Ineo +227 networking issue

[Pig]

We're having a strange issue with the system in one of our regional offices. They have 7 Windows 10 PCs, 1 CentOS PC, a NAS drive, a router and a KM Ineo +227 printer/copier all connected through a network switch. This was all working fine until a couple of weeks ago when, on returning to work after the weekend, we noticed that the printer was offline on all PCs. Since then we have narrowed it down to the problem only occurring when a specific computer is joined to the network - it works fine what that PC is off/unplugged. Since then this is what we have tried:

- returning the printer to the shop - they set it up and tested it and said it was all working perfectly

- them arranging for a subcontracted engineer to go to the office - he had no idea and only succeeded in changing the language on the copier to Korean and factory re-setting the router (the DHCP server)

- using different network cables/ports for the problem PC and printer - no effect

- uninstalling/reinstalling the printer using the latest drivers - no effect, though it does print the test pages 1.5hrs later and only after numerous reboots

- setting the PC and printer to have specific IP addresses (they were both using different addresses anyway)

- plugging the problem PC directly into the printer with a network cable - IP addresses changed on both PC and printer, tried adding as a new printer but won't detect the printer
- updating the drivers of the problem PC's network adapter - made no difference
- swapping the HDD of the problem PC into another system - the printer still didn't work (though I'm pretty sure it worked at first, but on repeating it failed)

- swapping the HDD of another PC into the problem system - the printer worked fine

- swapping the printer for another network printer - the new printer worked fine on all PCs (and was detected/installed automatically on all of them)

- resetting the printer's network settings to factory default - made no difference
- switching off SNMP on all network-connected PCs as per numerous Google threads - printer no longer appears offline but causes an unspecified error (i.e. Windows just shows the status of the printer as just "Error") whenever you try to print

Additional info:
- the problem PC can always successfully ping the printer's address, both as part of the larger network and when they are connected directly to one another.
- whenever the problem PC is disconnected from the network the printer works fine for all the other PCs but when you reconnect it the printer sometimes says an error has occurred and it must reboot, which it then proceeds to do automatically
- this all started happening over the weekend - it was working fine last thing on Friday but was showing as offline on Monday morning.

With my superficial knowledge of networking I think we've only managed to narrow it down to a combination of that HDD in that PC connected to the network and through that the printer that causes it to fail. However, the errors on the printer (there used to be another one with a specific error code - c-e301 - which seems to apply to a huge number of potential problems) might suggest that it is more an issue with the printer itself.

Any help would be much appreciated please, we're tearing our hair out here trying to think of a solution!

Many thanks

[Synthohol]

Try locking in the network speed like 100 duplex.
The network card on the copier is auto negotiating a speed and if the router/switch is also auto negotiating I have seen them not agree on a speed and causing connection issues.
Worth a look.

[Elmo]

If as you say the copier works fine until you connect 1 particular pc i think you can assume the copier is not the problem

unless you are using the same fixed ip address for both that 1 pc and the copier

i would look to see if the pc was updated over the weekend or possibly a virus has infected it
the copier is a simple device if it works with the other pc's then it is very unlikely to be the cause of the problem

[peterdebreakeder]

IP V4 alternate configuration?

[allan]

Going on a whim here. MAC address seems like the only constant and the record of it on the HDD of the PC.



Quick Tips: Flush the ARP cache in Windows 7 - TechRepublic

[Pig]

Try locking in the network speed like 100 duplex.
The network card on the copier is auto negotiating a speed and if the router/switch is also auto negotiating I have seen them not agree on a speed and causing connection issues.
Worth a look.

IP V4 alternate configuration?

Going on a whim here. MAC address seems like the only constant and the record of it on the HDD of the PC.

Quick Tips: Flush the ARP cache in Windows 7 - TechRepublic

Going on a whim here. MAC address seems like the only constant and the record of it on the HDD of the PC.

Thanks all for the replies! I will look into them and get back to you.

If as you say the copier works fine until you connect 1 particular pc i think you can assume the copier is not the problem


unless you are using the same fixed ip address for both that 1 pc and the copier


i would look to see if the pc was updated over the weekend or possibly a virus has infected it
the copier is a simple device if it works with the other pc's then it is very unlikely to be the cause of the problem

Thought of this unfortunately no results from virus scans and as far as I can make out there have been no windows updates or updates of any programs over the weekend. The closest update was of Adobe programs such as reader, Indesign ect three days before and that updated on all of our computers without issue.

[Pig]

Try locking in the network speed like 100 duplex.
The network card on the copier is auto negotiating a speed and if the router/switch is also auto negotiating I have seen them not agree on a speed and causing connection issues.
Worth a look.

IP V4 alternate configuration?

Going on a whim here. MAC address seems like the only constant and the record of it on the HDD of the PC.

Quick Tips: Flush the ARP cache in Windows 7 - TechRepublic

Thanks for all the suggestions! I will have a look at them and get back to you.

If as you say the copier works fine until you connect 1 particular pc i think you can assume the copier is not the problem

unless you are using the same fixed ip address for both that 1 pc and the copier

i would look to see if the pc was updated over the weekend or possibly a virus has infected it
the copier is a simple device if it works with the other pc's then it is very unlikely to be the cause of the problem

I did carry out an anti virus scan but nothing turned up and as far as I can tell the only things that updated near when the problem started were adobe programs such as read, Indesign ect three days before and these updated on all the other computers without issue.

[Pig]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Here's the results so far:

Try locking in the network speed like 100 duplex.
The network card on the copier is auto negotiating a speed and if the router/switch is also auto negotiating I have seen them not agree on a speed and causing connection issues.
Worth a look.

I gave that a try and managed to lock it on my network adapter and the printer but couldn't find the setting on the router - no luck though.

If as you say the copier works fine until you connect 1 particular pc i think you can assume the copier is not the problem

unless you are using the same fixed ip address for both that 1 pc and the copier

i would look to see if the pc was updated over the weekend or possibly a virus has infected it
the copier is a simple device if it works with the other pc's then it is very unlikely to be the cause of the problem

I did carry out an anti virus scan but nothing turned up and as far as I can tell the only things that updated near when the problem started were Adobe programmes such as Acrobat, InDesign etc. three days before and these updated on all the other computers in the network without issue.

Going on a whim here. MAC address seems like the only constant and the record of it on the HDD of the PC.

Quick Tips: Flush the ARP cache in Windows 7 - TechRepublic

Just tried this - cache was successfully flushed but it's still saying the printer is in an "error state".

[Pig]

Would it be worth trying a factory reset on the PC?

[Elmo]

With the pc connected to the network does the printer error
or is it ok until you try to send a page from the pc