BeigeJournal

I’m not sure if I can express with mere written words just how I feel about configuring Windows 2000 to use a Jetdirect networked printer. The instructions at HP’s web site where we got the drivers for the HP4550N color LaserJet simply said to use the add printer wizard. We assumed, therefore, that the wizard must be fairly easy to use. The process starts off with selecting either “local” or “networked.” Since this printer is directly connected to the network, in another room, no less, we chose “networked.” We then futilely spent much time entering IP addresses and wondering why it couldn’t communicate with the printer. I finally decided to type “jetdirect windows 2000” into Google, and the top hit was a web page from HP which started off by explaining that we needed to select “local printer” in order to install this networked printer. Yes, someone at Microsoft thought that, logically, in the install wizard, the clearest category for a printer networked using TCP/IP on the Internet would be “local” and not “networked.” Someone at HP thought that even though they have a lengthy and very clear document already on their web site explaining the completely counter-intuitive method for getting one of their Jetdirect-equipped printers, like, for example, the 4550N, to work with Windows 2000, there was no need to point people to this document on the driver download page. “Just tell them to use the wizard. I’m sure they all know that a Jetdirect printer is considered ‘local’ and not ‘networked’ by Win2k,” they thought.