Connecting a photocopier to the network...

[phantomphan]

We want to connect a photocopier to the curriculum network, hopefully to cut down on printing costs.

 

This will involve running a cable from the switch cabinet in the ICT Suite to the adjacent room. We have had 2 quotes for the work - £200 and £260 - for 2 hours work max.

 

The site manager and I believe we can do it ourselves.

 

What I need to know is. . .can I connect directly to the switch in the cabinet without going through the patch panel? This would mean we can just get a cable made up with an RJ45 on each end and run the cable to the photocopier and connect it directly.

 

I know this will not be the most attractive solution, nor the most professional, but it will be the cheapest.

 

Will it work? Do I need to request anything special for the cable - twisted or something?

 

Any help appreciated.

[SC-UK]

Just running normal Cat5 cable with an RJ45 connection at each end between the photocopier and the switch will work.

 

As you say, it's not the most attractive solution, but it should certainly work!

[Chunky]

There's no real reason why not, provided you're cable path isn't strewn with power cables crossing it.

 

I'd say the main thing is not to scrimp, and make sure you do the run using STP, rather than just using UTP, as it sounds like you're going to be running this a distance.

 

If you don't fancy going the whole hog and getting a 19" patpch panel, cab, etc, I recall B&Q or similar selling a mini patch panel, cab, etc.

 

Chunks

[maniac]

The site manager and I believe we can do it ourselves.

 

What I need to know is. . .can I connect directly to the switch in the cabinet without going through the patch panel? This would mean we can just get a cable made up with an RJ45 on each end and run the cable to the photocopier and connect it directly.

 

I know this will not be the most attractive solution, nor the most professional, but it will be the cheapest.

 

Will it work? Do I need to request anything special for the cable - twisted or something?

 

Any help appreciated.

 

You can just plug it into the switch if you want to - it's not the most professional way of doing it, but it will work.

 

All you need for the cable is some of this Category 5E UTP Cable Grey 305m by Excel - Computer Room Installations - The Networking Store

 

Then some of these Pack of 100 x Amp Cat5e RJ45 Connectors - Solid UTP Cable by AMP - Computer Room Installations - and an suitable crimping tool (about £30) and you can make the cable as long as you need it to be and crimp the plugs on the end.

 

If it's not too long a distance, buy a premade up patch lead like this - this one is 20 metres.

Cat5e RJ45 Patch Lead Unbooted 20m - Computer Room Installations - The Networking Store and just bung that in.

 

However if you want to do it properly, it should really terminate at the patch panel and have a wall outlet fitted which is actually easter and cheaper to do than you think it might be - all you need is a punchdown tool to make the connections with, which is actually a lot easier than crimping RJ45's onto the ends.

 

Mike.

[alextreadwell]

are you sure the photo copier is network enabled just cos it has the right connections and even the network card installed and all the Leds lighht up, most photo copier companies require you to purchase a license to enable the network card to work on your network, if it was bought just as a photo copier thne this will proberbly will be the case as it costs more for the network bit!

[phantomphan]

Thanks all - that's just what I wanted to hear.

 

I know we could do it properly via the patch panel and a wall socket and it would very probably work!! But the simplist, cheapest and quickest way is to buy the made up patch cable.

 

The photocopier is being leased and has been specified as networkable - but good advice, as current one seems to have network interface and I was told by one 'engineer' who quoted for the cabling job that it could be networked - obviously not just his pricing was wrong!

 

Only question is now...do I pay £5.86 + VAT for this Cat5e RJ45 Patch Lead Unbooted 20m which seems very reasonable or should I splash out on this 20m CAT6 FTP Snagless Network Cable, Grey for £32?

[mac_shinobi]

Thanks all - that's just what I wanted to hear.

 

I know we could do it properly via the patch panel and a wall socket and it would very probably work!! But the simplist, cheapest and quickest way is to buy the made up patch cable.

 

The photocopier is being leased and has been specified as networkable - but good advice, as current one seems to have network interface and I was told by one 'engineer' who quoted for the cabling job that it could be networked - obviously not just his pricing was wrong!

 

Only question is now...do I pay £5.86 + VAT for this Cat5e RJ45 Patch Lead Unbooted 20m which seems very reasonable or should I splash out on this 20m CAT6 FTP Snagless Network Cable, Grey for £32?

