Weird scan to mail problem - Ricoh Aficio 2232c

[George J]

So yesterday I got this call for a Ricoh 2232c that could no longer scan to mail. Printer worked fine, mails worked fine on the client's computer. No codes or unexpected error messages to be found.

So I try some things and when I put the machine on DHCP scan to mail worked again. Great I thought, but their IT guys insisted that the machine had a fixed IP. So I compared the settings between the fixed IP and the DHCP and the only thing that's different is the IP address itself. I then changed the IP address and the scan to mail worked again! Great! Except I didn't know why it worked. Their IT were pretty sure that no internal firewall or filters were blocking the email traffic. Odd. Well I left it at that but then I got a repeat call.

Same story but now 2 IP addresses don't work. The original one and the one I changed it to. I doubt if it's really a problem with the machine and not with their network, but I can't really prove it yet.

Now I have to add that the client's IT guys weren't really keen on telling me how everything was hooked up, but from what I can gather they have 2 networks that are somehow connected with a relay server. They have their own smtp server, but it's located elsewhere. They told me they checked all the server logs and routers and that they have found nothing. The company is a local Internet provider so I assume (!) they have somewhat competent IT guys.

So anybody have an idea what's going on here?

[mike*]

what kind of subnet and Ip address did they have assigned for the machine

[George J]

I can't recall the exact IP, only the last group was different from the rest of the pc's in the office (obviously) and iirc the subnet was 255.255.0.0

[KenB]

It's possible that they require an IP address to be assigned using DHCP in order to allow the MFP to send.

A good test would be to have them set up a DHCP reservation for your machine; this way, it always gets the same address, and is still using DHCP.

[George J]

Well how do you explain that it does send with a fixed IP (and before that worked flawlessly for several months with a fixed IP)? Don't get me wrong, I just want to understand what is happening here.

[mrwho]

When you give it the fixed IP, do you also configure it with valid gateway and DNS addresses?

[KenB]

IT tends to make all kinds of funky little "improvements" without ever letting us poor schmoes in on it.

One of the most common areas that they tend to futz with is security.

[jonhiker]

If they are running through their own smtp server, they might need to make sure that it allows the IP address to send through the server. It sounds like a security issue and has nothing to do with the copier.

[jmaister]

may not be related.

is the smtp in basic IP format, like 123.123.123.123?

I'd use that. Mail server change from time to time, our copy machines is the last to know.

cuz they stupid.

[George J]

When you give it the fixed IP, do you also configure it with valid gateway and DNS addresses?

IP, gateway, DNS and domain name are all correctly configured.

If they are running through their own smtp server, they might need to make sure that it allows the IP address to send through the server. It sounds like a security issue and has nothing to do with the copier.

My thoughts exactly, except that the client, their IT and my ignorant dispatcher disagree.

is the smtp in basic IP format, like 123.123.123.123?

I'd use that. Mail server change from time to time, our copy machines is the last to know.

cuz they stupid.

That's one of the first things I usually do except that this time, and I quote their IT techs 'we use cloud computing for our SMTP and they don't have a fixed IP'


Why can't they have a ordinary network, with a simple SMTP server like the rest of the known world!

[jmaister]

IP, gateway, DNS and domain name are all correctly configured.



My thoughts exactly, except that the client, their IT and my ignorant dispatcher disagree.



That's one of the first things I usually do except that this time, and I quote their IT techs 'we use cloud computing for our SMTP and they don't have a fixed IP'


Why can't they have a ordinary network, with a simple SMTP server like the rest of the known world!

cuz they smart to be stupid.

You know what, in this situation, there's nothing you can do to improve their network, the copy machine only work one way and one way only.

If I was in your place trying to troubleshoot their network, its charged hourly. Its their problem.

[Canonguy123]

Hey

Sounds like they may be using a "hosted" exchange.... These are usually denoted in Outlook settings as https://servername.com most copiers will not work with this setup. The other thing is, if it is Exchange 07, smtp relays have to setup for MFP's.