HP jetdirect 250m schematic

User's Guide

for HP Jetdirect 200m print server/Internet connector
and HP Jetdirect 250m print server/Internet connector

Contents:

1. Get started quickly with installing the printer and print server

2. Learn the basics of networking and network printing

3. General information about the print server

4. Install the print server

5. Configure and manage the print server

6. Troubleshoot the print server

7. Get support for the print server

8. Specifications and regulatory information for the print server

9. Limited warranty for the print server

10. Some useful tools and techniques

❍ Tools

■ Installer

■ Embedded web server

❍ Techniques

■ Printing a configuration page

■ Setting a new IP address

■ Performing a cold reset (reset to factory defaults)

Get Started Quickly

This is essentially the same information as the installation instructions that appear on the HP
Jetdirect 200m/250m setup poster.

1. Set up the printer hardware.

Refer to your printer's documentation for detailed instructions.

Do not connect the printer to your computer with a USB or parallel cable.

If your printer's CD is available, keep it handy for use in step 3, below. You will use the
printer's CD instead of the HP Jetdirect CD — it has all the software you need for a complete
network installation.

When the printer is set up, return to this poster and continue with step 2.

2. Connect the print server.

Switch on the printer's power.

Plug in the print server. Push it into the printer's LIO slot until it clicks into place.

Plug in the network cable. Plug one end of the cable into your network device (a hub,

switch, or router — if your network cabling is hidden in the walls, your connection may be a
wall outlet). Plug the other end into the print server.

Check the lights. After a few seconds, the status light should be ON (solid green) and one of
the two link lights should be ON (solid green). If the lights on the print server are different
from this pattern, see the

troubleshooting notes on the other side of this poster.

Wait two minutes for the print server to poll the network for available protocols and
services.

Print a configuration page by pushing the test button ( icon).

If the page does not print successfully, see the troubleshooting notes on the other side of this
poster.

3. Choose the installation CD and run the installer.

Windows:

Use the CD that came with your printer (instead of the HP Jetdirect CD) if it is

available. The printer's CD has all the software you need for a complete network installation.

Insert the printer's CD into your computer's CD drive. The CD should start automatically
and offer you a choice of buttons — click on the Install button and follow the instructions on
the screen. (If the CD does not start automatically, double-click on the SETUP program on
the CD.) When the installer finishes and you can print to the network printer, you have
completed the installation.

If the printer's CD is not available, insert the HP Jetdirect (print server) CD and run its

installer.

You will also need your printer's driver; if you don't have it, you can get it from the Web at

http://www.hp.com/cposupport/software.html.

MacOS:

Install the printer driver from the CD that came with the printer. If that CD is not

available, you can get the driver from the Web at

http://www.hp.com/cposupport/software.html.

If you need to print via the IP protocol, use the LaserJet utility on the HP Jetdirect (print
server) CD.

4. Set up other computers as needed.

For peer-to-peer printing (where each computer prints directly to the network printer),
run the installer (as in step 3) on each computer.

For client/server printing (where each computer sends print jobs through a network
server computer), you need run the installer only on the server, and set up the server for
printer sharing. Then each client computer must install the printer driver and connect to the
shared printer on the network server. (An easy way to do this is to use the Microsoft Windows
Point and Print function. See your operating system documentation for details on Point and
Print.)

For basic information on peer-to-peer and client/server printing, see the Network Basics

Tutorial on the HP Jetdirect CD.

Troubleshooting during installation

If you encounter problems during installation, check these steps:

Test page does not print. Try these steps:

● Check that the print server is firmly seated in the printer's LIO

slot and that the status light is ON (solid or blinking green).

● If the printer has an LCD panel, correct any errors that are

displayed.

● If there is still a problem, call HP technical support.

Installer does not discover printer. Try these steps:

● Check that the print server is firmly seated in the printer's LIO

slot and that the status light is ON (solid green). Wait 2 minutes
for the print server to poll the network, then run the installer
again.

● Check that the network cable is securely connected to the print

server and that one of the link lights is ON (solid green). Wait 2
minutes for the print server to poll the network, then run the
installer again.

● Perform a cold reset: unplug the print server from the printer,

then plug it in while pressing the Test button. Wait 2 minutes for
the print server to poll the network, then run the installer again.

● If there is still a problem, follow the hardware troubleshooting

procedure (see next paragraph).

Other problems: Run the interactive hardware troubleshooter. Answer
the questions by clicking on the buttons. Click here for the troubleshooter.

