HOWTO use the Laserjet 5si
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This page contains historical information. It is provided for reference but does not reflect current information or policy. |
The printer is an HP Laserjet 5si MX. It has a built in JetDirect card, so there is no external networking equipment. The printer's IP address is 10.13.0.51
Drivers/Setup:
Contents
Mac
- Open "System Preferences" from the Apple menu
- Open "Print and Scan"
- Click the "+" button under the list of printers
- Select the "IP" tab on the dialog that pops up
- For protocol, select "HP Jetdirect - Socket"
- For Address, enter "10.13.0.51"
- Click "Add"
Just know that "port 9100" is the protocol to use, and if it gives you a choice between PS and HPGL, either should be fine.
Windows
On a Windows box, you need to ignore the temptation to click "add a network printer", and instead, "add a local printer", then "create a new port", then port type "standard tcp/ip port", then enter 10.13.0.51, and everything else should be sensible. If you are using Windows 7, there is no driver specifically for this printer. There should be a built in driver for the model (Laserjet 5si MX), ether version (PS or non PS) will work. If not, drivers for the Laserjet 4 should also work.
An Alternative Method for Windows 7 from Personal Experience 4/13
This is a set of operations I have used with success with my HP Laptop and Windows 7 in April, 2013.
- Open Devices and Printers from the Master Menu (that pop up list on the left).
- Click Add a printer.
- Select add a local printer from dialog box
- It asks me to choose a printer port. I have 16 options.
- Select LPT1.
- It asks "Choose you printer from the list. List is blank. Hit WINDOWS UPDATE button.
- Finally List appears. Select HPLaserJet 5 si mx
- Dialog box says installing printer.
- Select "do not share this printer"
- select finish.
- Go to Devices and Printers, delete HPLJ5 si mx by using right click and select delete.
Why we did this? Here is the reason quoted from Rocco:
"The reason that you have to add the printer manually is that Microsoft no longer adds all the drivers to Windows since XP to reduce install size and install time. Unfortunately, HP knows that Microsoft maintains legacy drivers for compatibility sake. So to save money HP refers people looking for the driver to Windows Update. Which technically is were the driver resides on the net but I don't know an easy way of just download the driver from Microsoft without installing the printer. "
So we did the install and delete just to get the printer drivers loaded.
- Download hp Network Printer Wizard from
- Install same.
- Select "Devices and Printers" from Main Desktop Menu
- Select Add a Printer
- Select Wireless Network Printer.
- It will search for printers avail (obviously this step needs to be completed at i3 site). Select HPLaserJet 5 si mx.
- Do all the other stuff to get this done(I forgot to write these steps down, but hopefully they are intuitive.)
- Print a test sheet (Note the first one will take a couple of minutes for the printer to warm up.)
Done.
Linux
On a Linux box, CUPS will have drivers for this printer.
Troubleshooting
If things aren't printing, don't just randomly mash buttons on the printer. This is silly and likely to waste your time, and annoy the printer. Instead, see http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SupportTaskIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&taskId=110&prodSeriesId=25478&prodTypeId=18972 and try to actually troubleshoot the issue.
Please don't change the printer's IP address or configuration, it is not at fault. Seriously. Don't do it.
How to see the printer's status: Since the LCD on the printer itself is failing, you have to go through the web interface to see what it's trying to tell you. Hit http://10.13.0.51/ in your browser. Click on "Administration".
User Questions/Comments
1) I have an HP laptop w/ WIndows 7. Using these instructions and all perturbations I could think of, I could not make the printet print. If a more knowledgeable person would run me thru, I would take notes and document the steps on this page. DONE. See Above.
