Looking for Digital PrintServer 17/600 software

My wife bid on a working Digital PrintServer 17/600 model LPS17-A2
(w/ethernet interface card) and won the auction. So we drove 3 hours (one
way) to procure her prize. Come to find out, all we get with this "working"
printer is the printer itself. No software! No books! Nothing! Apparently,
the current admin was not around when the unit was installed in 1994 and has
no idea what his predecessor did with the software or manuals. He assured me
we just connect it to the ethernet and away you go. Yea, right.

Windows 98 and XP have printer drivers for it but first I need to find it on
the network to complete the connection. The display on the printer shows a
MAC address but nothing in the printer drivers help me to locate it on the
network.

I've been scouring the internet in search of software needed to set it up on
the network and for useful information. The few bits and pieces of
information I found say to use the PathWorks software that came with it to
set it up on the network. I managed to find some PathWorks updates but
without the original software the updates prove to be useless. One poster
from 1998 or 2001 in a similar situation (exact same printer with no
software) but received no responses.

I'm hoping there is someone out there who has knowledge of this unit, still
has the original software and hopefully some pointers to help me get it
operational on my network. I would even be happy if I could locate an
interface card to connect it to a standard printer port. Otherwise, we just
bought an extremely heavy paperweight.

--
Todd Vargo
(Post questions to group only. Remove "z" to email personal messages)

Todd Vargo <tlvargo@sbcglobal.netz> wrote:
> My wife bid on a working Digital PrintServer 17/600 model LPS17-A2
> (w/ethernet interface card) and won the auction. So we drove 3 hours (one
> way) to procure her prize. Come to find out, all we get with this "working"
> printer is the printer itself. No software! No books! Nothing! Apparently,
> the current admin was not around when the unit was installed in 1994 and has
> no idea what his predecessor did with the software or manuals. He assured me
> we just connect it to the ethernet and away you go. Yea, right.

At least some of these printers seemed to need to boot from the network,
which would require a server for them. It's hard to tell whether they
all did that:

http://mailgate.dada.net/comp/comp.s.../msg14808.html

> Windows 98 and XP have printer drivers for it but first I need to find it on
> the network to complete the connection. The display on the printer shows a
> MAC address but nothing in the printer drivers help me to locate it on the
> network.

The first thing to try would be navigating menus to get it to print a
self-test or network config page.

Or call the seller and ask them what IP address it was using.

> I'm hoping there is someone out there who has knowledge of this unit, still
> has the original software and hopefully some pointers to help me get it
> operational on my network. I would even be happy if I could locate an
> interface card to connect it to a standard printer port. Otherwise, we just
> bought an extremely heavy paperweight.

It looks to be a Canon NX engine. It may be possible to replace the
formatter with an HP version for a LaserJet IIISI or 4SI, but probably
not worth it.

--
Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota * USA

Warren Block wrote:
> Todd Vargo <tlvargo@sbcglobal.netz> wrote:
> > My wife bid on a working Digital PrintServer 17/600 model LPS17-A2
> > (w/ethernet interface card) and won the auction. So we drove 3 hours
(one
> > way) to procure her prize. Come to find out, all we get with this
"working"
> > printer is the printer itself. No software! No books! Nothing!
Apparently,
> > the current admin was not around when the unit was installed in 1994 and
has
> > no idea what his predecessor did with the software or manuals. He
assured me
> > we just connect it to the ethernet and away you go. Yea, right.
>
> At least some of these printers seemed to need to boot from the network,
> which would require a server for them. It's hard to tell whether they
> all did that:
>
> http://mailgate.dada.net/comp/comp.s.../msg14808.html
>
> > Windows 98 and XP have printer drivers for it but first I need to find
it on
> > the network to complete the connection. The display on the printer shows
a
> > MAC address but nothing in the printer drivers help me to locate it on
the
> > network.
>
> The first thing to try would be navigating menus to get it to print a
> self-test or network config page.
>
> Or call the seller and ask them what IP address it was using.
>
> > I'm hoping there is someone out there who has knowledge of this unit,
still
> > has the original software and hopefully some pointers to help me get it
> > operational on my network. I would even be happy if I could locate an
> > interface card to connect it to a standard printer port. Otherwise, we
just
> > bought an extremely heavy paperweight.
>
> It looks to be a Canon NX engine. It may be possible to replace the
> formatter with an HP version for a LaserJet IIISI or 4SI, but probably
> not worth it.

Thanks for your response Warren. Yes, I found this old mailgate posting in
my searches but unfortunately, the link on that page to the software is
dead. I have contacted the seller about the IP address but no response as
yet.

I already tried pressing buttons during the self-test and post warm-up to
try to get a config page but no luck. It does not display any menus. I have
tried combinations of buttons also but no luck.

From what I have been reading, the software should allow me to configure the
IP address. Is this what you mean by "formatter"?

--
Todd Vargo
(Post questions to group only. Remove "z" to email personal messages)

Todd Vargo <tlvargo@sbcglobal.netz> wrote:

> From what I have been reading, the software should allow me to configure the
> IP address. Is this what you mean by "formatter"?

No, the formatter is the processor board of the printer. If you could
find the right one to fit, it would turn the printer into a LaserJet
IIISI or 4SI, with its own ROM. There are several versions of the
formatter, and lots of ways it could go wrong.

--
Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota * USA

Warren Block wrote:
> Todd Vargo <tlvargo@sbcglobal.netz> wrote:
>
> > From what I have been reading, the software should allow me to configure
the
> > IP address. Is this what you mean by "formatter"?
>
> No, the formatter is the processor board of the printer. If you could
> find the right one to fit, it would turn the printer into a LaserJet
> IIISI or 4SI, with its own ROM. There are several versions of the
> formatter, and lots of ways it could go wrong.

