OfficeJet 6500 Wired, but reverts back to Wireless- Why?

[BaltoBill]

I originally installed my OfficeJet6500 wirelessly to my Linksys E2000 router, and loaded the WPA password.   It worked fine for several months.    Eventually, the wireless connection proved unreliable, and after some fruitless troubleshooting, (not sure if it was interfearence, the router or the 6500)   I just ran an Ethernet cable and hooked it up wired, with a fixed IP address (1-99) below the range used by my router for DHCP (100-149).  I actually had to uninstall and re-install the 6500 software on my laptop (new website version) to get this to work, but it eventually did.  I was able to print successfully from my laptop to the 6500.  I even attached to the 6500 via the web browser using the fixed IP address.  The web browser and the network config page on the printer confirmed I was into the 6500 at the fixed IP address below 100.   I then added the 6500 as a printer to several desktops, using the "new TCP/IP port" (below 100) on the add a printer wizard.  This worked fine, I printed test pages and real pages to the 6500 from multiple PC's.  

The next day, I discovered the 6500 had dropped the fixed IP address and re-connected wirelessly to a DHCP port at 192.168.1.139.   A  printer network config report confirmed this.   Why did it do this?   My deskop PC's probably will no longer find this printer now.  Also, unlike my HP laptop which seems fine with both wire and wireless connection to the router, the 6500 can apparently only have one (why?).   How can I make the 6500 use WIRED (fixed IP address) as primary connection method and wireless only as backup if the wire fails for some reason?   I would prefer not to remove the wireless WPA key, but retain wireless as a backup.    Unfortunately, it seems to me their is no slider switch or position button on the 6500 to "disable wireless".    Worse, the "enable wireless toggle button" seems to be the same one that is used for LCD troubleshooting messages page-thru.  Not a great design.   That means I cannot seem to look at LCD status on the 6500 without enabling wireless (as near as I can figure)?

How can I make the wired ethernet cable (Fixed IP address) the primary connection method for the Officejet 6500 , and the wireless only a backup?   Thanks in advance for reading and answering my long-winded tale of woe...

[PrintDoc]

Although the presence of Ethernet should turn off the wireless radio, you can turn it off manually in Setup > Network.

Have you tried to set a static IP like this?:

- Print a Network Config Page from the front of the printer. Note the printer's IP address.
- Type that IP address into a browser to reveal the printer's internal settings.
- Choose the Networking tab, then Wired along the left side, then the IPv4 tab.
- On this screen you want to set a Manual IP. You need to set an IP address outside the range that the router automatically sets (called the DHCP range). Enter the desired IP address.
- Use 255.255.255.0 for the subnet (unless you know it is different, if so, use that)
- Leave the gateway and DNS blank.

- Click 'Apply'

Now, shut down the router and printer, start the router, wait, then start the printer.

After this you may need to redo 'Add a Printer' using the new IP address.