A crossover cable is not a regular internet cable, but it does look like one. To check them, hold the ends together, if the colors of the wires is in the same order, it is a Straight through network cable, if they do not, 2 colors are crossed over on the ends, it is a Crossover cable.
The implementation is typically as follows:
Crossover cables connect 2 devices directly, with no LAN to support them (Printer to PC, PC to PC)
Straight through will connect many devices together to make a network using a router or switch.
So, on your PC once connected with the Crossover to the printer, set the computers NIC to
IP=192.168.0.1, subnet to 255.255.255.0
On the printer set it to
IP=192.168.0.2, subnet to 255.255.255.0
If either requires a gateway to be set, use the IP of the other device.
2. Scan is not going to be possible with Windows 8 using SMB, possibly you could get it running via FTP, the printer is old and does not support SMB2 or 3, you don't need to understand this part, just believe it. If the machine supports scan to folder or mailbox, that may be much simpler.
3. The cable explains the inability to do this, if you need to use straight cables just grab a cheap router out of some friends junk pile and plug in the printer and the printer to it, set them both to DHCP and reboot, assuming the printer isn't broken, this will work nicely.
4. Print should be fine as long as you use RAW. In Windows 8, right-click the start menu and go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers, select Add Printer then select The Printer I want isn't listed.
Choose Add a local Printer > Create a new port > Standard TCP/IP port > Next
Enter as follows and do not have the box checked to Query
Click Next, wait for detection, if asked select the following exactly: Custom > Settings if not asked skip to after the image below.
OK > Next > Have Disk > Browse and go to the drivers location on the drive, which will be, if not exactly, C:\Xerox\X-GPD_5.433.6.0_PCL_x64_Driver.inf\ then just double click whatever single file is in there. Mine is x2UNIVL.inf
Click OK > Next > Replace the Current Driver > Next > Next > Do not share this printer > Next > Finish
Now, if you did not get prompted above to go into the port properties, do the following, fro the Devices and Printers list right-click on the Global Driver and select Printer Properties (Not Properties)
Select the Ports tab then Configure Port and get it set to exactly as shown here
5. Port 9100 confirms the above will work, but nothing else will, so print only per the above.
6. CWIS is in the firmware, the tech would wipe the device and set it to out of the box configuration, this is highly unlikely to be required, pretty sure your cable is the issue.
7. I have no idea, luckily Broadcast addresses have no use in this scenario.
Knoppix won't help do anything except break things, Xerox drives have Proprietary code. Good luck trying, but nothing you could do would resolve the issues you are seeing.
Telnet can be done on more than port 23, but since almost no ports are available due to your limited connection, and the fact you are very unlikely to be able to do anything useful at all, it isn't worth trying unless purely for educational purposes.