Printer Problems

[catman001]

I am having problems printing from my laptop, and I know that many members work in IT. Hoping someone might have a idea or fix for me.

The wife and I both have laptops, along with a wireless router and wireless printer. A couple of weeks ago I was unable to print anything. When I try to print I get a dialog box that says that the printer is offline. However if I use the wife's laptop I can print fine. How can the printer be online for her computer, but offline on mine?

We both use Windows7, her laptop is a 6 or 7 year old Dell, while my HP8560w is about the same age. The router is a Netgear, Model# WGR614, and the printer is a Canon MP560.

I tried to reload the drivers, did not fix. Turned the router off, then on again and no help. It does not matter if I try to print from Firefox, IE11, or Chrome. I do have Adblock Plus on all browsers.

My knowledge of how everything works together is limited and I am lost as how to fix this problem.

Mike

 

[Peartree]

Before the professionals check in, make absolutely sure that you are indeed connecting to the router. Can you access web pages, etc. *through* the router? Just last week our church secretary was having almost the same problem with a wired router. She sent things to the printer, but they didn't print. Later I was having the same problem from my computer. Turned out that one end of the cable connecting the router to the printer had pulled loose slightly. Obviously, if your wife is able to print to the printer via the router, then the printer connection is okay but maybe your connection is disabled in some way?

 

[catman001]

John, wireless system, no cables from router to printer.

 

[Marc_G]

John, wireless system, no cables from router to printer.

Perhaps the printer and your wife's computer are on the main wireless network, so can see each other, but your computer is on the guest wireless channel so might be isolated from the printer?

 

[Peartree]

John, wireless system, no cables from router to printer.

I got that, but just being wireless doesn’t mean that your connection isn’t screwed up in some way. We have a wireless router at home but the way she uses it, my wife’s laptop can go days at a time without actually needing a connection to it. If it was disabled for some reason, she wouldn’t notice until she tried to print. Just trying to focus on the simple things first, that’s all.


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[markkoelsch]

Ok, here goes. First thing you want to do, in my opinion, is go into the router’s DHCP settings and creat a reservation for the printer so it gets the same up address all the time.

Then re-add the printers.


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[Sooner Boomer]

Can you see your wife's laptop on the network from yours? It could be a simple network configuration problem. Open the Control Panel, then open Network and Sharing Center on each computer. The configurations should be identical, except for computer name. If the computers are on different Home Groups, change yours to match your wife's.

 

[mkadams001]

Do a google search for setting up your printer for wireless printing. You will find the guide to setup for the first time. It might be the long way around but I think that you will get there.

I know that there may be a more direct route but you may spend more time deciphering instructions from the IT guys here.

 

[mpitfield]

First thing I would do is hard-wire the wireless printer to your router and turn off the wireless radio on the printer. Wireless printers are simply a bad idea except for the convenience, as they simply add to the noise of your wireless environment.

Now having said that I looked up the specs on your router and printer so ignore what I just said, except the part about wireless printers being a bad idea.

Here are the support links for your products with help guides FAQs, manuals, drivers, firmware, etc. I would look into these resources as well as their support options.

Router: https://www.netgear.com/support/product/WGR614v6.aspx
Printer: https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/...r/mp-series/pixma-mp560?tab=drivers_downloads

I would also agree with Mark Koelsch that having a static IP or reservation is always a better idea from a reliability side, when it comes to devices like this. Technically the printer doesn't need a static IP, but this is because the printer manufacturers have adopted protocols and developed methods of making printers easy to discover on a network. All of which just adds noise on your network and in the corporate networks I manage we turn all of this crap off. It's more a consumer thing of for IT people who are lazy and or don't know any better.

 

[catman001]

Thanks for all the help everyone. Printer is up and running. What finally worked was a system restore to about a month ago. I have no idea why that worked, but it did.