Question Dead plotter

Greenman

Lifer
Oct 15, 1999
21,983
6,297
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My HP wide format plotter took spill off the top of a filling cabinet to the floor. Surprisingly, nothing is visibly damaged, and it turned on without a hitch, but the USB port quit working. I took it apart in the hope of finding a lose connector or broken wire but everything is connected with no damage that I can see. Anyone have an idea of what I should look for before I give up?
The parallel port might still work, though I'd have to find a card for my computer and a cable.

I understand that this is a Hale Marry shot, but someone might have an idea.

Thanks in advance.
 

Paperdoc

Platinum Member
Aug 17, 2006
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If you have a parallel port on the printer that works, you could, instead, make it a network resource. Buy a Parallel Port Ethernet Print Server (I have the TP-Link Model TL-PS110P). You install that in the printer's Parallel port, connect it to power with its littel power brick. Then run a normal ethernet cable from it to your network Router or Switch and run the installation utility on the mini-CD that comes with. Voilà, the printer is now a network printer available to all computers on your network.
 

Greenman

Lifer
Oct 15, 1999
21,983
6,297
136
If you have a parallel port on the printer that works, you could, instead, make it a network resource. Buy a Parallel Port Ethernet Print Server (I have the TP-Link Model TL-PS110P). You install that in the printer's Parallel port, connect it to power with its littel power brick. Then run a normal ethernet cable from it to your network Router or Switch and run the installation utility on the mini-CD that comes with. Voilà, the printer is now a network printer available to all computers on your network.
The printer actually has a network card in it, discovered that when I took it apart. I didn't think much of it because I've never been able to get any home network to work with windows.
I'll give your idea a shot, a cable is a hell of a lot cheaper than a printer.

Thank you for the advice, I really do appreciate it.
 

mikeford

Diamond Member
Jan 27, 2001
5,671
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Windows networking should be called NOTworking, it can be a real pain as MS helps you stay safe from yourself and those in your house. Post all of your public sharable network info over in a networking forum, devices, card models etc, win versions and get past the challenge.
 

Greenman

Lifer
Oct 15, 1999
21,983
6,297
136
To close this out, I took Paperdoc's advice and installed the printer as a network printer. That failed as the HP network drivers are 8 years old and no update available. Win 10 refused to install them. Some further searching and I discovered how to manually install what I guess is a generic network driver, then the HP printer drivers. It worked. My plotter works and I saved a pile of money.

Thank you paperdoc for pointing me in the right direction!
 

Paperdoc

Platinum Member
Aug 17, 2006
2,456
350
126
Glad to hear you worked it out, and you're welcome. I know how it gets not-so-easy to get older hardware to work under Win 10.