That would be fine too. I wish there was a site I could read up on this
stuff. I already invested money in the printer but I would hate to throw
money at the wrong formatter too (assuming I could stumble on one).

It's supposed to be a working printer. Do you know what software came with
these printers and where I could obtain it?

--
Todd Vargo
(Post questions to group only. Remove "z" to email personal messages)

Todd Vargo wrote:
> Warren Block wrote:
>> Todd Vargo <tlvargo@sbcglobal.netz> wrote:
>>
>>> From what I have been reading, the software should allow me to configure
> the
>>> IP address. Is this what you mean by "formatter"?
>> No, the formatter is the processor board of the printer. If you could
>> find the right one to fit, it would turn the printer into a LaserJet
>> IIISI or 4SI, with its own ROM. There are several versions of the
>> formatter, and lots of ways it could go wrong.
>
> That would be fine too. I wish there was a site I could read up on this
> stuff. I already invested money in the printer but I would hate to throw
> money at the wrong formatter too (assuming I could stumble on one).
>
> It's supposed to be a working printer. Do you know what software came with
> these printers and where I could obtain it?
>
This might be what your looking for:

Here is some legacy software:
ftp://ftp.digital.com/pub/DEC/Alpha/printer/
EZWebCon-win32.exe

ftp://ftp.digital.com/pub/DEC/Alpha/printer/lps
v51-ssb.zip

unzip> run setup in the Prism folder

*FIND IP*
http://tinyurl.com/yre2cz

Chapter 4

Before installing the PrintServer host software you must obtain the Ethernet
address of your printer. The Ethernet address is displayed on the operator
panel as part of the power up cycle when the printer is powered on


Power on the rear and front power switches.
The printer performs its diagnostic self tests and the countdown is
displayed on the front panel.
The Ethernet is then displayed in the form of nn-nn-nn-nn-nn-nn.

Write down the Ethernet address.

Good info:
http://h30266.www3.hp.com/MasterInde...d_01291200.txt

Based on the info contained here, it is a good possibility that you may
be able to manage this printer with:

HP Web Jetadmin Doc:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/su.../c00045058.pdf

HP Web Jetadmin Download:
http://tinyurl.com/2frrgh

"Rev. G.G. Willikers " <GollyGeeWillikers@spamgmail.com> wrote in message
news:bR2ii.9827$c06.7240@newssvr22.news.prodigy.ne t...
> Todd Vargo wrote:
> > Warren Block wrote:
> >> Todd Vargo <tlvargo@sbcglobal.netz> wrote:
> >>
> >>> From what I have been reading, the software should allow me to
configure
> > the
> >>> IP address. Is this what you mean by "formatter"?
> >> No, the formatter is the processor board of the printer. If you could
> >> find the right one to fit, it would turn the printer into a LaserJet
> >> IIISI or 4SI, with its own ROM. There are several versions of the
> >> formatter, and lots of ways it could go wrong.
> >
> > That would be fine too. I wish there was a site I could read up on this
> > stuff. I already invested money in the printer but I would hate to throw
> > money at the wrong formatter too (assuming I could stumble on one).
> >
> > It's supposed to be a working printer. Do you know what software came
with
> > these printers and where I could obtain it?
> >
> This might be what your looking for:
>
> Here is some legacy software:
> ftp://ftp.digital.com/pub/DEC/Alpha/printer/
> EZWebCon-win32.exe
>
> ftp://ftp.digital.com/pub/DEC/Alpha/printer/lps
> v51-ssb.zip
>
> unzip> run setup in the Prism folder
>
> *FIND IP*
> http://tinyurl.com/yre2cz
>
> Chapter 4
>
> Before installing the PrintServer host software you must obtain the
Ethernet
> address of your printer. The Ethernet address is displayed on the operator
> panel as part of the power up cycle when the printer is powered on
>
>
> Power on the rear and front power switches.
> The printer performs its diagnostic self tests and the countdown is
> displayed on the front panel.
> The Ethernet is then displayed in the form of nn-nn-nn-nn-nn-nn.
>
> Write down the Ethernet address.
>
> Good info:
> http://h30266.www3.hp.com/MasterInde...d_01291200.txt
>
> Based on the info contained here, it is a good possibility that you may
> be able to manage this printer with:
>
> HP Web Jetadmin Doc:
>
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/su.../c00045058.pdf
>
> HP Web Jetadmin Download:
> http://tinyurl.com/2frrgh

Yes, v51-ssb.zip is the software I need. Unfortunately, the printer is being
persnickety. The software displays a printer not found message. When I power
on the printer, it performs a warm-up count down then displays it's MAC
address with some other numbers below it. The display only has room for two
lines of text.

xx-xx-xx-xx-xx-xx
2.1 1.0 1.0

I don't know what the numbers in the second row mean but after a long while,
a "?54" was displayed on the bottom line. This is all it did until today.
Based on some pages I had read, I took a guess at the IP address and set the
print driver to 192.168.2.54.

At some point after a number of power cycles and waiting, and doing other
tasks, I lost track of what I did last, but when I looked at the display and
it showed it was ready. I managed to a print test page and several other
pages perfectly. The test-setup page does not display include the MAC or IP
address (that would make too much sense).

I don't know what actually made it start working but then the ultimate test
came. I toggled the power switch off and now I'm back to where I started
from. The software displays a printer not found message again and the
printer displays the same output above only the ?54 is no longer being
displayed.

I have concluded that pressing buttons on the panel do nothing while the MAC
address is being displayed. But once it displayed the ready message, the
buttons did something.

BTW, I could not download the Jetadmin software. I got a message this
printer is no longer supported.

Thanks to everyone for your help.

--
Todd Vargo
(Post questions to group only. Remove "z" to email personal messages)