I am new to using Linux (Ubuntu 10.10) and am having trouble connecting wirelessly to my HP C4580 printer. I have already made sure that hplip-3.1.10.run is installed but honestly do not know what to do next.
I have tried to add the printer and it works fine with the USB cable. I have tried searching for a network printer using the host name but it finds nothing.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks, Stacey

Dani AI

Generated

Contrary to ’s suggestion, the Photosmart C4580 does include built‑in Wi‑Fi and can be joined to an infrastructure wireless network — it’s not necessarily limited to USB only. Since you already have HPLIP installed (as noted) the common problem is network discovery, not driver availability. ()

Quick checklist to get the printer on the LAN and find its IP:

  • On the printer enable the Wireless radio and use the control‑panel option to Print Network Configuration (this shows SSID, IP, and whether the printer is in Ad‑Hoc vs Infrastructure mode).
  • Confirm the printer is on the same SSID as the Ubuntu box and check your router’s DHCP client list for the printer MAC.
  • If the config page reports “IP not applicable” the printer hasn’t joined the network yet — use the Wireless Setup Wizard or temporarily use the printer’s Ad‑Hoc/HPSETUP network to configure your home SSID. ()

How to add it on Ubuntu once you have the IP (replace 192.168.1.50 with your printer IP):

  • Use HPLIP’s setup (run as root or with sudo) to add by IP:
    sudo apt-get install hplip hplip-gui
    sudo hp-setup -i 192.168.1.50
  • Or add in CUPS () choosing AppSocket/HP JetDirect with a device URI like:
    socket://192.168.1.50:9100

    If auto‑discovery fails, manual IP addition is the reliable route. (martchus.dyn.f3l.de)

Notes and troubleshooting: hostname-based discovery often relies on mDNS/Avahi — if Avahi (nss‑mdns) isn’t running the printer’s hostname (printer.local) won’t resolve, so use the numeric IP or enable Avahi. Some HP models need HPLIP’s binary plugin for full scan/advanced features; hp‑setup or hp‑plugin will prompt/install it. If network steps fail, the USB‑to‑wireless print‑server idea still works as a fallback. (developers.hp.com)

Recommended Answers

All 2 Replies

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1649084

that looks like it might be a similar issue. resolution might be similar. that is a canon printer they're talking about though, so don't try the *exact* same thing, of course... :-P

Here is a link to the driver support site for HP and this printer in particular. Note that they do NOT support network printing for this model! Sorry, but I think you are stuck being tethered with a USB cable. However, you could plug in a wireless linux device the size of a pack of cigarettes that can connect to the printer via USB, giving your "wireless" connectivity (network printing) from anywhere in the area. In fact, HP has some such wireless print servers - used them in the past myself. Anyway, here is a link to the support page:

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.