Epson 3880: USB vs. Ethernet Connection

[Bruce Pollock]

It appears from my reading of the specs for the Epson 3880 that it has two interfaces: You can connect by the usual USB cable or you connect via Cat 5 ethernet.

I know just enough about this stuff to make me a bit dangerous, but for a variety of reasons, I'm interested in the ethernet angle. Does anyone have any experience with this? Do I need any special hardware (apart from my normal network router) in order to connect via ethernet?

Or is this just a dumb idea?

[Ben Hopson]

It appears from my reading of the specs for the Epson 3880 that it has two interfaces: You can connect by the usual USB cable or you connect via Cat 5 ethernet.

I know just enough about this stuff to make me a bit dangerous, but for a variety of reasons, I'm interested in the ethernet angle. Does anyone have any experience with this? Do I need any special hardware (apart from my normal network router) in order to connect via ethernet?

Or is this just a dumb idea?

You just need to connect using the proper cable. The only other steps are those necessary to add the printer to your network. That will differ depending on what platform (MAC or Windows) and what operating system you are using.

Good luck,
Ben

[Bruce Pollock]

Thanks - so when you say "connect using the proper cable" you mean just run the Cat 5 connection between the router and the printer?

[RPNugent]

I don't know if my experience is the norm or not when using the ethernet cable to connect the 3880. I routinely have problems with the computer and printer maintaining the correct network address after I turn the printer off. I then have to go in and set a new port with the correct address, which often requires running a network status sheet to get the correct address. Not a huge pain, but I have been thinking about getting a long enough USB cable to get around it.

[Bruce Pollock]

Yeah - that would be a pain. My reason for exploring this option in the first place is that the 3880 is going to have to sit across the room from my computer and I'm not sure if I can get a long enough USB cable.

Do they make 15' printer cables?

[Ben Hopson]

Yeah - that would be a pain. My reason for exploring this option in the first place is that the 3880 is going to have to sit across the room from my computer and I'm not sure if I can get a long enough USB cable.

Do they make 15' printer cables?

Yes, there are 15' USB cables. As to the ethernet connection, yes, just get the correct Cat5 cable. My 4880, which I assume has a similar ethernet connection as the 3880, is on a MacPro and works flawlessly. I also went the Ethernet rout because of the distance my printer is from the computer it is connected to.

Ben

[Bruce Pollock]

Thanks, everyone - I'll give it a go and see what happens.

[Kuzano]

There are 15 foot USB cables and my experience is that 15 feet is a maximum USB length and the full length should be done in one cable... don't connect multiple USB cables to get the maximum length.

[Nathan Potter]

You can get a Belkin USB cable with a signal booster at one end. The one I use is about 15 feet. Together with the standard 10 ft cable I can reach about 25 feet. I use three successfully with my Nikon and Epson scanners and with my 3880 printer all which are remote from my computer. No glitches yet.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[onnect17]

Bruce,
The biggest advantage of the ethernet port is that you can share with other units.
If you decide to use a direct cable between computer and printer look for a "crossover" cable, but that would be my last option. I can help you with that. Send me a PM.
Armando

[Leigh]

If you connect via the Ethernet interface, then any computer connected to that local Ethernet network can use the printer without relying on any other computer.

If you connect via USB, then that computer must be turned on, have printer sharing enabled, and be connected to the Ethernet if any other networked computer wants to use the printer.

I prefer an Ethernet connection. Cables are available in any length up to 100' or more, and can be daisy-chained. If you're using a long cable, get a Cat 5e or Cat 6 cable.

- Leigh

[Tyler Boley]

I have to say the ethernet thing has been problematic to set up here, but it may be platform dependent. There are 5 LF Epsons hooked up to one PC, the PC necessitated by the RIP requirements. The two most recent were added via eithernet due to both distance, and number of available ports of other kinds.
The PC finally saw the ethernet printers, for no apparent reason other than the passage of time, and some restarts. No amount of dinking with settings seemed to make that happen, though initial settings were critical. That is now working, but the Macs on the same network can not see them... despite several approaches... and the passage of mucho time.
Just more input on the topic.
Tyler

[Leigh]

...but the Macs on the same network can not see them... despite several approaches... and the passage of mucho time.
Sounds like an addressing issue.

