Florin Iucha wrote: > > Hello, > > More than a year ago I purchased a used HP Laserjet 5MP with a low > page count (15k). I connected it to my Debian server, configured it > in Cups and all was well. It wasn't a speed daemon, but it printed > a page every other minute if it wasn't too loaded. I have upgraded > the memory to the max (24MB) and that speed it up a bit. > > Lately, the printer slowed down drastically, the new rhythm is one > page every 15-20 minutes! These are PDFs, with some small graphics, > nothing out of the ordinary. > > I moved the printer from my Debian server to my Ubuntu workstation. I > then moved it to a Windows laptop. It is all the same. > > When I spool something, it starts blinking the data port and it just > sits there. Maybe when the moons align just so, it spits out a page. > > Has anybody seen this problem? Does anybody know how to fix it? > Should I just take it to the curb and let the trash truck run it over? > > Thanks, > florin I bought my 5MP new about 12 years ago and it's been rock solid. However I did later upgrade the memory to 22MB and added a duplexer. When I installed the extra memory, it sped up. For printing text (compile listings, et al) via enscript, it now clicks along nicely with no pauses at about 10-12 pages a minute in two-up, duplex mode (2 "pages" a side, double sided), so I can't complain. However, it's never been a speed demon with respect to gifs, pdfs, etc. I suspect this is because most of the fonts being used need to be downloaded on the fly along with the actual output. I've never noticed any change in output rate when I changed from the old LPR to the newer CUPS. Given how old some of these printers are getting, I'd suggest re-seating the printer's network card and all of the memory sims. I'd also suggest plugging it back into your network using a new network cable and a different slot on your router/hub. If you're using the printer directly connected instead of on a network, try a different printer cable (or better yet, if it has a network card, use that instead). If that doesn't fix the problem, then using the buttons on the top, get into the "TEST MENU" (via the "Menu" button) and from there (via the "Item" button) into: "PRINT SELF TEST" "PRINT LJ5 DEMO" "PRINT PS CONFIG" "PRINT LJ5M DEMO" "CONT SELF TEST" For each of the 5 (or possibly 4 if you don't have postscript installed, but with a "5MP" model, you should) submenues, hit "Select" to run the test/print the outcome. Once you hit "Select", it shouldn't take more than 5 seconds to get the printer started on printing the output. Once you get the output from these self tests, pay special attention to the "Self Test / Configuration" and "Menu Map" output. If you've added memory (and you have), you'll might need to adjust how it's used in the MEM CONFIG MENU (but read the manual carefully before moving away from "AUTO" settings here). In the "Menu Map" output (from the SELF TEST) you probably want: Menu Map -> MEM CONFIG MENU: I/O BUFFER = AUTO RESRCSAVE = AUTO -> PARALLEL MENU: HIGH SPEED = YES ADV FNCTNS = ON -> SERIAL MENU: PACING = DTR/DSR BAUD RATE = 9600 (yeah... 9600, sheesh!) DTR POLARITY = HI -> POSTSCRIPT MENU: PTR PS ERRS = OFF JAM RECOVER = OFF I can scan and email the "Self Test / Configuration" and "Menu Map" output I get if you're still having problems (or can't find/don't have the manual). 56160 pages and counting'idly, -S