Brother network printers not working

[Guest]

[eit89]

This is my first post here so..hello everyone!

I'm just starting to get familiar with Endian Community FW and I hope you guys could help me out with something.

So I have this office with about 12 PCs (Windows 7 x64), 1 Server 2012 and we just received 2 Brother MFC-8380DN network printers. We installed them using the official drivers, the driver prompts to search the network for the printers, printers found, everything ok, until we reboot that PC. After rebooting, the printer became offline, brother printer status monitor shows printer disconnected, BUT i can ping the printer just fine, I can access the printer's webpage using a browser, but I can't use it. I disabled the windows firewall but nothing. This happens with both printers. I struggled with reinstalling the printer serveral times, I once installed it using the Add Printer wizard and chose the printer\webservices\8380 as the connection (i beliave the printer serves this type of connection) and I can print using that type of connection but I cannot use that because Scan to PC and E-mail doesn't work without the driver package.

I believe there must be some rules that blocks the communication between the printers and pcs in the FW, but I'm a newbie and can't figure out what to check.

I managed to set 2 fixed rules wich assign a fixed IP to the printers using the MAC, Static DHCP.

All PCs have Windows 7 x64 Professional or Ultimate, latest updates (except Win10) and I got the latest Brother driver from their website.

Anyone has any suggestions for me?

Thank You

[Gabriel GHEORGHIU]

Hi eit89,

I presume that:
 - The printers, the PCs and the server are all in the same network on GREEN interface.
 - DHCP is enabled on GREEN interface.
 - The Server has assigned a fixed IP.
 - The printers have assigned fixed IPs.
 - All PCs have the IPs assigned by DHCP.

In this scenario, if you have installed the printers on each PC and on Server, should not be any problem.
On EFW check the settings for DHCP.
Check that DHCP is enabled on Server. If yes, disable.


For check if the drivers and printers are good and to eliminate any interference with EFW:
 - Disable DHCP on EFW.
 - Give fixed IPs to all equipments (PCs, Server, Printers).
 - Install the Printers on each PCs and on the Server.
 - Check if everything it works.

Question:
Which is the role of the Server? PDC, PDC+AD, ...

If the Server is PDC+AD, the best solution is:
 - Disable DHCP on EFW (at least for GREEN interface).
 - Enable DHCP on Sever.
 - Install the printers on Server and share them to the network.
 - Install the printers on each PC through network share (connect each PC to the desired shared printer).

BR,
Gabriel

[eit89]

Hi eit89,

I presume that:
 - The printers, the PCs and the server are all in the same network on GREEN interface.
 - DHCP is enabled on GREEN interface.
 - The Server has assigned a fixed IP.
 - The printers have assigned fixed IPs.
 - All PCs have the IPs assigned by DHCP.

In this scenario, if you have installed the printers on each PC and on Server, should not be any problem.
On EFW check the settings for DHCP.
Check that DHCP is enabled on Server. If yes, disable.


For check if the drivers and printers are good and to eliminate any interference with EFW:
 - Disable DHCP on EFW.
 - Give fixed IPs to all equipments (PCs, Server, Printers).
 - Install the Printers on each PCs and on the Server.
 - Check if everything it works.

Question:
Which is the role of the Server? PDC, PDC+AD, ...

If the Server is PDC+AD, the best solution is:
 - Disable DHCP on EFW (at least for GREEN interface).
 - Enable DHCP on Sever.
 - Install the printers on Server and share them to the network.
 - Install the printers on each PC through network share (connect each PC to the desired shared printer).

BR,
Gabriel

Hi,
-Yes, printers, server and PCs all on the Green interface.
-DHCP is enabled on the green interface
-The server has the same IP assigned to it by using the Fixed lease feature in DHCP settings on EFW
-The 2 printers have the same IPs assigned to them, again, by using the Fixed lease feature
-The rest of the PCs get their IPs by normal DHCP

I will try and disable DHCP on EFW and test by assigning fixed IPs to some of the PCs.
Driver is the latest Brother driver from their website, I even updated the firmware on the printers.
The weird thing is, right after I install the driver, I can print a test page, but the driver requires a reboot, after rebooting the printer is offline along with the printer status monitor.

The server only serves some files via shared folders and a billing software, no AD or anything special.

I read that there are some problems with some network printers that are using the SNMP protocol since Win Vista and up, and that it should be disabled under printer Ports, will try that tomorrow.
I'm starting to believe that this might after all be something related to Windows rather than the EFW config.

[Gabriel GHEORGHIU]

I'm starting to believe that this might after all be something related to Windows rather than the EFW config.

Agree 99% with that.

[eit89]

I'm starting to believe that this might after all be something related to Windows rather than the EFW config.

Agree 99% with that.

Hi,
I think I figured it out!
For some reason unknown yet, if when installing the driver you use the "Search for printer on the network" option is used, the printer is installed using some type of port by its nod name, like BR0216493HJHG. Using this type of port, causes problems after rebooting the Pc, don't know why yet, I guess it's something to do with Windows 7 because I emulated the same scenario on my home network and works just fine.

What I did? I reinstalled th printers on each Pc and at the printer location step, I chose manually specify an Ip address, that way the printer is installed using a port type by Ip address. The printers instantly got working again and the status monitor shows green, all works fine, scanning to pc, printing, etc. For some reason installing the Brother network printers using the "search network for printers" doesn't work after a os reboot.

I will get back if I find something else, I hope this gets useful for someone, someday.

[Gabriel GHEORGHIU]

Hi,

Glad to hear that you solved the problem! 

BR,
Gabriel