Getting IP address for 2nd hand HP LaserJet 6MP?

Question

We don’t have the user manual, because the printer is 2nd hand and did not come with one. I had read that the IP address might be on the back, but there are no IP-like numbers there.
We are trying to get this printer running with an old clamshell iBook (OS 9.2) and an Asante bridge. Some posts in other threads say the Asante won’t work with this, but if we can get an IP address for the printer then perhaps we can be sure.
I have read threads about running this printer, which is extolled as a workhorse, with 10.6 and we might try that next but it means buying another piece of equipment & maybe a new cable. We’ve already bought a used Apple Laserwriter 16/600 that turned out not to function (printed a test sheet fine then always reported a paper jam though there was none). And we bought the Asante bridge.
All this in aid of occasional use for artistic purposes, using the printer to fuse (commercial) colored lettering onto regular black lettering printed onto gold-leafed paper. We did this for many years with our Apple Laserwriter that we raised from a pup, until it just finally wore out. Other modern printers either don’t get hot enough or aren’t forgiving enough to accept paper with gold leaf.
I felt I had to mention this because so many of the other threads had replies like “Get a new printer, they’re faster and sweller“ etc. but there is not a one that will last for 15 years of regular use as our Apple Laserwriters did, and as many peoples’ old HP 6MPs seem to be doing. We threw away a Kodak printer, cheap thing clacked and vibrated like a rube goldberg machine.
Anyway, suggestions on finding IP address for this printer?

Answer 1

Cynthia Cheney wrote:
Thank you, Greg. I tried the reconfiguration you suggested. In the Appletalk control panel I turned Appletalk off, then in that same panel chose “Connect via:” Ethernet. It then says below “no zones available” . When I try to print I get an error message, “Laserwwriter 8 cannot be used because of an internal error, -43” (I remember error #43!) Laserwriter 8 requires Appletalk, and I turned it off but it shows as active in the Chhoser when Laserwriter 8 is selected. When I went back to the Appletalk control panel Appletalk had been reactivated, though the pulldown menu still showed “Connect via:” Ethernet and “no zones available” . Appletalk address reads Node 128 and Network 65280, which either I chose many years ago or it was automatically chosen. After checking all this, still got the same error message when trying to print.
You must have AppleTalk turned on to print to that printer _from a Mac running OS 9.2_. You must have AppleTalk turned off to print from a Mac running OS X 10.6.5.
We’re only using the clamshell iBook because we thought it would work without buying additional equipment; we got the Asante box to go with the old Apple Laserwriter purchased previously (had mechanical problems). My husband would use the HP Printer perhaps twice a month, for a few copies of fairly short text each time onto goldleafed paper, so the iBook would be adequate.
If the printer has an Ethernet port, either built in or using a DirectJet card, you should be able to print to it without the Asante Talk device. You can print to it from OS X using IPP. You can print to it from OS 9 using AppleTalk.
I had read that 10.6 ended Apple support for certain old printers, but recent reading of threads has shown me that’s not so in this case. The old HP JetDirect things are on eBay but there’s quite a variety.
Yes. And not all of them work with OS X 10.6 (or Windows 7). That would be why some of them are on eBay: the owners can't get them to work anymore and are making them someone else's problem.
One there now, is: HP JetDirect 200M LIO Internal Print Server (J6039B) Feature
Serves Ethernet and Fast Ethernet 802.3, 10BaseT and 10/100 BaseTX network types
Supports any LIO-based printer
[http://cgi.ebay.com/HP-JetDirect-200M-Print-server-/250742520371?pt=LHDefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a616b3a33#ht_485wt1158]
Anyone know if this would work with the HP LaserJet 6MP and my husband’s iMac running 10.6?
I'd look at HP's site.