Thick Ethernet/Sun networking problems - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

1 Nov 2001

...
  OK Pete (and everybody else, of course), I admit that
was a *long* break
 since I brought that up last time - but now I think I have collected enough
 information for a new chapter...So, where did we get stuck? 
[..much liberal snippage, no further notices issued..]

...
  The printer manual tells that test printing is invoked
by a long press on
 the key PRINT FONTS/TEST after switching the printer OFF LINE. Out comes a page
...
  which does tell absolutely nothing about network
settings. It must however
 also be possible to print out these settings because in the paperwork, we
 found a page which reads as follows:

 IP address:  111.1.0.1
 Telnet password security: OFF 
Ok, likely this won't work for Calcomp, but HP stuff uses a default 
IP address of 192.0.0.192 for their network interfaces. Try setting
up a separate computer and give it an address on the 192.0.0.0 network.
Then try pinging it...

If that doesn't work, this next idea will take some time and preparation.
Get a Windows 2000 or Windows XP machine. They allow you to change the
machine's network address on the fly (can Linux do this?) using the NetShell
(NETSH.EXE) facility. The syntax is:

netsh interface ip set address "Local Area Connection" static <my_ip>
<my_mask> <my def_gw>

Write a BASIC program that writes out a batch file. Have it iterate
through the possible range of network addresses, sending a broadcast
ping for each network. Have the output from ping redirected to a file
using the append mode ('>>'). Search through the file until you find
the network address to which the printer responded. Then make a small
change to the BASIC program to iterate through all the node addresses
on that network until you find the IP address of the printer. Set up
the Windows box to be on that network, TELNET to the printer, change
the IP address back to 111.1.0.1 and you should be all set.

hth,
-doug quebbeman