Have my computer and printer broken up forever?
March 18, 2014 8:54 AM   Subscribe

We have a PC (purchased within the last year) and an HP OfficeJet J6480 printer (a few years old). Last week we switched our wireless connection from an AT&T DSL to AT&T UVerse. We networked both the computer and the printer. (I networked the printer BOTH from the computer and on its own through the glass panel--there is no way the thing is NOT networked at this point.) I reinstalled the printer software with the latest download from the HP tech support site. We tried connecting the printer to the computer directly with a cable. We have turned the computer, printer, and router on and off until we're blue in the face. The printer has two full cartridges of ink. It says it's the default printer and that it's online. It even SAYS it's printing something when I send a document to it--and then two minutes later it says sorry, can't print. WHY are the computer and printer not communicating? Is their relationship doomed forever?

(I have gone through a great deal of online tech support questions from HP, and nothing seems to help. I am reluctant to call them directly because they will likely charge us for it, since the printer is beyond warranty, and right now we just can't afford it.)
posted by dlugoczaj to Technology (10 answers total)
 
Some ideas:

1. It even SAYS it's printing something when I send a document to it--and then two minutes later it says sorry, can't print.

Could be nothing to do with the printer or computer relationship--sounds like the print queue is hung up. Without having me take time to retype an article here, Google clearing out the print queue for your operating system.

2. I networked the printer BOTH from the computer and on its own through the glass panel--there is no way the thing is NOT networked at this point.

Maybe this actually your problem; a conflict. Is there a "reset to defaults" button in the printer settings and you can start over?

3. Uninstall the software and drivers from the PC and start over; could be a bad install. Make sure you have 64-bit drivers if you are running a 64-bit operating system. Don't plug it into the router AND USB on your computer; choose just one and you will be asked to select which one while you install the software. For a networked printer, plug it into your router before you run the install software. Make sure MAC address filtering isn't turned on in the router settings (do people still even use MAC address filtering?).
posted by TinWhistle at 9:09 AM on March 18, 2014


Is there a way to print a test page directly from the printer? If successful, that would rule out the printer itself as the problem and not the network connection.
posted by desjardins at 9:10 AM on March 18, 2014


Response by poster: The printer wouldn't print a test page that was cued up by the computer, but it did print out its connection data (URL, port, etc.) when I asked it to directly.

I have also run HP Print and Scan Doctor multiple times, which has previously cleared out print queue problems when we've had them before (for the record, I HATE this printer and have fought with it for as long as we've had it--we just can't afford a new one right now). It says that the computer and printer aren't communicating and tells me to do all the things I've already done.
posted by dlugoczaj at 9:23 AM on March 18, 2014


any tik boxes on the router UI for allowing sharing/printing etc across intranet boundaries ? (Hidden/buried in the many other options)
posted by k5.user at 9:28 AM on March 18, 2014


Response by poster: What is a UI?
posted by dlugoczaj at 9:29 AM on March 18, 2014


UI = User Interface. In the case of the router, it's usually a web-based control panel of some kind.

Speaking generally, it's anything used to facilitate a user interaction with a piece of technology; anything from a touchscreen to a toilet seat. When used re: computers, it's usually referring to anywhere where settings can be changed, whether that interface is software (the computer desktop is a UI) or hardware (the power button is a UI).
posted by Sunburnt at 9:35 AM on March 18, 2014


UI is the User Interface. Go to the webpage for the router (such as 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.0.0), log in, and follow k5's suggestions.

[Just in case, where you would type www.metafilter.com in a browser, type 192.168.0.1 instead.]
posted by TinWhistle at 9:37 AM on March 18, 2014


it did print out its connection data (URL, port, etc.) when I asked it to directly

If it's been assigned an I.P. by the router, then it's on your network. The issue resides in the how the computer is handling the drivers/software, so focus your efforts there.
posted by TinWhistle at 9:40 AM on March 18, 2014




Not sure if this is it, but I had this printer and ran into problems with the IP address being reassigned through DHCP. Basically, I would set the printer up on the network, the PC would find it at one IP address (say 192.0.0.1) and then a restart of the router or printer would result in the printer's IP changing (to say 192.0.0.2). Thus, the PC was looking for the printer at the wrong IP address. Try setting a static IP for the printer in your router settings and giving it another shot from scratch.
posted by soy_renfield at 4:05 PM on March 18, 2014 [1 favorite]


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