Connect Samsung ML-1630W to wireless router

(Note – technical entry.  Skip unless you are trying to configure your Samsung ML-1630W to a wireless router)

I. Hate. Printers.

I bought brand new ink cartridges (of every color) for my Epson Stylus Photo RX-510 last week. I needed to print out a document that only needed black ink, but the stupid printer refused to work unless all the color ink cartridges had ink in them.  What a scam.  So I hauled myself to Sim Lim and bought 90 SGD worth of ink cartridges.

Today I fired up the printer because I needed to print 2 pages of a document.  In black.  IT DIDN’T WORK.  I spent hours troubleshooting it and finally gave up.  It was dead.  Time to get a new printer.

Have you ever gone to Sim Lim while suffering from a cold?  It’s not enjoyable at all. Trudging from store to store, asking about prices, trying to bargain, batting away all the flyers people are shoving at you… bah!

I bought the Samsung ML-1630W on the recommendation of a friend.  It’s a monochrome laser printer.

Reviews of it on Amazon indicate that people have trouble setting it up on the network.  I did as well. I resorted to calling Samsung technical support who, while extremely friendly, were horribly wrong in their assessment.  They told me the printer was broken and that I should return it to the store.

So I rolled up my sleeves and figured out how to do it myself.

My network configuration – wireless router with WPA-Personal security, some laptops connected wirelessly and a desktop connected via wire.

To get the Samsung ML-1630W to connect wirelessly and configure the network key, you have to do the following:

1. Connect the crossover (looks like an ethernet / RJ-45 cable) cable from the printer to a computer
2. Disable your Firewall (Yes, it’s insecure, but you have to do it).  Disable the firewall for all network configs (i.e. home, work, public)
3. From the CD that comes with the printer, go to the Application folder, SetIP folder, and run Setup
4. Run SetIP – you should see something like “SEC0015xxxxx” listed under printer name
5. Select it and click “Manual Setting” (3rd button from the left)
6. Enter the Mac address that is already displayed for the printer when SetIP first launched
7. Enter an IP Address that is in the valid range of your wireless network (i.e. if your network assigns IPs from 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.50, enter something like 192.168.1.25)
8. Enter Subnet Mask and Default Gateway (you can get these by going to the Windows command prompt and typing in IPCONFIG – then look for the associated IP addresses)
9. Hit Apply – this will force the printer to always have these IP settings – you need to do this cause the printer is too stupid to work with the Dynamic IPs assigned by the router’s DHCP server… even though it’s supposed to!!!
10. Disconnect the crossover cable from the printer
11. Connect the printer to your router using an ethernet cable
12. Launch the web browser from your computer
13. Go to http://IPAddressOfPrinter (if you assigned it 192.168.1.25 you would go to http://192.168.1.25)
14. Web page for the printer should load
15. Click on “Network Settings” on the top tab
16. Click on “Wireless” on the left menu
17. Select “Custom” from Wireless Settings and click next
18. By “Search List” click the dropdown and find your wireless network
19. Go to the bottom and insert your network key
20. Click Apply
21. Unplug the ethernet cable from your printer – it should then connect wirelessly to the router
22. Pump your fist in the air and yell, “Take that Samsung!  Screw your technical support! I am a computer god!”  And then realize you spent hours fussing over this and feel hateful towards all big companies and their inability to provide adequate technical support.
23. Leave a comment on this entry if it worked for you. :)

 

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