Is it possible for Epson printers with USB connections to work with Mac Studio?

I've read several posts with the same problem with Sonoma & USB printers, but I think you need a new driver or reinstall, though as you already have, perhaps Reset the printing system on your Mac to solve a problem...

Reset the printing system on your Mac to solve a problem - Apple Support

Add a USB printer

For most USB printers, all you have to do is update your software and then connect the printer to your Mac. If necessary, install the latest printing software that came with the printer or from the manufacturer’s website.

1. On your Mac, update your printer software: Check with your printer’s manufacturer to see if any updates are available for your printer model.
2. Prepare your printer: Use the instructions that came with your printer to unpack the printer, install ink or toner, and add paper. Turn on the printer and make sure it’s not displaying any errors.
3. Connect your printer: Connect the USB cable to your Mac. If you see a message prompting you to download new software, make sure to download and install it.
4. Important: If your Mac has a single USB-C port, use a multiport adapter. Connect the printer, then connect a USB-C cable to a power supply to prolong the battery life of your Mac. See Use USB-C cables with Mac.

Add a printer to your printer list so you can use it on Mac - Apple Support

Yes, I saw that. That generally doesn't work well. Connect the printer to the router and let that device assign it an IP address. Then make a direct IP connection from the Mac to the Epson using the IP address assigned to it by the router.

SKY DRIVER wrote:

That is a good idea. I tried it yesterday and the eero router did not recognize the printer. If it had, I was going to try Epson Connect, even though Epson says the 9880 is not listed as an approved printer for Epson Connect. I use eero mesh routers and had their tech guy on the line. He definitely said it was not connecting. Sure wish it had. Thanks.

If you should give up on USB…

As for Wi-Fi, none of the local devices care (or even “know”) whether Wi-Fi is running as routers, access points, or mesh.

The manual for that printer is from 2007, and has a wonderful formatting error in the table of contents, and a dearth of tech specs, and a dearth of network configuration information. What is present looks to be host-based, not something on a control panel somewhere.

The manual does list USB 1.1 and USB 2.0, and lists 10 MbE and 100 MbE “Fast” Ethernet, but the printer tech specs are completely devoid of any details of supported printing and networking protocols.

Ah, found it. There’s a second manual for networking.

Go to page 14 in the networking manual, and first try setting it to Get an IP address (DHCP, AUTO, etc). If using DHCP fails to get an IP address, you can assign it an IP address from the same IP subnet network the eero is using, but from outside whatever DHCP pool the eero is using. But if DHCP isn’t working, there’s probably something wrong with the printer and its networking, the cable, or the eero wired port.

Your eero will need to allow mDNS / Bonjour networking, too. Most Wi-Fi do, but I’m unfamiliar with the particular defaults for that vendor.

From what I can tell, eero is a mesh extension system. I don't know if that will work.

I was referring to the router you use for your Internet service. Such as a DSL line, Comcast/Xfinity or similar.

Edit: MrHoffman's post wasn't there while I was typing. See if his steps will work with the eero.

There are multiple advantages to an Ethernet setup. One, the printer doesn't need to be next to the Mac (there's kind of a limit to how long of a USB cable you can use). And more importantly, anyone on your network can see and use the printer.

BDAqua wrote:

I think the Mac Ethernet is Gigabit or faster only, seems the Router & Printer would both also need to be Gigabit.

Correct, and a good point.

Connecting via a 10/100/1000 MbE network switch should work, and (as I’m assuming here) this connection is presumably via a port on some other network-related device such as on an eero box or on the ISP gateway / firewall / NAT box.

Switches that can go 2.5 GbE or 5 GbE or 10 GbE are becoming more widely available, but are still somewhat rare in home networks. Apple gear only recently got faster than GbE with Macs too, of which Studio is one example.

Whether you wanted to know or not, you’re here headed for learning more about networking.

And unfortunately, this whole environment ismostly about Epson and eero network configurations and cabling, including the Cat 6 used with the printer, and not with macOS. This given Epson no longer supports this printer, and given the lack of Wi-Fi and AirPrint support in the printer. (The lack of AirPrint is not unexpected, given the age of this printer.)

So what happens when the printer is connected to a port on the ISP box?

The eero apparently has two operating modes it can be configured into, too. One is when there’s no ISP box providing NAT and firewall (the ISP box is “bridged”), and another where there is an external box providing those services. eero prefer to have the ISP box in its bridged mode; not involved in firewall and NAT. How is your network set up? With the eero being the gateway / router / firewall / NAT role and the ISP box bridged, or with the ISP box providing that gateway / router / firewall / NAT role?

Yeah, lots of jargon here, unfortunately. This is all far easier with local physical or maybe remote network access, and with some better knowledge of the various devices involved.

Yeah; the question is how that Spectrum box is configured then (whether router or bridge), and then how the eero is configured.

I particularly don’t know if the eero does transparent Ethernet bridging in any or all of its modes, and if it’ll work with a Fast Ethernet connection. If the Ethernet ports are transparently bridged and typical gigabit Ethernet, it should work. If both Spectrum and eero are running as routers (which is also ill-advised), it might not.

The network is working fine now, and you’re back to troubleshooting the printer itself.

I’d look first for a reset, using a three second hold on the reset button, and cycling the printer power.

I’d then see about a firmware update, described on page 44 here:

https://files.support.epson.com/pdf/pro7880/pro7880pg.pdf

There’s firmware from 2023 listed here:

https://epson.com/Support/Printers/Professional-Imaging-Printers/Epson-Stylus-Pro-Series/Epson-Stylus-Pro-9880/s/SPT_C11C699001?review-filter=macOS+14.x

How to get that loaded, I’ve not checked.

If that reset and firmware update and all fails to resolve this, I’d next try the initialize settings mentioned here:

https://files.support.epson.com/pdf/pro7880/pro7880pg.pdf

That factory re-initialization might necessitate re-entering the network settings, assuming it doesn’t revert to DHCP.

But you’re now digging around in the printer itself.

Those types of large format printers work much better with an Ethernet connection. Connect the printer to any open LAN port on the router your Mac is connected to and use it that way.