Success Story: AirPrint works

[ZettW]

Hi folks, not sure if anybody realized that AirPrint is working from scratch?

Ever thought AirPrint is not working with QNAP but today I was disabused. Just for the heck I connected my HP CM3530 MFP on my SS-439 over the USB port and what can I tell is: it works fine on my iPhone and on my iPad as well ...

I am really surprised because in the past I inquired hard how to use my printer from my iOS devices even if the printer does not support AirPrint.
- documented on QNAP site? <- nil reprot!
- poke in forums? <- idle talk!
- there is an app for that? just a slogan!

The only possible solution I have found was to connect the printer to a Apple AirPort device (like AirPort Extreme or Express) -> one more power guzzler? Also synology shall be an option but not for me - now more than ever!

Did I missed the forest for the trees?
Truth be told, I never tried this before I updated to firmware 3.7.1, so please let me know if AirPrint has ever been worked prior this release?

Zett (was easy)

[schumaku]

Hello Zett,
On behalf of the community, thank you for the success story.

Truth be told, I never tried this before I updated to firmware 3.7.1, so please let me know if AirPrint has ever been worked prior this release?

Not out of the box. The Bonjour announcements required for AirPrint plus some were added recently with the change to Avahi in v3.7.x.
Regards,
-Kurt.

[.:Plasma:.]

I'm almost there too I have a TS-459 with v3.7.1, just might need a little help with an issue....

I plugged my Printer in to the NAS and as blown away by the fact it recognised the Make and Model (DELL 3000cn Colour Laser) straight away with no messing about etc. I was even more impressed when I could immediately see it on my Mac and iOS devices from the Print menu as "Plasma-NAS(AirPrint)".

Unfortunately this is where the success story for me ends, while I can print it just spits out lots of garbled pages the only English in the garble being ..

"<< /Length 5 0 R /Filter /FlatDecode >> stream"

I'm now guessing the Make and Model of my printer came from the USB device ID and doesn't actually indicate a driver was correctly loaded?
Can anyone assist with finding a driver for the above printer and a guide to installing the driver? Or tell me what I've done wrong if its something other than that.

I've found this page http://www.mit.edu/~jik/3000cn/ which mentions the 3000cn and Linux it may help someone who understands the Jargon.

Kind Regards

Plasma

[atrix415]

Your not actually getting airprint. You most likely getting airprint using your Mac (OSX) print-sharing function. It means, whenever enable and your mac is on you can see a airprinter via print-sharing. This works for windows also but when your computers is off you no longer see it. Your computer is sort of acting as a driver for your NAS.

[.:Plasma:.]

I can tell you with 100% certainty that that is not the case. The Airprint I see on the iDevices is definitely from the NAS. I can see "Plasma-NAS(AirPrint)" as the printer name and can also print to it all be it that it comes out garbled. I don't have the printer connected to anything else other than the NAS, so I know the prints are going through the NAS, I can even see the Print jobs queuing on the NAS hence Airprint is working. I read around and it sounds like I need to install full version of CUPS and Gutenprint, plus maybe a few others. I'm going to attempt this when I have the time to sit down and read up about the installation on v3.7.1.

Plasma

[schumaku]

... it sounds like I need to install full version of CUPS and Gutenprint, plus maybe a few others.

...to make your printer PS/AS compatible ... as there are no drives of any kind in the game as of today on the NAS... the mobile devices have no drivers either - figure. I agree wiht you, Plasma.

[.:Plasma:.]

I've installed Optware IPKG, and that has a couple of packages ..

Code: Select all

install   cups-dev                     1.4.6-1   Development files for CUPS   
install   cups-driver-gutenprint       5.2.6-1   CUPS driver from Gutenprint.
install   ghostscript                  8.71-2    An interpreter for the PostScript (TM) language

I was just a little weary as I've never dabbled this deep in Linux or the NAS before, and all the tutorials I found were for earlier versions than 3.7.1. I'm more than happy to have a go though as its something I want to be able to do.

I assume if I backup the current config from "System Administration\Backup - Restore Settings" should I mess it up completely I can do a restore to factory settings, restore my backup and be back to where I was without loosing any files on the hard drives?

If I'm able to get it working I'll write a tutorial, as people on here have been very helpful so it would be nice to be able to give something back.

Plasma

[.:Plasma:.]

I've had a bash at this and hit a stumbling block - can't get to the CUPS admin page, I've added some comments to the bottom of an old CUPS install post here ..

viewtopic.php?f=85&t=15686&p=279270#p279270

Plasma

[NasDonkey]

Hi guys!

Has anybody found a way to solve the problem with AirPrint when the printer doesn't print?
I see the AirPrint printer On my iPad and looking at the cue on the qnap server software the spooler fills with my printerjob. But the printer does NOTHING!
What more can i do? Let's solve this problem guys!!!

Don

[stid]

I have the same problem. I have the printer connected to my NAS. On my iPhone I can see it, but after starting a print job, the printer does not start to print. I can only see on the display of the printer, that there is a active job. After a while the display becomes black again, but no paper was printed

[schumaku]

There must be certain specifci onditions met, so the (Air)printing can be successful.

As the NAS does actually not come with printer drives - this is required to print from AirPrint devices (lack of printer drivers) to print to "any" printer.

[tbpshare]

Has anyone got a workable solution or a guide on how to make AirPrint working on NAS ? - in my case it is the Canon MP980 and TS-659 Pro+

[schumaku]

As the Canon MP980 is not a higher-end Postscript printer ... thee is no solution. Either it works straight - this requires some compatibility on the printer side - or there won't be any luck with the current firmware.