Ethernet addressing can be a complex subject, with lots of configuration options.

- Leigh

[onnect17]

I always disable all network protocols but ip in the printer's network interface, and of course use static addressing. Same good old ip.

[Nathan Potter]

Good grievous grief! It all ought to be easier, shouldn't it!

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[Leigh]

Good grievous grief! It all ought to be easier, shouldn't it!
Yes, it should be.

Unfortunately, it's not. :(

- Leigh

[JeffKohn]

I don't know if my experience is the norm or not when using the ethernet cable to connect the 3880. I routinely have problems with the computer and printer maintaining the correct network address after I turn the printer off. I then have to go in and set a new port with the correct address, which often requires running a network status sheet to get the correct address. Not a huge pain, but I have been thinking about getting a long enough USB cable to get around it.
Sounds like your router is assigning different IP#'s to these devices each time they are powered up. Log into the admin UI on your router and see if there are settings in the DHCP section to control this. If nothing else you should be able to increase the DHCP lease time to something really long so that they're not constantly getting reassigned new IP#'s.

[Leigh]

You should not have the printer rely on DHCP for its address.

In the printer, disable DHCP and configure the address manually. It will never expire.

The address should be of the form 192.168.a.b where a is the same as all the other devices on the local ethernet. The b address can be any number from 200 to 254.

The subnet mask should be 255.255.255.0. This is invariant.

- Leigh

[ljsegil]

This is sort of an extension/highjacking of the topic raised here, but is it possible to drive an Epson printer in a room separate from the computer using something like a USB wi-fi dongle or some kind of wireless receiver on either the ethernet or USB input of the printer? May be faced with such a geographic issue in the near future (hopefully hoping, fingers crossed, that it may come to pass--upgrade time if I get very lucky, and the new printer most likely will not fit my current working space but would instead move into my eldest son's vacated swamp of a room). Could run ethernet cable to the other room but would rather not for fear of offending the spousal sense of aesthetics (I don't understand why females don't appreciate the abstract beauty of cables snaking across their halls?). Are there particular downsides to a wireless computer/printer interface if it is possible at all? Thanks for any help from the group and for allowing me to intrude on the thread.
Larry

[rdenney]

I'm running my 3800 as a network printer. I followed the instructions from Epson, it gets turned on and off all the time (along with the computer) and I've never lost it yet.

I have not tried Quadtone RIP, though I intend to. Maybe it has issues with a network interface, but the Epson driver does not seem to.

My network consists of the Epson, several computers, a laser printer, and two NAS devices connected to a cheapie Cisco 8-port switch. The switch is connected to a Cradlepoint router that serves a local 802.11 WiFi network plus a Verizon Wireless Broadband USB aircard for Internet access. I think I have the Cradlepoint set up as the DHCP server. Never a problem.

Rick "who'd have to check whether he set up the printer with a static address" Denney

[HBDesert]

This is sort of an extension/highjacking of the topic raised here, but is it possible to drive an Epson printer in a room separate from the computer using something like a USB wi-fi dongle or some kind of wireless receiver on either the ethernet or USB input of the printer? May be faced with such a geographic issue in the near future (hopefully hoping, fingers crossed, that it may come to pass--upgrade time if I get very lucky, and the new printer most likely will not fit my current working space but would instead move into my eldest son's vacated swamp of a room). Could run ethernet cable to the other room but would rather not for fear of offending the spousal sense of aesthetics (I don't understand why females don't appreciate the abstract beauty of cables snaking across their halls?). Are there particular downsides to a wireless computer/printer interface if it is possible at all? Thanks for any help from the group and for allowing me to intrude on the thread.
Larry


Larry,

I use one of these on my Epson 3800 and it works fine.

http://www.netgear.com/landing/wnce2001.aspx


Doug

[ljsegil]

Very cool, Doug.
Thanks much,
Larry

[onnect17]

...I have not tried Quadtone RIP, though I intend to. Maybe it has issues with a network interface, but the Epson driver does not seem to...

I'm using QTR for more than a year with a 7600 using the ethernet port and static ip. No problem. Work just fine.