, and it should work after that.

I installed the Epson printer driver for OS X from the CD that came with the printer. It still doesn't show up on the list of printers shared by the Win2K Pro machine. Actually, no printers show in that list.

just to be sure, when you go to the printer setup utility, you see the name of your PC computer, but when you choose it it lists no printers as being shared by it?