Issued with a shared printer

[ramdaol]

I have a network with windows xp workstations and a Windows 2003 server domain controller. One of the workstations has a printer attahced to it which is shared over the network. Everything works fine until the computer with the printer attached is off and on again. Every time it happens, it loses communication with the printer, therefore nobody can print. Every time I have to uninstall de printer driver and reinstall it again and it began to work again. The computer with the printer attached is running Windows XP Professional SP3. The printer is an HP 1020.

[HoustonIT]

Do you have the latest drivers from HP?

[endisbegun]

maybe attach the printer to a different workstation thats not going to be shut off?

[ramdaol]

Do you have the latest drivers from HP?

Yes. I do have the latest drivers from HP. Besides, XP on host machine is fully updated. Thanks for your interest in my problem.

[ramdaol]

maybe attach the printer to a different workstation thats not going to be shut off?

This is the temporary solution I have implemented, but this is not suitable as a permanent solution, because every workstation should be turned off every night. Even the server is turned off on weekends. Thanks for your interest in my problem.

[rm_daniweb]

check if the printer and file sharing is active there should be a check on it on your workstation. Check also if your printer is shared into network there is a sharing icon on it. Make sure your pc is on the same Workstation Name, check the IP of your neighboring pc use PING XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX -t command or vice versa use another pc and ping your workstation with printer.

[ramdaol]

check if the printer and file sharing is active there should be a check on it on your workstation. Check also if your printer is shared into network there is a sharing icon on it. Make sure your pc is on the same Workstation Name, check the IP of your neighboring pc use PING XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX -t command or vice versa use another pc and ping your workstation with printer.

The issue is not with the share configuration, because as soon as I reinstall de printer driver on host machine, everybody can print until I reboot the host computer. After rebooting the host computer, everybody else in the network continues to "see" the printer, but since the host computer is unable to comunicate with it, nobody can print, until a reinstall the printer driver. Thanks

[rm_daniweb]

find an update version of your driver supported by SP3 if not just reinstall SP2.

[endisbegun]

is connecting the printer to the router/switch/hub whatever you have feasible?

the way you have it now the other workstations are going through your host computer to access the printer so why not stick it right on the router/switch/hub?

[ramdaol]

is connecting the printer to the router/switch/hub whatever you have feasible?

the way you have it now the other workstations are going through your host computer to access the printer so why not stick it right on the router/switch/hub?

The printer is a HP Laserjet 1020 which only has an USB port; it does not have a Ethernet Port so I can not connect it to the switch directly. I tried using an USB Print Server (IOGEAR GPSU01), but the communication betwen the print server and the printer was somewhat erratical. I even tried with another printer (same model), but the results where the same.

[endisbegun]

did you try a usb to ethernet cable?

something like
http://www.electronix.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/4_38/products_id/14276

not the one i use but i do use one for my home network and it works beautifully

[ramdaol]

did you try a usb to ethernet cable?

something like
http://www.electronix.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/4_38/products_id/14276

not the one i use but i do use one for my home network and it works beautifully

No I haven't. In fact, I have never seen something like this before; quite interesting. I'll take a look of it to find out if it can be a solution for my case. Thanks.

[ramdaol]

With the help of HP I was able to solve the problem. The key was the use of an utility available on the install CD called zuninst, which is able to perform a clean (an really complete) uninstall of the previous driver. After that, I just reinstalled the driver and everithing is working just fine.