What the Status light means:

OFF: not receiving power.

Green, ON solid: on and ready.

Green, blinking slowly: not ready or self-test
in progress
or no network connection (check link lights).

Green, blinking quickly: processing
configuration page.

Amber, blinking slowly: fault -- follow the

troubleshooting procedure.

Networking Basics

Please click on a title to view a document.

The Network Basics Tutorial

A brief overview of:

● Networks

● Network Printing

● Installing a Network Printer

Tips on Getting Started

Answers to common questions:

● Which CD should I use?

● Where do I find the printer driver?

● When do I stop?

The

Network Basics

Tutorial

This tutorial tells you about:

● Networks

● Network Printing

● Installing a Network Printer

Click the button to continue.

Section 1:

Networks

Click the button to continue.

NETWORKS

What you want . . .

. . . is for all your computers to be able to:

● Communicate -- send and receive e-

mail, and participate in conferences

● Share information -- transfer files

among systems, and get information
from central databases

● Share resources -- use shared

printers, scanners, and servers

NETWORKS

The problem is . . .

. . . standalone computers have no way to talk to
each other, so attempts at communication fail.

NETWORKS

The solution: a local area
network

A local area network (or LAN) provides wiring
that ties the computers together and allows
them to communicate. (The most common type
of local area network may also be referred to as
an Ethernet LAN or an Ethernet.)

A typical LAN uses twisted-pair wiring (similar
to telephone wiring) to connect each computer
to a central hub. The hub transmits network
communications between computers.

For details on LAN wiring, click here:

NETWORKS

DETAIL

Wiring: twisted-pair

The most common wiring used for LANs is
twisted-pair wiring, similar to the wiring used
for telephones. This wiring connects the
computers or other network devices to a central
hub. The use of telephone-type wiring makes it
easy for the persons who administer your
telephone wiring to administer the network
wiring as well.

RJ-45 connectors are used to connect the
twisted-pair wiring to the computer and to the
hub. The wire for a network can be graded in a
number of categories; Category 5 wiring is the
most popular grade. Category 5 wiring has
superior electrical characteristics, and we
strongly recommend it for all twisted-pair
networking applications. The wire grade is
usually marked on the cable jacket.

The equipment for a twisted-pair LAN
commonly operates at a data rate of either 10
Mbps (megabits per second) or 100 Mbps.
Category 5 wiring is required for 100-Mbps
operation. A 10-Mbps LAN can run on either
Category 3 or Category 5 wiring (though we
strongly recommend Category 5). At either data
rate, cables may extend up to 100 meters (328
feet) from the hub to the computer.

A twisted-pair network running at 10 Mbps is
called a type 10Base-T network. A twisted-pair
network running at 100 Mbps is called a type
100Base-T network.

NETWORKS

DETAIL

Wiring: thin coax

An alternative to twisted-pair wiring is thin
coaxial cabling, often called thin coax. This
cabling is known as RG-58A or RG-58U cable,
and has an impedance of 50 ohms. (It looks
similar to the 75-ohm thin coaxial cable used in
television installations, but the television cable
will not work in a network.)

The connectors used with thin coax are BNC
connectors. The cable is a continuous cable, up
to 185 meters (606 feet) long, made up of
shorter segments with BNC connectors at each
end. It connects to computers and other devices
along its length using BNC "T" connectors, and
there is a 50-ohm terminator at each end of the
cable. This cabling scheme does not use a hub.

A thin coaxial LAN operates at a data rate of 10
mbps (megabits per second), and is known as a
type 10Base2 network.

NETWORKS

DETAIL

Computer connections

For twisted-pair LANs: A desktop computer
connects to a twisted-pair LAN through a
network interface card (NIC) that resides in a
slot in the computer, or through a similar
interface built in to the computer itself. The RJ­45 plug of the network cable plugs into an RJ-45
jack on the card or in the computer. A portable
computer may have a built-in connection using
an RJ-45 jack, or it may use a PC card that
inserts into a PC card slot in the computer.
(Some PC cards take up two slots and have room
for an RJ-45 jack that is integral with the card;
others take up only a single slot but require a
short cable that provides the RJ-45 jack.)

For thin coaxial LANs: A desktop computer
typically connects to a thin coaxial LAN through
a network interface card (NIC) ; built-in BNC
connections are uncommon. Portable computers
connecting to thin coaxial LANs use a PC card
with a short cable that provides a BNC
connection. In all cases, the LAN cable connects
to the computer through a BNC "T" connector.

