Earth Sciences printers with AppleTalk enabled
Last revision March 14, 2008
This page primarily applies to people using Apple Macintosh computers, or managing networked printers. Windows PCs and Linux systems are not affected, unless you specifically installed third-party AppleTalk software.
Support for AppleTalk protocols on the Earth Sciences network is ending on April 7, 2008. The major remaining use of AppleTalk is to connect Macintosh computers to certain networked printers. All these printers can now be accessed by TCP/IP protocols instead.
The table below shows printers that have AppleTalk enabled. It is possible that Macintosh users are still connecting to these printers via AppleTalk. Other printers have AppleTalk disabled and their users have all converted to TCP/IP connections already.
If any printer you access from your Macintosh computer is on this list, then follow the instructions below to verify whether you are using AppleTalk and convert to TCP/IP instead.
List of AppleTalk enabled printers
| Printer AppleTalk Name | AppleTalk zone | Printer TCP/IP name* |
| biomark-202 | ES-Ethernet | |
| Brie | ES-Green-East | brie.stanford.edu |
| ChainGangLJ | ES-Green-East | chainganglj.stanford.edu |
| DeansPhaser | ES-Ethernet | deansphaser.stanford.edu |
| gpcolor | ES-Mitchell-4th | gpcolor.stanford.edu |
| HP LaserJet 2200 | ES-Ethernet | |
| hp LaserJet 4300 | ES-Ethernet | |
| hp LaserJet 4300 | ES-Green-Concourse | |
| iceberglj - hp lj4100 | ES-Mitchell-SB | iceberglj |
| Knight-LJ | ES-Mitchell-3rd | knightlj |
| PElaser3d | ES-Green-East | pelaser3.stanford.edu |
| Phaser 6250N | ES-Ethernet | |
| Phaser 6300DN | ES-Ethernet | biomarkphaser.stanford.edu |
| Phaser 8200DP | ES-Ethernet | |
| PMGreenLJ | ES-Green-West | pmgreenlj.stanford.edu |
| PMMitchellLJ | ES-Mitchell-1st | pmmitchelllj.stanford.edu |
| SF-As | ES-Green-East | sf-as.stanford.edu |
| Sid's Printer | ES-Green-West | |
| sockeye | ES-GeoCorner-3rd | sockeye |
| Soilchem-1 | ES-Green-East | |
| SoilChem-2 | ES-Green-East | |
| soils-2 | ES-Green-East | soils-2.stanford.edu |
| SoilsColor | ES-Green-East | |
| Stebbins HP2300 | ES-Green-West | stebbins-hp2300.stanford.edu |
| stebbins-hp2250tn | ES-Green-West | stebbins-hp2250tn.stanford.edu |
| * AppleTalk names can be set by the owner independently from the registered TCP/IP name. This column shows the probable TCP/IP equivalent where the AppleTalk name is similar to a registered TCP/IP name, or can be determined by other means. Check the printer itself to verify the TCP/IP name, for example, by printing a configuration page. | ||
Reconfiguring Mac OS X to print via TCP/IP
These instructions show you how to tell if you are using AppleTalk to connect to one of the printers above from a computer running Mac OS X, and if so, how to convert to accessing the printer via TCP/IP so you can keep printing when AppleTalk support ends on April 7. Make a request on the HelpSU website if you need help with the process on a Stanford-owned computer.
First of all, is AppleTalk even enabled on your Macintosh? If it is not enabled, then you are connecting to all printers by TCP/IP already and there is nothing you need to do. Here is how to check.
Open System Preferences from the Apple menu, and then click on the Network pane. In the Show drop-down menu at the top, select the Built-in Ethernet item. Click on the AppleTalk tab. The check box next to Make AppleTalk Active determines whether AppleTalk is active. If that box is not checked, as shown in this screenshot, then you are okay and there is nothing you need to do about your printer connections. If the box is checked, then keep reading to see if you are printing via AppleTalk.
Open up the Printer Setup Utility. You can find this in the Utilities subfolder of the Applications folder. This will show all the printers currently defined on your Macintosh.
Printers that have a name ending in .stanford.edu are being accessed by TCP/IP. Those are okay.
Look for any printer with a name that does not have the .stanford.edu suffix. Some of these may also be TCP/IP, or directly attached, but some may be accessed by AppleTalk. Click on each such name and select the Show Info item to get information about the printer. If the Printer Info window that opens shows a value in the Location field that begins with ES-, such as ES-Ethernet or ES-Mitchell-4th, then this printer is being accessed via AppleTalk. See this screenshot for an example of the printer information for an AppleTalk printer.
To switch your access to this printer from AppleTalk to TCP/IP, you must delete the printer definition on your Mac and re-create it. You need to know the TCP/IP name of the printer before you can proceed. Unfortunately, the AppleTalk setup for a printer allows you to use a name that is totally unrelated to its TCP/IP network name. Some people did not follow the policy that requests keeping these names the same, so the TCP/IP network name for your printer may well be different from the AppleTalk name. I have shown the TCP/IP name in the table above for each printer where it could be readily determined from network records. For the other printers, you will have to ask around in your group or get the information from the printer itself, for example, by printing a configuration page.
First make a note of the printer type in the Kind field, such as "HP LaserJet 4250" or "Xerox Phaser 8400DP", and then click the Delete button to delete it. Now click on the Add button to recreate it. A Printer Browser window will open. Make sure that the IP Printer icon is selected. There are only three required pieces of information you must supply in this window: protocol, address, and printer type.
For all HP printers, select HP Jet Direct - Socket from the Protocol drop-down menu. For other brands, select Line Printer Daemon - LPD in this menu.
Then type in the TCP/IP network name, with the full .stanford.edu suffix, in the Address field. The Mac will attempt to immediately contact the printer and acquire information automatically to fill in the remaining fields. This screenshot shows an example for the "gpcolor" printer, which is a Xerox Phaser printer.
In most cases, the Mac will correctly determine the printer type automatically and show it in the Print Using drop-down menu. Compare the model it selected with the printer type that you recorded before deleting the old AppleTalk printer definition. If the model is incorrect, or the Mac could not determine it, then select the correct model from that drop-down menu.
Finally, click the Add button to create this new printer definition using the TCP/IP protocol for access.