Wifi printer won't print

[jimtherev]

Been puzzling for quite a bit on this one.

HP Laserjet Pro M277DW. Had it a couple of years; software installed perfectly, including the scanner, print from email and so on.

Until recently er and me were able to print via wifi, then suddenly, from Mrs Jim’s lair “It’s not printing. Says ‘printer not found’.”
<Sigh> “What have you done?”
“Nothing. Does yours work?”
“Well, it did an hour ago. Wait… Er, no”

Investigation followed. Printer still seen on network. Diags on the printer tells me that the ip corresponds to its address at the router. Tried everything I could think of, still no response from either machine or either of my laptops – one on Windows, one on Linux.
<renewed sigh>

Well, there’s a workround, fortunately. I still had the USB connection I used to set up the printer, so plugged that back in and now I could print from my machine, and Mrs Jim now can print via wifi, my machine and USB. Except she now has to ask every time “Is your computer on?”

Any thoughts?
Irritated of Kilburn.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/LaserJet- ... -p/6219144

https://support.hp.com/ca-en/document/c05085441

[OFSO]

Have same model printer in Spain. It's cabled as never got the WiFi to work. Various devices see it on WiFi but nothing happened so turned WiFi off. Similar problems with Canon in London.

[Pontius Navigator]

My laptop can initiate a self-test command. My Kindle can print, but my laptop can't.

When I have a couple of days free - like when the MiL visits - I will try again. Come to think of it, she's here now.

[Capetonian]

I've always found WiFi printers to work sporadically. Sometimes I send something, it doesn't work, I go to the computer which is cabled to the printer to do the job, and then the next day the original document prints out.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

I have an HP Envy 5540 - the wifi always works!
First printer I've had where this is true. It is currently in a dark corner on a different floor from the modem, surrounded by boxes with metal stuff in, so I am impressed.
It has USB or ethernet too, but I even did the initiation via wifi, so have never used these.

[jimtherev]

Fox3 Thanks very much for the links. Me brain now 'urts!
Seriously, I will dig out the manual for the router and check that I can limit its ip addresses; if so I'll give the 'static address' solution a try. Sounds a bit far-fetched to me, but, hey, I haven't read anything about networks for it must be 15 years at least.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Me neither, and I used to do networking before one required certificates to do it.
I remember trying these sort of fixes on a previous printer a couple of years back, and they worked, but your mileage may vary.
Best of luck!

[Rwy in Sight]

I had a similar problem once due to a router change. I reinstalled the printer and it worked out great.

[jimtherev]

I had a similar problem once due to a router change. I reinstalled the printer and it worked out great.

Ah, now that I have tried. No change.

[Rwy in Sight]

jimtherev ,

I am not sure if it feasible but getting a youngster to take a look at the issue might help. I have tried mainly the sons of some friends and pretty often the results are great.

[Capetonian]

The problem with getting youngsters to do it is that they're so damn smart that they will set it up so that you can print and simultaneously translate from Norwegian to Russian from your second cousin's smartphone while he's on a flight from Bangkok to Tokyo, but God help you if you try to print in English from your own laptop at home.

[Woody]

The problem with getting youngsters to do it is that they're so damn smart that they will set it up so that you can print and simultaneously translate from Norwegian to Russian from your second cousin's smartphone while he's on a flight from Bangkok to Tokyo, but God help you if you try to print in English from your own laptop at home.

I got round that one by buying JuniorWoody his own printer, he can do what he likes to that one and leaves mine alone

[Geordie_Expat]

Download HP Print and Scan Doctor. It has helped me on a couple of occasions.

[jimtherev]

Thanks to all for your suggestions. I re-visited last night... got fed up with something wot got broke, and I may have found the solution. Obviously some update or other of the router, since both printers were affected simultaneously. Turns out that the HP was seeing two routers with the same ssid. Uh? Then the penny dropped. Back into the printer setup page, switched off connection to ipv6, and suddenly it re-appeared on my devices. It seems that, seeing two routers, it didn't know what to connect to, so hid itself from both.

Or something.

I'll mess about with the Canon inkjet (also currently invisible) and see if the same trick works there.
When I feel strong enough.

[OFSO]

Removing all the associated junk from the start menu that HP puts on your machine and it fires up in half the time. And all print services work normally.