Hidden network cables and equipment:
In many network installations, the hubs are kept
in equipment closets and the cables are hidden
in the walls. In these installations, wall outlets
with RJ-45 jacks are the only visible components
of the network wiring. For such a network, you
use a short length of network cable to connect
from the computer to the wall jack.

NETWORKS

L is for Local

The "local" in "local area network" means that
the network is in a single location. A LAN can be
small enough to serve a home office or a small
business, or it can be large enough to serve a
school, a hospital, or a substantial business or
public office. It can cover several buildings, as
long as they can all be connected into a single
network. Several types of LAN equipment are
available to expand a LAN beyond the
workgroup-sized unit typically served by a single
hub.

Note that the definition of a local area network
does not include broader networks such as the
Internet or a corporate network with locations in
many cities or countries. These broader
networks are often called WANs, or wide area
networks. It is possible for a LAN to connect to
such a network through a gateway -- a device
that connects different types of networks. The
gateway can be a separate piece of equipment, or
it can include the LAN hub. (This latter type of
gateway is becoming increasingly common for
Internet connections, particularly for high-speed
DSL connections.)

Though wireless networking is becoming
increasingly popular, most wireless equipment
still connects to a wired LAN. In a typical case, a
portable computer may have a wireless LAN
card. When the computer comes within range of
a wireless gateway, it connects through the
gateway to the wired LAN, and to all the
computers and other resources on that LAN.

NETWORKS

Addresses

Each device on the network has a unique
address. This allows you to communicate with a
specific computer (or other device, such as a
printer). That way, your e-mail doesn't go to
everybody, and your print job doesn't get
printed simultaneously on all printers on the
network.

There are several addressing schemes for
networks. Of these, the most popular is that of
the Internet Protocol (IP). In addition to being
used on the Internet, IP addressing can also be
used for standalone networks that don't connect
to the Internet. The network addresses shown in
the illustration are sample IP addresses.

Other network addressing schemes you may
encounter include IPX (used with Novell
NetWare networks), DLC, and AppleTalk. In this
tutorial, we limit our discussion of network
addressing to IP addressing, as it is the most
popular.

The number of possible IP addresses is huge. So
is the number of Internet users, and the
possibility of conflicts is a real one. If you use IP
addresses on your LAN and that LAN connects
to the Internet, you must be careful to use
addresses that have come from a reliable source,
such as your Internet service provider (ISP).

Section 2:

Network Printing

Click the button to continue.

NETWORK PRINTING

Why use network printers?

Using network printers lets you meet your
computer users' printing needs more efficiently.
By sharing printers among several users, you
reduce the number of printers you need. This
approach

● saves money -- there's less equipment

to buy

● saves space -- users don't need to make

space for a printer

● saves maintenance -- fewer printers

mean less bother

all with little inconvenience to users. (In fact,
shared printers may be more convenient:
nobody has to go without a printer or change to
a different computer just to print; and sharing
may save enough money to let you purchase
printers with more functions or greater speed.)

NETWORK PRINTING

Why use a print server?

A print server provides your printer with
connection to the network. You could get the
same connection using a computer -- your
network server -- but it would cost more and be
more complex. Using a print server saves you
money and frees up your network server for
other tasks, such as file storage.

You might want to use a network server for
management of print jobs, a function that may
be useful for larger networks. In such an
application you will still probably want to use a
print server, because its small size gives you
location flexibility. Using a print server, you can
easily place your printers near your users, while
keeping the network server out of the way in a
central computer area. (You will see this
application in the notes on the client/server
topology, a couple of pages later in this tutorial.)

NETWORK PRINTING

Hardware connections

Print servers can be internal or external devices.
Which one you choose depends on your printer.

Internal print servers -- These are special­purpose cards or modules that plug into the
built-in input/output slot in the back of some
printers. The slot provides the data and power
connections for the print server, and the
network cable plugs into the network connector
on the face of the print server.

Internal print servers come in a variety of
configurations to match the style of your printer
slot and the type of network connection you
need.

External print servers -- External print
servers are for printers that don't have a built-in
slot. The print server is a small module that sits
next to the printer (or mounts on the printer
using a clip) and connects to the printer's USB
or parallel port using a standard printer cable. A
network cable plugs into the network connector
on the print server, and a power cord connects
to a wall outlet to provide the print server's
power. (We haven't shown the power cord in the
illustration, just to keep the drawing simpler.)

