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Where is the printer installer/"Netgear USB control center utility" for Mac?
Where is the printer installer for Mac? The R6400 User Manual (page 100) says that netgear.com/readyshare has a link for "Download Mac installer and get started"
There's no such link that I can find. The "Download PC installer" link on that page leads to a .exe file which a Mac can't understand. The Downloads menu for the R6400 has nothing that looks like a Mac installer, just the Genie for Mac (which I already have.)
The Genie app leads to the same place.
To add to the confusion, several Netgear pages mention a "USB control center utility" which doesn't show up in any searches.
I'm trying to connect a Brother MFC-7860DW that worked with the Linksys Wifi router I'm replacing with the R6400. Printer recognizes the R6400 network.
The printer is already hard-connected to the R6400 LAN port and recognizes the Wifi network.
This statement is a bit confusing. Your printer should only use either Ethernet or Wi-Fi to connect to the network, preferably Ethernet. Not both. Double check the settings on the printer and make sure it's set to use Ethernet.
The problem is that the Mac isn't wirelessly transmitting printing instructions to the R6400, and none of the USB printing software that Netgear says to use is where Netgear tells me to find it.
You don't need to Netgear's USB printing software. It's only used whenever the printer is connected to the router's USB port. It's not needed when the printer is connected to either Ethernet or Wi-Fi.
Have you tried "adding" the printer in your Mac's Printers & Scanners preferences? I have a Brother printer and all I have to do is enter the printer's IP address. For reliability, it helps to set up a DHCP reservation on the router so that the printer has a stable IP address.
Eureka! Thank you for you patience with someone who is barely tech-literate.
When I connected the printer to the router with Ethernet (instead of USB-2, as instructed by Netgear), and re-re-added the printer in the Mac (which I had also done yesterday), it worked.
I have no idea why Netgear insists on connecting the printer to the USB-2 port, which is even labeled "Printer", but at this point I don't really care.
Re: Where is the printer installer/"Netgear USB control center utility" for Mac?
I'm not sure if there is a version for the Mac. But why bother? Your printer has an Ethernet interface, so connect it to one of the R6400's LAN ports. The Netgear's USB printing software is really limited.
Re: Where is the printer installer/"Netgear USB control center utility" for Mac?
@TheEther wrote: I'm not sure if there is a version for the Mac. But why bother? Your printer has an Ethernet interface, so connect it to one of the R6400's LAN ports. The Netgear's USB printing software is really limited.
Thanks, TheEther, but that's not the issue. The printer is already hard-connected to the R6400 LAN port and recognizes the Wifi network. The problem is that the Mac isn't wirelessly transmitting printing instructions to the R6400, and none of the USB printing software that Netgear says to use is where Netgear tells me to find it.
Re: Where is the printer installer/"Netgear USB control center utility" for Mac?
razaun wrote:
The printer is already hard-connected to the R6400 LAN port and recognizes the Wifi network.
This statement is a bit confusing. Your printer should only use either Ethernet or Wi-Fi to connect to the network, preferably Ethernet. Not both. Double check the settings on the printer and make sure it's set to use Ethernet.
The problem is that the Mac isn't wirelessly transmitting printing instructions to the R6400, and none of the USB printing software that Netgear says to use is where Netgear tells me to find it.
You don't need to Netgear's USB printing software. It's only used whenever the printer is connected to the router's USB port. It's not needed when the printer is connected to either Ethernet or Wi-Fi.
Have you tried "adding" the printer in your Mac's Printers & Scanners preferences? I have a Brother printer and all I have to do is enter the printer's IP address. For reliability, it helps to set up a DHCP reservation on the router so that the printer has a stable IP address.
The printer is already hard-connected to the R6400 LAN port and recognizes the Wifi network.
This statement is a bit confusing. Your printer should only use either Ethernet or Wi-Fi to connect to the network, preferably Ethernet. Not both. Double check the settings on the printer and make sure it's set to use Ethernet.
The problem is that the Mac isn't wirelessly transmitting printing instructions to the R6400, and none of the USB printing software that Netgear says to use is where Netgear tells me to find it.
You don't need to Netgear's USB printing software. It's only used whenever the printer is connected to the router's USB port. It's not needed when the printer is connected to either Ethernet or Wi-Fi.
Have you tried "adding" the printer in your Mac's Printers & Scanners preferences? I have a Brother printer and all I have to do is enter the printer's IP address. For reliability, it helps to set up a DHCP reservation on the router so that the printer has a stable IP address.
Eureka! Thank you for you patience with someone who is barely tech-literate.
When I connected the printer to the router with Ethernet (instead of USB-2, as instructed by Netgear), and re-re-added the printer in the Mac (which I had also done yesterday), it worked.
I have no idea why Netgear insists on connecting the printer to the USB-2 port, which is even labeled "Printer", but at this point I don't really care.
