older Brother printer issue

[space-time]

is there a way to reset the settings in the printer? maybe the printer is in some form of energy saving mode and it wakes up when you plug the USB cable.

EDIT: are you using CUPS or Airprint?

https://support.brother.com/g/b/faqend.aspx?c=us&lang=en&prod=fax5750e_us&faqid=faq00002646_002

[raz]

Have you tried a different cable?

[wurm]

space-time wrote:
is there a way to reset the settings in the printer? maybe the printer is in some form of energy saving mode and it wakes up when you plug the USB cable.

EDIT: are you using CUPS or Airprint?

https://support.brother.com/g/b/faqend.aspx?c=us&lang=en&prod=fax5750e_us&faqid=faq00002646_002

System Prefs shows the printer as CUPS, so that's right according to Brother. I've just been though all the menu setting on the printer and they all seem right. When the printer is on (I rarely turn it off) the LCD display shows the date and time by default and is always on display, so it's not in any kind of sleep mode.

If it's a bad usb cable, wouldn't it always be bad? Why would unplugging "fix" the cable? Anyway, I was all set to try that as a last resort when I realized all my longer usb cables are in use. Time to start hunting around.

[wurm]

BTW, the manual says to connect with a usb cable no longer than 6 feet. It's currently connected by a cable about twice that length, and that's connected to a usb extension to a hub. I realize it's not recommended, but could that really be the issue? It's been hooked up that way for years and only in the past six months or so has been giving me this problem. Maybe I've just been lucky? Or maybe that usb cable has finally given up the ghost.

[btfc]

Are you running more USB devices than you used to?

[GGD]

If not the cables, maybe that hub is dying. I'd move the printer closer and do a test with a different 6' or less cable directly connected, and if that works, slowly try each part of your original connection to see what causes the problem to appear.

6' cable alone.
6' cable with extension
6' cable without extension, connected to hub.
6' cable with extension to hub.

12' cable alone.
12' cable with extension
12' cable without extension, connected to hub.
12' cable with extension to hub.

[wurm]

No more usb devices on that hub than there have been for a few years. It's a 4-port powered hub and I just tried switching to a couple of different ports on the hub to no avail.

So I figured I'd start with the simplest test troubleshooting first. I unplugged the end of the usb extension from the hub and went right into the Mac Mini. Son of a gun. That did it. So the rest of this time has been spent looking to see what other usb stuff I could plug into the hub to keep that Mac Mini port open for the printer.

My external monitor is a Dell with built in usb ports and that acts as a usb hub. So I've hooked up my dvd player/burner and my Time Machine drive to that monitor. And instead of plugging the Dell (hub) into the Mini, I've plugged that into the port on the other powered hub that the printer had been on. Thankfully, they both work fine on the Dell hub, so I'm a happy camper for the time being. Now let's see how long it all lasts.

Thanks for all the advice.

[macphanatic]

Note that the hubs in some dell monitors go to sleep when the monitor sleeps. Had this issue with my last dell monitor.

[wurm]

Not an issue. I turn that monitor on only when I'm working actively on it or watching a dvd. When it's on, Time Machine runs.

[NewtonMP2100]

.....you are a good younger Brother.....