External print servers come in several different
configurations to match the printer's data port
(USB or parallel) and the type of network
connection you need.

NETWORK PRINTING

Peer-to-peer topology

There are two standard layouts for network
printing using a print server. The first is the peer­to-peer topology, in which a computer sends
print jobs directly to the printer.

In peer-to-peer printing, each computer manages
the print jobs that it generates. It checks to see
whether the printer is ready to accept the print
job, and sends the job if the printer is free. If the
printer is not free, the computer stores the job
and keeps checking the printer until it is ready to
accept the job. If several computers send jobs to
a printer at the same time, printing for some of
the computers may slow down as they spend
time checking the printer and waiting for it to be
available.

Peer-to-peer printing works well on networks
with few users. It is appropriate for small and
medium offices, as well as large offices that do
not have heavy printing requirements.

NETWORK PRINTING

Client/server topology

The second standard layout for network printing
is the client/server topology. In this topology, a
computer sends its print jobs to a network
server, and the server sends the print jobs to the
printer.

In client/server printing, the network server
manages the print jobs from several computers
(the clients). As soon as a client computer has
sent a print job to the server, it is finished with
that print job. The server keeps track of all print
jobs from there on -- figuring out the print order
for the various jobs that have been submitted to
it, checking the printer's availability, and
sending the next job to the printer when it is
free.

Client/server printing works well on networks
with heavy printing traffic. It is typically used in
large offices that have extensive networking
facilities.

Choosing a topology -- If you don't know
whether to use a peer-to-peer or a client/server
topology, you may want to start with peer-to­peer printing. It generally takes a substantial
amount of printing traffic, or large print jobs, to
slow down printing significantly. If your print
jobs start to take noticeably longer to complete,
you may want to try using multiple printers,
dividing your network into subnetworks, or
switching your office to client/server printing (in
that order).

NETWORK PRINTING

Printer drivers

The printer driver is the last major component
to consider in network printing. This driver is
system software that converts a document in
your computer to a form that makes sense for
the printer.

When you print from an application on your
computer, it is the printer driver that converts
the layout on your screen to the ones and zeros
that the printer takes as input. When the printer
receives this information, it converts the ones
and zeros into a correctly printed page.

The installer program for network printing
needs to have the printer driver to complete the
installation. It usually turns out that the trickiest
thing about the installation is knowing where to
find the driver. You may be able to find the
driver on the CD that came with your printer, on
the Web, or on your operating system CD. If you
previously had the same printer connected
directly to your computer, the right driver may
already be on your system. (We will provide
more information on finding and using printer
drivers in the next section, "Installing a Network
Printer".)

Section 3:

Installing a Network Printer

Click the button to continue.

INSTALLING A NETWORK PRINTER

Setting up the hardware

The first stage of installing a network printer is
setting up the hardware. There are two steps to
this: setting up the printer hardware and
connecting the print server.

Set up the printer hardware -- Remove any
shipping materials. Install the paper trays and
ink or toner cartridges (as appropriate). Add
paper. Plug in the power cord and switch on the
power. Print a test page. Do not connect the
printer to your computer. (For detailed
instructions, check your printer manual or setup
poster.)

Connect the print server -- There are a
couple of different cases to consider:

● If you use an external print

server: Switch off the printer's power.
Connect the printer cable (USB or
parallel, as appropriate) between the
printer and the print server. Connect the
network cable to the print server. Switch
on the printer's power. Plug in the print
server's power cord. Push the Test
button on the print server to print a
configuration page on the printer; this
tests the connection between the print
server and the printer. (For detailed
instructions, check your print server
manual or setup poster.)

● If you use an internal print

server: Note that many printers come
with the print server module already
installed in the printer. If your print
server module is not already installed:
Unplug the printer's power cord. Plug
the print server into its slot in the
printer. Connect the network cable to
the network connector on the print
server. Plug in the printer's power cord.
(For detailed instructions, check your
print server manual or setup poster.)

Note: If your network wiring is hidden -­In many network installations, the network
components (hubs, switches, &c) are stored in a
wiring closet and the network wiring is hidden
in the walls. The only sign of a network that you
see in such an installation is a wall outlet that
has one or two network connectors. In this case,
make your network connection by connecting a
network cable between the print server and the
wall outlet. (If you have any questions about
such an installation, check with your network
administrator.)

Note that the illustration shows only the data
connections (network cables and printer cable);
we have omitted power cords from the
illustration to keep the drawings simple.