We have a cisco 2000 router we are trying to get the laptop to print. I downloaded the drivers and we see the Hp officejet 7310 in the printer area. But we can not print. I looked at the ip address for the printer and it shows and the router shows but the computer shows an ip address of took out address may be I should not show them

Any ideas on how to make it work?

Well, if both the printer and the router have the same ip address, you'll have a conflict. So you need to change the ip address of one of them.

If your network uses DHCP, you probably need to assign your printer a static IP address outside the normal DHCP range, something like 192.168.1.200 . Exactly which address you choose depends on how the router is configured: if it's set to distribute IP addresses in the range 192.168.1.1 - 192.168.1.50 , for example, then you could choose anything between 192.168.1.51 and 192.168.1.255 for the printer's IP address.

Or if the network uses nothing but static IP addresses (which is likely, given the problem you're experiencing,) you just need to change the printer's IP address to something else not in use on the network, like 192.168.1.109

To do so, you may need to access network settings in the menu on the front panel of the printer. Normally you could access the printer settings through your web browser, but that's not an option if you can't access it due to an IP address collision.

When you see the 1.115 address - how are you viewing it?

It almost sounds like you've setup an ad-hoc connection to your network printer as opposed to using it via the router.

You're still running XP MCE right?

I have xp on the desktop yes and that is hard wired to the printer. The laptop is Carol's and it is a windows 7

the router is ..... 106 and the printer is ....108 is that different enough? If not how do you change the address

Winfrey, our routers are very similar - I have a WRT320N. I just set up a new wireless printer last week by pressing the WiFi Protected Setup button on the router. It found my printer and about 2 minutes later I was printing something without doing anything else.

When you say the printer is "hard wired" to the computer, do you mean it's connected directly to the computer with an ethernet cable? And, I suppose, the router is ALSO plugged into another ethernet port on the computer using an ethernet cable?

Or is the printer connected via USB?

ethernet cable directly to my desktop yes to another ethernet port..
I will look for the wifi protectd setup button Drac

Okay then....does your router have a spare ethernet port available?

no my directv is using the other one.
drac I just found the cd for the router. The guys that set it up did it manually and did not use the cd so I dont see or have the other features

Is your printer wireless? I don't have my wireless printer hard wired to anything. The WiFi Protected Setup button is the one in the middle with the two arrows sort of going in a circle. There should be a user manual on the CD.

You don't have 4 ports on the router? Setting it up directly attached to the PC won't allow printing if the PC is powered off...

Well I tried to load the cd that came with the router and now 2 of the port lights are out. and the cd would not load. The guy that set me up is coming tomorrow perhaps he can fix me. I should of had him load the cd now I don't have the software to look at and use. I will ask him if he can undo and redo.... I have to pay him anyway

yes inland I have 4 ports only one says ethernet and then I have the internet port.

Ah, that makes more sense.

Long story short, at some point you need to disconnect the ethernet cable from the back of your computer and connect it to one of the spare ports on the back of the router. You should end up with the ethernet cable connecting your printer to the router.

That probably won't fix the problem immediately, so if you still can't print, the next step would be to tell Windows where to find the printer. Since you've already installed the drivers, you may be able to point Windows at the printer by using the Add Printer function in Printers and Faxes in the Control Panel. Tell it you're connecting to a local network printer, and then let it search. It should find the printer eventually, and hopefully will be able to automatically install the proper drivers.

If it can't find drivers, you may have to reinstall them using either the CD or an install file downloaded from the HP website. On the other hand, if it can't find the PRINTER, then something else is going on.

thanks, I will let everyone know what happens tomorrow

I have a feeling that the CD Winfrey has is the same as mine. I didn't find the software very helpful and just set everything up on the website. Mine did come with a trial subscription to Network Magic which may or may not be helpful.

And Winfrey's printer is not wireless, so my suggestion about the WiFi Protected Setup was moot!

By the way, Demosthenes, love your holiday avatar!

That would be my guess - It can be connected to an ethernet port on the PC, but it's not going to print if the PC is powered off. You'd also have to allow it to be connected to your workgroup, and have ICS running.

I don't know if it will help but I have used Network Magic and it was the only thing that let me find my printer so the (at that time) upstairs computer could use the printer. Then that computer died and I have had other computer issues so haven't bothered. I should download the 1 week trial of Network magic and try again for the laptops in the house. Meanwhile we use the save to flash drive, then plug that into the my computer that the printer is hard wired to. I really like Network Magic, it shows all the computers, gaming consoles etc that are on the map, whether they are off or on. It will probably be something I purchase soon, I had purchased the old version, but no free upgrade available, sigh!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep us posted, Winfrey.

And Draclvr, thanks. Truth be told, though, that avatar's 6 years old and I thought it was in need of a refresh...

Ok update, I played around some more.. and decided to ask windows to find the printer.. I did what you said Dem and let it find the printer again... it did ... so I clicked on the new find and whala.... it worked...... not sure what the other problem was but I deleted the old icon of the printer and now have a printer that will work on the lap top.... thanks again you guys for your help and support.

Looks like Windows is showing off again!! But seriously, did you let XP find it or the one with Windows 7. Draclvr told me that 7 likes to be the network boss so maybe I should try that route. I have one with XP, one Vista and grandkids have 7.

It was the windows 7 labtop that we were trying to get to print.. so the windows 7 found it. I looked and the ip address was the one to the printer the other one was different so I am not sure what happened there.

Yay! So, did the tech guy have to come back out?

Nope, did it on my own.... well ok with help from all of you here at GB.
p.s. hope you don't mind late night phone calls

Any time at all, Winfrey!