Why is my printer 'offline'.

[TREMAiNE]

I'm fairly competent with technology and am always able to troubleshoot my own problems.

It may be just me, but in my experience I've always found printers to be utterly st and constantly problematic.

I am using an HP OfficeJet Pro 7720, which is connected wirelessly to my home network and has been for the last couple of months whilst working from home. Nothing in my setup has changed whatsoever.

In the HP Smart application on my PC, it shows the printer status as online and ready, however whenever I try and print a document, the printer tray display on the taskbar shows the printer as offline and thus unable to print. There is no indication of what the problem is. I have turned it on and off several times, unplugged it from the wall to give it a reset. I have 'forgotten' the printer and then reinstalled it.

HP Smart still says online and ready to print but I am still unable to print. It's worked fine for 2 months.

fking printers.

Any ideas?

Edited by TREMAiNE on Thursday 21st May 11:34

[annodomini2]

Is it on fixed IP address with the Router?

[Scooobydont]

Is it seeing the printer when you readd it, ie windows list the available printers and then you are able to select it to add it again. If so, its on the network ok and the Pc is seeing it. If you open the HP app and click on printer information, does all look ok?

Edited by Scooobydont on Thursday 21st May 13:09

[hepy]

Same problem here.

Only started 3 weeks ago coincidentally after we had some broadband outages.

[Scooobydont]

I just fixed one for someone by removing the printer and readding it again but unfortunately it looks like you have tried that already. One thin I did notice is that after the printer was readded, it defaulted to one note as the printer, i had to change the default printer to the HP once readded.

[Gixer968CS]

Great tweet from Clarkson recently it just said "has anyone ever got a home printer to work?" I have a Canon Pixma. Works when it wants to, not when it doesn't

[TREMAiNE]

Problem resolved.

Tried all morning to reinstall, turn off/on, unplug, etc then magically it shows as online again, despite not doing anything different.

I swear the printer industry is just a racket to make the worst product and charge the most money.

I can't even use unbranded ink cartridges with mine, it's such a scam.

Anyway, back to work.

[RowanF]

My printer at home and at the office both say offline every day, until I run the troubleshooter at which point it detects nothing, says it's fixed the issue and they start working.

Thankfully I only print something once a week or so, otherwise that would royally pee me off!

[Hoofy]

<looks at the mess of printer cable by the printer in the corner and smiles smugly before remembering that he gets this offline thing, too>

[jimmyjimjim]

There's a reason I refuse to buy a printer that won't connect via ethernet. This thread is it. Wireless can fro.

[Scooobydont]

jimmyjimjim said:

There's a reason I refuse to buy a printer that won't connect via ethernet. This thread is it. Wireless can fro.

This is the only real answer.

[mmm-five]

Scooobydont said:

jimmyjimjim said:

There's a reason I refuse to buy a printer that won't connect via ethernet. This thread is it. Wireless can fro.

This is the only real answer.

Ditto...parallel port FTW

[droopsnoot]

My USB Epson printer sometimes does this. It reports "offline" but usually prints anyway.

[toastyhamster]

droopsnoot said:

My USB Epson printer sometimes does this. It reports "offline" but usually prints anyway.

HP Deskjet 3636. 50% works with my work laptop, 100% doesn't work from gaming desktop, 100% does work from old slow laptop, 50% works from both kids laptops. Luckily I rarely use the printer for work stuff.

Will not buy again.

[340600]

TREMAiNE said:

Problem resolved.

Tried all morning to reinstall, turn off/on, unplug, etc then magically it shows as online again, despite not doing anything different.

I swear the printer industry is just a racket to make the worst product and charge the most money.

I can't even use unbranded ink cartridges with mine, it's such a scam.

Anyway, back to work.

Windows 8 and up has a habit of automatically creating a WSD port for any printers it finds on the local network. If you can give the printer a static IP address, and change the port to said IP address in Devices & Printers, it'll most likely stop it from happening again.

[Terminator X]

I have a HP printer too and regularly have the same problem. PC off and printer off then start both up seems to sort it most times.

TX.

[parabolica]

My 3700 series has been performing admirably for the last few weeks - even from my works laptop without using the HP Print App. However getting it to connect to my new network when I moved here 6 months ago took a lot of cursing and me questioning the validity of it's mother for a good few hours. Finally got there though; going through ink about 1 cartridge every 1.5 weeks though as my work is pretty intensive right now. Had been going to amazon for ink but their prices have sky rocketed; turns out the price on hp.com is a fraction of what Amazon's is!

[Sheepshanks]

Scooobydont said:

jimmyjimjim said:

There's a reason I refuse to buy a printer that won't connect via ethernet. This thread is it. Wireless can fro.

This is the only real answer.

I’ve got an HP printer with similar numbers to the OP and it has its moments even with a wired Ethernet connection.

[IIIRestorerIII]

I've been having similar issues last few months with an Epson Ecotank. Mac and Windows laptops not being able to connect. First print job works then stops. One laptop will print, other won't.

Printer shows online with IP address in the router too.

I don't suppose you guys are using a Virgin Superhub3 are you?

[MikeGTi]

I've had this a couple of times, and found that in both cases* assigning a static IP address to the printer solved it.


/ * experiences may vary