printer not talking! (help please)

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Hi,

I have a canon mp610 all in one printer. I have it connected via cable to an old desktop running vista. I also have the canon printer software on laptop and I can print wirelessly from laptop to printer while the Desktop is on. So I assume laptop is actually connected through network .

The problem I have is that I now have a mac laptop. I installed the canon drivers for the mac through the canon website. The laptop sees the printer but I keep getting an error saying communication problem. Any help on this would be great. Even if there is a way to get the printer and mac to talk to each other along different route!

(this is not wifi capable but is bluetooth if that will help anyone reading this.)

Regards,

John
 
If you are trying to print via Bluetooth from the mac laptop - is Bluetooth switched on on the mac laptop and vice versa?
 
Are you saying the mac laptop is not wifi?

Can the printer run Bluetooth and wifi at the same time? If not, is there a way you need to turn the wifi off the printer so that only the Bluetooth is recognisable?
 
You need a printer dongle.
 
I have the same printer and it does not have bluetooth. You need to get youself a Bluetooth Wireless Printer Adapter. I use a HP bt300.

I suspect the Canon unit will be expensive but I'm sure fleabay will help you out.
 
admirable said:
I have the same printer and it does not have bluetooth. You need to get youself a Bluetooth Wireless Printer Adapter. I use a HP bt300.

I suspect the Canon unit will be expensive but I'm sure fleabay will help you out.
Click to expand...

Having looked a he spec on the canon site, this true.

Amazon have them for sale, bu-20 bluetooth adapter

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&...hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&ref=pd_sl_bukmc1frs_b

Not sure if any other cheaper types will work but I am sure you could do some research now you know what is needed.

Cheaper on ebay at £40 http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/390098398806?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&cbt=y
 
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tiler65 said:
Having looked a he spec on the canon site, this true.

Amazon have them for sale, bu-20 bluetooth adapter

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&...hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&ref=pd_sl_bukmc1frs_b

Not sure if any other cheaper types will work but I am sure you could do some research now you know what is needed.

Cheaper on ebay at £40 http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/390098398806?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&cbt=y
Click to expand...

Cheers for the link, I have tried one the cheap ones and
it wasnt found on the laptop.

Dont understand though why the old pc laptop works ok via to desktop which is connected to printer through usb cable. How do i get the mac to connect to the old desktop wirelesly like the old laptop does. This then talks to the printer via the old desktop:thinking:

cheers,

john


PS thanks admeral for link. i can give that a go if need be.
 
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You'll need to get the Mac on your network
 
How did you add the windows printer share on the mac?

You'll probably need to preload the printer driver before connecting it, chances are its chosen a generic/poor driver.
 
Last edited:
Is it just me that's bamboozled with the lunacy of what's being attempted?
Why on earth would you expect a Mac to communicate with a Windows OS to access a printer?
Buy a BTP adapter, install and connect wirelessly with the Mac, and forget about the desktop.
If there's only the one USB input, then you may need to make the printer wireless full time, which may involve buying a BT dongle for the desktop.

Frankly, I'd spend the money on doing all that on a new printer with WiFi connectivity or BT in-built at the least.
 
Funny, our macs use windows shared printers with no bother (stupid lacking mac drivers aside).

It would save having the desktop switched on having a USB print server etc however.
 
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Hi Niel,

I downloaded from the canon site and then connected the printer usb cable to the printer and it worked ok that way but not trying to do through the pc network.

cheers


neil_g said:
How did you add the windows printer share on the mac?

You'll probably need to preload the printer driver before connecting it, chances are its chosen a generic/poor driver.
Click to expand...
 
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