HP laserjet 4350 network dont/ wont work. i'm loosing my mind, please read

[tonerjockey]

Hi Guys. i'm going nuts more than i am

I picked up this laser jet 4350 with the network formatter.

i tested it and i couldn't get it to print with the network cable. i thought maybe the formatter is cooked. ordered another one but still no printing with the patch cable. USB is fine.


i tried testing it with a windows 7 computer, a windows 10, reloaded the printer driver, tried to update the firmware with the easy firmware upgrade utility. and i got the big yellow happy face, but the config still shows the old date code. I tried it a second time, same thing.

now, when i tested the new formatter before i left it on for 5 minutes, then off for 5, it did give me the downgraded 4250 config page, with the embedded jetdirect network page.
but when i do it correctly, its back to a 4350, but with only one config page. never the jetdirect page.

nothing gives me an IP address to use for the manual add a network printer option.


i have done several cold resets, even tried to do the "initialize NVRAM", but when i follow HP's instructions, turn on, when the ram count begins, hold down the continue key till the 3 lights are on. then press the up arrow, then the menu button. nothing changes at that point.



after all these years, i think when i changed a laserjet 4250 or 4350 formatter, i just swapped it out, connected the cable back up, waited a few minutes for a IP address to show on the config page. then i either manually cloned it to their old address, or added another printer port.


could i be just chasing my tail over a second possible bad formater???


if anyone has any input or help, i would be so thankful. sorry for the rambling.


have a great evening, Jim.

[Lance15]

When you used the easy firmware updater, did the printer acknowledge it was Receiving Upgrade?

You can't use a class driver to update the firmware using the easy method. Use the UPD PCL6 driver.


Is the embedded jetdirect enabled?

[tonerjockey]

Hi Lance15, the firmware said that it was sending to the printer, and gave a progress bar. i looked a few minutes later and it had the smiley face, which as i understand it, that means it was successful.


after i posted, i did more research on the web, and came across pages that looked like copytechnet, but it was printertechs.com.
i don't know if i had used them before. but there was a thread from 2011 that techs had the same issue and they found that there are were formatters that were embedded jetdirect, but lost the NIC I/O ability.
they also said that if you were to plug a network formatter into a non "N" printer, the dc controller would overwrite the I/O and it would be lost.

other times, they found that for what ever reason, a formatter may loose the feature, or by using vendors that were sending faulty boards.


there was debate on that thread that by doing certain things, it would refresh the nic, but basically the one tech said that if the formatter is good, you just have to plug it in. there is no settings or firmware that needs to be setup. that the enable, of the card was automatic by default.

and they said if the embedded went bad, just use the slid in card.


this morning, i plugged in a jetdirect card N620 that i had, and it printed out the second config page.
but i still wasn't able to print. I noticed the jetdirect card was set to a manual setting. i did a cold reset, rebooted, got a new IP address on second page config.


i then loaded that IP on "add a printer" and it worked.


so, long story short, i guess i was chasing two bad formatters.

i don't know if the first one was bad from the ebay printer i bought for another customer? then tested that formatter in a customers non network laser jet 4250.
then i tried to test it, and it wouldn't print.

then ordered another ebay formatter and that was either bad, or there is some issue with the dc controller??. but the serial number and machine sticker shows it is a Q5407A which is a 4350N.



that's what i get not using my regular vendors.

i suppose i will try the firmware using the USB as you advised.

so, i will cross my fingers again. have a great day, and thank you for your help, Jim



PS, that printer, i thought i found a good deal on eBay. page count 72070. my customer wanted a envelope printer.
i bought it. put new feed rollers in it. tested and looked at the tray 2 feed sol. worked fine. dropped it off on Friday, Monday they call, "please come and take it away, its jammed and wont work" now the solenoid was staying open. not so much from the foam, but a magnetism?

i took it away, and shelved it for 2 months. then had a customer with a 4250 and their IT said its dead, wont print. i went there feeling lucky with the formater and at first it upgraded theirs to a 4350, then back and wouldn't print with the network. i took the formatter and shelved it for a few weeks.


now another customer may be able to use it. i tested it and no print.


and that's how this thing has been going. if i have any more issues, i should scrap it don't you think? ha ha. crazy darn thing.

[Phil B.]