 

I would go with the 5e cable but just curious - whats the difference between booted and unbooted ?

[rf600]

booted just has a little rubber cover over the rj45 i think where as the unbooted one doesn't

have done this in the past, should work fine,

but as someone has already said just because the photocopier has a network card doesn't mean you can just connect it to the network, we had to talk to the people who were supplying the photocopier and it costs us a extra bit every quarter

 

J

[maniac]

Thanks all - that's just what I wanted to hear.

 

I know we could do it properly via the patch panel and a wall socket and it would very probably work!! But the simplist, cheapest and quickest way is to buy the made up patch cable.

 

The photocopier is being leased and has been specified as networkable - but good advice, as current one seems to have network interface and I was told by one 'engineer' who quoted for the cabling job that it could be networked - obviously not just his pricing was wrong!

 

Only question is now...do I pay £5.86 + VAT for this Cat5e RJ45 Patch Lead Unbooted 20m which seems very reasonable or should I splash out on this 20m CAT6 FTP Snagless Network Cable, Grey for £32?

 

I would order the one I linked you to - I order all my cabling bits from them as they are pretty much the best value place I've found. Cat5e will be fine for a photocopier.

 

Mike.

[Ric_]

The second cable you mention is FTP (foil twisted pair) which you only need if there is likely to be interference.

[mac_shinobi]

booted just has a little rubber cover over the rj45 i think where as the unbooted one doesn't

have done this in the past, should work fine,

but as someone has already said just because the photocopier has a network card doesn't mean you can just connect it to the network, we had to talk to the people who were supplying the photocopier and it costs us a extra bit every quarter

 

J

 

yeah what make and model of copier is it ?

 

On the Ricoh MFD's if you press the user tools button ( 123 / diamond shape button at top left, sometimes at top right ) if you get

 

printer features - can be used as a network printer

scanner features - can be used as a network scanner so scan to folder / scan to email / scan via ftp etc

 

copier / document server features - On most of the MFD's they have this functionality so you can obviously use it as a photocopier but also so you can use the document server as a temporary storage place for documents that you want to keep printing off.

[phantomphan]

Again, thank you all for your advice.

 

Just want to check before I order the unshielded cable...it will be running along with other existing cables - network and telephone, but not power - is it still OK to get the unshielded one?

 

And the photocopier will be a new one arriving at half term which we are leasing and we are paying the extra to network it.

[maniac]

Again, thank you all for your advice.

 

Just want to check before I order the unshielded cable...it will be running along with other existing cables - network and telephone, but not power - is it still OK to get the unshielded one?

 

Unshielded is fine.

[phantomphan]

Just to confirm, back from Half Term, shiney new photocopier in situ, plugged into shiney new patch cable that myself and Site Manager installed - all working fine - kerching - £200 pounds saved for the school!

 

Thanks for all advice given.

[pak_guy]

hello every one

I want to connect my KONICA MINOLTA 7555 photocopier on a network. The situation is, i have four PC's that are networked through a 8 port switch. I connected my photocopier to one port of switch and i enabled DHCP on a photocopier. the switch automatically assign a IP address to a photocopier, the printout of photocopier TCP/ IP setting is

 

TCP/IP Setup == ON

Subnet mask == 255.255.255.0

Enabled DHCP == ON

Other DNS Server == 202.163.96.4

IP Address == 192.168.1.37

Default Gateway == 192.168.1.1

Preferred DNS Server == 202.163.96.3

RAW Port Number == 9100

 

I downloaded PCL_6 printer drivers for 7222 Photocopier on one PC of the network then i add photocopier as a printer through "ADD PRINTER WIZARD" I selected a new "STANDARD TCP/IP PORT" in the wizard.

Place IP address of the photocopier (192.168.1.37) and Port name (IP_192.168.1.37) then i selected "GENERIC NETWORK CARD" as device type then next then finish then i install PCL_6 printer drivers then next and then shared this printer on a network then a test page option said, "Do you want to print a test page?" i selected yes.

But i was very frustrated when saw "TEST PAGE FAILED TO PRINT"

 

one more point i also pinging the photocopier from one PC of that network, the pinging is successful but "TEST PAGE FAILED TO PRINT" can't imagine it.

 

Can any one help me in solving this problem??? Any help will be very appriciated.

Edited June 1, 2010 by pak_guy