Computer will not stay connected with printer via wireless network

[MCGB4]

We recently purchased an HP Photosmart 5510 and after initial setup it was working great! It connected easily to the wireless router and I was able to print directly from my computer (running Windows XP) via the wireless network.

Now, sometimes I get the message "This document failed to print" with the HP message "Unable to communicate with printer." My husband is still able to print from his computer, so it is an issue with my computer, not the printer (which is on and ready, and still connected to the network). I went to the HP help page and downloaded the HP Print Diagnostic Utility, which immediately showed my printer as it is supposed to, but then told me that my computer is not connected to a wireless network. Clearly it is, as I am on the internet posting this message. I seem to have this problem after my computer has been hibernating, and it goes away after restarting. However, I'd like to not have to restart my computer every time I want to print. Any help with this issue?

[TreeFrog]

You can try this:

Open a command prompt (DOS window)

type "net stop spooler"

then type "net start spooler"

Those commands will stop and start the print spooler.  I suspect that going into hibernation is confusing the spooler and the printer is getting put 'off-line'.

Treefrog

[MCGB4]

Unfortunately, that didn't fix the problem. I was hopeful! Any other suggestions anyone has? It is really a pain to have to email my print jobs or restart, instead of just clicking "print."

[TreeFrog]

Can you check the IP address on the printer to see if it is changing?  The print driver will update the address it looks for, but sometimes that update only occures on reboot.

IP can be read on the printers display.  Use the printer's wireless button on the printers menu  or the menu ICON to see the IP address.  Sometimes the router will give the printer a different IP without notice.

If the IP is changing we may need to give the printer a permenant IP address.

[redrobin74]

I have spent 17 hours online with Geek Squad and EVERYTHING has been tried!  Wish I never bought this thing!  The only thing I have found is to shut EVERYTHING DOWN and restart.  Then you may get a couple pages before it acts up again.

[MCGB4]

The IP address does not seem to be changing that I can tell. We turned the printer off and back on, and it stayed the same. Checked again the next day and still the same. How often would it change?

Another thing I haven't mentioned before is that the printer stays connected just fine to my husband's computer (He has Windows 7). So I definitely think it's something specific about how my computer connects.

[TreeFrog]

We might want to try changing the print driver port settings to force it to always use the same IP address.

This will have the side affect of losing athe connection to the printer if the printer's IP address changes.

Follow the flow below (not all screens may be listed - I don't have XP handy - but this should be close)

- start/Control Panel/Printers

- Right click on your printer and select printer properties

- Click on the ports tab

- Add Port/Standard TCP/IP Port - New Port

- It is easiest to use the IP address for the printer name and Port name

- Apply and close the properties page

Try the printer

Hope this helps.

[lwalls26]

I am having the EXACT same problems as MCGB4.  I am also having trouble getting my XP based computer to print.  The printer keeps going offline.  If I restart the computer, it then prints.  I tried the suggestion of setting a new TCP/IP port, but that didn't work.  I re-started my computer and was able to print one document and then it went offline again!  My computer with Windows 7 is not having any issues.  I can print just fine with it.  Is there anything else that can be tried?

[Dinube]

Every time I try and connect by wireless, it prints a wireless test reoprt and then shuts down.

I can't seem to print from a computer it says no connection??

Need somw help

Thanks

Dan Page

[Fulgan]

I am having exactly the same issue with an HP 4620 printer. After one or two pages, nothing works any more until I restart both the printer and the computer. I can still reach the printer through the web interface but none of the HP drivers and tool manage to find the printer. I have performed a firmware update without any improvement to the situation and verified that the drivers are the most recent available. I have also changed the printer IP to use a static IP and then chnaged the port to direct TCP connection: this doesn't solve the issue. I'm starting to think there is something fundamentally wrong with the whole HP wireless printer setup and I would advise others to seek a solution from another vendor.