I can’t blame the customer here. Ya, that’s the USB in the Ethernet port.

  • Zatore@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    8 hours ago

    In my years of IT, I saw a few customers do this. I always put the printers on WiFi so they could move the printer to wherever they wanted it.

    • MonkderVierte@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      16
      ·
      edit-2
      1 day ago

      And if they do have USB printing, the firmware might still get in the way. Don’t buy HP printers if you just want to print and be done.

    • adarza
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      58
      ·
      1 day ago

      trying to force the app, force the networking… get the printer online and sending data back, trick an account signup too… because, hey. user data nom nom nom.

      and of course, also trick you into enabling automatic firmware updates–the first of which will be waiting for you and ramps-up blocking of third-party consumables.

      • Treczoks@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        23 hours ago

        When I put the old HP printer on the network, I put it into a “Restricted Internet Access” group on the router. Indended for limiting the kids’ internet access times, but you can set it to locked perpetually.

          • Treczoks@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            5
            ·
            22 hours ago

            This worked fine for a number of years until it started wasting ink like mad (had to deep-clean it after 3-4 pages with color images (not full-sized images, just some graphics on the page).

    • gazby@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      14
      ·
      1 day ago

      Can confirm, sister in law had one of these and it took me an embarrassingly long time to figure it out.

            • IceFoxX@lemm.ee
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              edit-2
              24 hours ago

              It looks to me as if an ESP-01S WLAN WiFi module is installed under the plastic cover (under the stickers) and as if it is the back of a 3D printer. Then you could remove it and the host device would no longer have WiFi. If the host at least does not check whether it is present etc. when booting/starting and otherwise refuses the service