Is there a chance that adding a printer to a computer on your network will disconnected this computer from the LAN, if there already is another printer of the same or a similar model connected to another computer on the network?
Example 1:
Added a new computer to a wireless network a few weeks ago, everything was working fine, the new computer went online just fine, until I added the Lexmark printer to it. Then, everything was still working fine, only this computer couldn't connect to the network anymore. Another computer on the network had a Compaq-branded, Lexmark-made printer installed, from the same series.
Example 2
This here computer I'm using is connected to a "classic" LAN: router-->hub-->computers.
I installed an old HP 700 series printer on this computer after my cool Canon 6000 threw a 7. The instant the printer was recognized, installed and setup, up pops a box telling me "You now have the IP address 192.168.something or other, and the subnet mask 255.255.0.0". Now that won't do me any good, 10.0.0.***, sn mask 255.255.255.0 was working just fine, and that's the way I had set it up anyway.
Try as I might, as long as the HP 700 was connected to my copmputer, I couldn't get online. Punchline: another computer on the LAN has a HP 800. As soon as I disconnected the HP 700, everything was fine.
I never heard of such a thing, but twice in row, under almost exactly the same circumstances sounds a bit suspicious. Then again, I never "studied" computer science, I just make a living of it ;)