General rules for (network) printer setups?

[stevesr0Member]

Having just tussled with installing my oldish Brother MFC printer on a live (sysvinit) run of AntiX-25-full-beta2, I have some questions about the general requirements for setting up network printers for a home network. The answer was simple but difficult for me to find over several days.

In my case, I am using a Brother MFC-7345N model (I think a Costco clone of MFC-7340) to support printing and scanning (and potentially faxing) across three PCs (two dual booting Windows 10 and antiX and one “pure antiX) and four Apple devices (2 phones and two tablets).

I use the Brother printer installer tool to install their default proprietary packages.

I assume this is similar to many home networks, although Brother’s drivers are 32 bit and I don’t know if this is different from most popular home network printers or MFCs (multifunction printers). The “automated” install includes two 32-bit libraries.

Generic stuff.

I understand that the avahi-daemon has to be running to enable detection of some types of connections. A cups package (cups-browsed) is also available for enabling computer sharing, but is not installed on the antiX-25 live usb that I am testing and printing (now) is working (using a dnssd device URI).

I also believe that the avahi-daemon DOESN’T have to be running to use the network computer after it is successfully installed in CUPS.

Questions.

1. I guess avahi-daemon is not started by default is it is only needed once to set up a printer connection?

2. Can a network printer be set up using cups-browsed without avahi-daemon, if the proper protocol is used? (I may try this if others have found it works, but I haven’t looked into that yet. Not sure whether that is needed all the time if it is used for connection or, like avahi-daemon only for initial setup.

3. Have others found it may be possible to setup a network computer from the cups administration web page when it fails from the antiX-control-centre hardware page?

4. The printer software available via the automated install included differently named ppd files than the one available from the “add a new printer” list via the CUPS setup (Brother MFC-7340, using Owl Maintainer…, vs Brother MFC-7340 for CUPS). Don’t know if this is a significant difference or two names for the same thing.

5. Wonder how many install issues are brand specific vs universal?

Comments about others experiences appreciated.

• This topic was modified 8 months, 4 weeks ago by stevesr0.

[olsztynMember]

I do not have enough knowledge to answer all your questions but perhaps some of my experience may help answer one or two…
I have about seven network printers in my house, so perhaps you can call me printer junkie. Most are laser printers connected to network switch via ethernet cable. One of these printers, closest to yours is Brother MFC-9125CN. It is a color ‘Laser’ printer. ‘Laser’ because instead of laser beam it is using LED technology.
– Drivers are also 32 bit and must be installed instead of generic otherwise printer is not printing correctly.
– Avahi daemon does not need to run when printer has been installed.
– CUPS must be running for printing, not just installation.
– Most printers are defined to use HP Jet-Direct network card, whenever the printer has one installed. Most the office or corporate ones do.

These are just a few points.

Live antiX Boot Options (Previously posted by Xecure):
http://antixlinuxfan.miraheze.org/wiki/Table_of_antiX_Boot_Parameters

[CharlesVMember]

I have installed a lot of network printers in linux, only a couple with antiX, but the cups system is the same as MX Linux and I have dont many in that.

The biggest issue I see with printers is that most people just connect them and so the printer is set on a DCHP (Dynamic IP) and at some point that IP *WILL* change and THEN if your driver is not robust enough to find the new ip and change it for you, or Avahi is not working properly.. then your going to lose the printer connection until you remove the printer and then add it again – on the new ip.

In my years of experience with this … you are FAR better off to set that Printer to a Static IP and then set it ONCE and your golden! Caveat – you DO have to set your printer Static IP to an IP that will not interfere with your DHCP on your network, or you need to “pin’ the IP in your router so that ONLY the printer will ever get that ip. ( Note – I do NOT use / rely on Avahi – set that ip! )

In general, I have found epson and HP’s to be the best printers – in Linux and everything else. BUT… you should ALWAYS check reviews and search out specifics on what works best in linux if you going to purchase. Just one hour searching reviews for printer model and linux will typically save you hours of frustration.

*Linux - This is the way!

[olsztynMember]

CharlesV wrote:

The biggest issue I see with printers is that most people just connect them and so the printer is set on a DCHP (Dynamic IP) and at some point that IP *WILL* change and THEN if your driver is not robust enough to find the new ip and change it for you, or Avahi is not working properly.. then your going to lose the printer connection until you remove the printer and then add it again – on the new ip.

In my years of experience with this … you are FAR better off to set that Printer to a Static IP and then set it ONCE and your golden! Caveat – you DO have to set your printer Static IP to an IP that will not interfere with your DHCP on your network, or you need to “pin’ the IP in your router so that ONLY the printer will ever get that ip. ( Note – I do NOT use / rely on Avahi – set that ip! )

This is a great point I forgot to mention. They should be defined on static IP for the reason explained by @CharlesV. I usually use high IP addresses on my network for printers, such as 192.168.0.192, 193, etc., while dhcp range is e.g. 192.168.0.100 – 192.168.0.150.

• This reply was modified 8 months, 4 weeks ago by olsztyn.

Live antiX Boot Options (Previously posted by Xecure):
http://antixlinuxfan.miraheze.org/wiki/Table_of_antiX_Boot_Parameters

[stevesr0Member]

Thanks for comments, olsztyn and CharlesV,

I do use a static ip address for the printer in order not to prevent losing access. The Brother installer tool installs the 32 bit libraries before installing the printer debs.

Another thing: Brother states it is necessary (for its network printers) to open specific UDP and TCP ports if running a firewall (such as ufw), as Brother software expects these ports to be used to send and receive messages between the computer and the printer.

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