Hi Lance15, the firmware said that it was sending to the printer, and gave a progress bar. i looked a few minutes later and it had the smiley face, which as i understand it, that means it was successful.
after i posted, i did more research on the web, and came across pages that looked like copytechnet, but it was printertechs.com.
i don't know if i had used them before. but there was a thread from 2011 that techs had the same issue and they found that there are were formatters that were embedded jetdirect, but lost the NIC I/O ability.
they also said that if you were to plug a network formatter into a non "N" printer, the dc controller would overwrite the I/O and it would be lost.
other times, they found that for what ever reason, a formatter may loose the feature, or by using vendors that were sending faulty boards.
There was debate on that thread that by doing certain things, it would refresh the nic, but basically the one tech said that if the formatter is good, you just have to plug it in. there is no settings or firmware that needs to be setup. that the enable, of the card was automatic by default.

and they said if the embedded went bad, just use the slid in card.
this morning, i plugged in a jetdirect card N620 that i had, and it printed out the second config page.
but i still wasn't able to print. I noticed the jetdirect card was set to a manual setting. i did a cold reset, rebooted, got a new IP address on second page config.
i then loaded that IP on "add a printer" and it worked.
so, long story short, i guess i was chasing two bad formatters.
i don't know if the first one was bad from the ebay printer i bought for another customer? then tested that formatter in a customers non network laser jet 4250.
then i tried to test it, and it wouldn't print. then ordered another ebay formatter and that was either bad, or there is some issue with the dc controller??. but the serial number and machine sticker shows it is a Q5407A which is a 4350N.
that's what i get not using my regular vendors.
i suppose i will try the firmware using the USB as you advised.
so, i will cross my fingers again. have a great day, and thank you for your help, Jim

PS, that printer, i thought i found a good deal on eBay. page count 72070. my customer wanted a envelope printer.
i bought it. put new feed rollers in it. tested and looked at the tray 2 feed sol. worked fine. dropped it off on Friday, Monday they call, "please come and take it away, its jammed and wont work" now the solenoid was staying open. not so much from the foam, but a magnetism?

i took it away, and shelved it for 2 months. then had a customer with a 4250 and their IT said its dead, wont print. i went there feeling lucky with the formater and at first it upgraded theirs to a 4350, then back and wouldn't print with the network. i took the formatter and shelved it for a few weeks.
now another customer may be able to use it. i tested it and no print.
and that's how this thing has been going. if i have any more issues, i should scrap it don't you think? ha ha. crazy darn thing.

on that solenoid did you clean the 'foam' off and replace with Elec Tape? also clean the glue off the plate.. mag on the solenoid isn't an issue in most cases .. just glue residue messing things up.

[tonerjockey]

Hi Phil, i do these all the time.

as for the tray 2 sol. on these, i carry them and just replace them at a customer so i not only don't get a call back, i also make money on the part.


when i don't have a particular solenoid, i sometimes use tape. others a folded piece of paper and a drop of super glue and push it in.


on this problem child machine, oh you can bet i put a new one in and kicked myself in the arse for not doing it first.


its always worse when you know better.
jim

[Phil B.]

Hi Phil, i do these all the time.

as for the tray 2 sol. on these, i carry them and just replace them at a customer so i not only don't get a call back, i also make money on the part.

when i don't have a particular solenoid, i sometimes use tape. others a folded piece of paper and a drop of super glue and push it in.


on this problem child machine, oh you can bet i put a new one in and kicked myself in the arse for not doing it first.
its always worse when you know better.
jim

Jim,
not questioning your abilities..
yeah I had hundreds of these between EPA - Motorola and NCIHS... they were workhorses (not like the 4000-41xx) but still better than the crap HP is tossing out there.

[tonerjockey]

i didn't mean it to sound rude.

yes, these are so old, and the newest lines from HP are so flimsy. just amazing how many years. i like that the P4515 series fixed the fuser drive unit. that was the only weak link i found.
and those are quite old now.the lasers i feel are going the direction of the ink jet. "no user repairable parts inside"... AKA (no cost effective repairable parts inside)

[joebloggs]

they also said that if you were to plug a network formatter into a non "N" printer, the dc controller would overwrite the I/O and it would be lost.

This is what I was thinking, I've done the same put a formatter with a built in nic into a non network version and It didn't work

what is the exact model number under the top lid ?

why don't you just put the original formatter back in and put a 620n nic in the EIO slot and hopefully everything will still work ok

[Lance15]

the firmware said that it was sending to the printer, and gave a progress bar. i looked a few minutes later and it had the smiley face, which as i understand it, that means it was successful.

Afraid not. You MUST use a true PCL6 driver like the Universal Print Driver from HP. If you use the built-in Windows driver, it is what's called a Class Driver. My understanding is this is Microsoft POOR attempt at making a generic printer driver. They are fine to print with (mostly), but, you CANNOT use the Easy Firmware Updater.

[tonerjockey]

i did reinstall the embedded formatter and then inserted the N620 into that. that allowed it to print.

i tried to say that earlier, but guess i didn't.


and i did have the HP printer driver from hp.com, so not sure why it didn't accept the firmware. i will try it the old way when i have time. but now that its printing, maybe be better to not borrow trouble from tomorrow.


i do also seem to have issues connecting my laptops to a network printer and not sure what that is.

one is a windows 7, the other windows 10.

if i connect the printer to the router, and desktop computers, i get a printout with an IP address. with the laptop, just zero's. 0.0.0.0.

any advice why i have issues with the laptop?

i found a post about needing to turn off sharing or something in network and security, but never found a fix.

thank you guys, Jim