I hope someone out there might be able to give me some suggestions on this problem.
Seems like SCOM and SCE are overkill for just setting up a Network Printer. And Dell is not winning much support from folks at this University with this problem.
Printers are so cheap now that the smart thing to do is probably scrap that one and buy a new one.
If you have successfully set this up on one machine on the network, the problem is not with the printer. The problem is with the OS or possibly just needs the drivers installed. If this is Windows, try going into the printer devices and add the printer. If it is on Windows 7, you can ask to search for it by IP address. Then, once found, Windows should install the drivers and it ought to work. Also check the sharing properties on the machine. It may be blocking what it sends to the network.
If Microsoft says it cannot find the drivers, see if there are some at the printer’s website that can be downloaded through the internet.
Example of that is:
TRENDnet Model TE100-P1U 1 port server
If you Google ‘disc for Dell 1815dn printer’ you will find the driver downloads and also a forum for that specific printer. Hopefully you will get help there.
If the computer is the same platform, it is possible to use printbrm to backup and restore the printer. This can even work over the network. Printbrm comes built in with windows 7
My Minolta laser would not upgrade when I went from XP to Win7-64 bit. There was a workaround driver for the 32-bit version, but not for the 64-bit.
Luckily, I had a newer Xerox color laser and it worked fine with Win7. In fact, when I ‘networked’ my Win7 laptop with my desktop, the laptop also recognized (wirelessly) the Xerox printer.
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Printers are relatively cheap. I have seen specials on b/w lasers for $50 and color lasers for just over $100.
I wrote a powershell script that allows me to back up and restore printers over the network. It works well for migration from an old computer to a new one, but to get it to migrate from 32bit to 64bit took some real script-jitsu. You have to first make sure the 64bit drivers are on the new computer, then you can load the printers directly into WMI.
If you can successfully configure the printer for static IP, Subnet and Gateway, there is no reason you can’t print to this printer unless the drivers are unavailable or it requires a software utility. Dell printers are overwhelmingly based on Lexmark engines and I’m not aware of any Lexmarks that fit that bill.
To assist you need to provide more info.
I can help if you’re determined to make that multifunction print.
This page
http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/04/Product/dell-1815dn
contains all you need to download drivers to enable printing; that’s all you need if it’s just Win7.
See below for more information. TRENDnet also has a Printer Server for Multi-Function printers that allows one to take the USB connection and put the printer the network.
We are using the latest firmware (loaded into the printer) and drivers for Windows 7.
The one computer that was working on the network stopped as soon as the USB Connection between it and the computer was unplugged.
TRENDnet also has a Multi-Function Printer Server for going from USB to the network.
You would have to run a CDROM on each computer to "share" the printer through the TRENDnet printer server.
The cost is only about $40 to $60 [depending on vendor].
We still have 3 printer cartridges for that printer, so we might as well use them.
It will give us two printers and another scanner in this lab if we go that route.