One computer on network cannot find printer.

RichO · 31 Jan 2014

I have a small office with 6 networked computers and a network printer. As of this morning we got an internet service upgrade (Uverse) and changed from a router to a switch. Everything seems to work fine...

However, one of the computers on the network can no longer see the network printer. This computer connects to the internet and other computers on the network just fine but the printer is invisible. All other computers connect to the printer without issue.

4 of the computers are XP, 2 are Win 7. The computer with the printer connection problem is XP but it doesn't seem like that should be a factor. I have tried the printer troubleshooting and uninstalling and reinstalling the printer driver. The printer is invisible to this one computer.

All of this makes no sense to me. Any ideas what to look for?

MilesAhead · 02 Feb 2014

Can you give the printer make and model and how it is connected to the network?

2xg · 02 Feb 2014

Hi there,

In addition, I'd run the ipconfig/all from the XP computer (problematic one) and compare the ipconfig/all output from one of the XP computers that's connected to the printer.

Please give us an update.

RichO · 02 Feb 2014

It's a Brother DCP 8085DN.

I will check the IPconfig tomorrow. Thanks

RichO · 03 Feb 2014

OK here's a strange one. As of this morning, turning on all computers, NONE of them can print to the printer. It must have had something to do with them restarting after being shut down for the weekend, where maybe the single computer that could not print before was restarted at some point.

So now I have an entirely new problem since the printer is invisible to all computers on the network now.

MilesAhead · 03 Feb 2014

It sounds like the router served up the name of the printer. It was in the dns cache. You changed to a switch, which doesn't provide any name lookup. When you reboot you lose the dns cache. That's my guess. Without the router you may have to hook the printer to one of the PCs. Either that or you may be able to stick the router between the switch and the printer. Depends on your topography.

Edit: I haven't done much with network printers not hooked directly to a PC. It could be you can directly enter the IP of the printer or somehow assign a static IP to it etc..

2xg · 03 Feb 2014

RichO,

Is your network devices setup like this?
Uverse device> Switch> Computers/Wireless devices

Page 45 from this PDF link will guide you on how to print the network configuration that will show the IP Address of the Printer. Compare the Subnet from the printer (i.e....192.168.1.X) with one of your computers and as advised by MilesAhead assign a Static IP Address from the Control Panel setting of the printer by following the suggestion starting from Page 11 from this link.