HP Officejet Pro 8500 Wireless A909g Loses Connectivity

[TSkin]

 I've had the 7250 for 18 months and have had no issues up till amonth or so ago. Now its a nightmare.  I only get between 12-15 mins before it dropsI have trided numerous solutions posted on the forums. I appreciate the advice on reconnecting with  the wireless radio, that did work. I have monitored the frequency of drop and notice its worse when there is alot of wireless activity in the house. (Iphones and laptops connecting on and off). Anybody else know if this is involved with their issue? I would love to buy another printer to be done with this but have checked other alternatives to a wireless "All in ones" but have come with nothing else that offers the fax as well.  Any ideas?

[Horace1]

I haven't noticed that other wireless activity has affected connectivity dropout, however, automatic updates by Microsoft which result in restarts of my system have done this in the past.  One of our forum members suggested using a "fixed IP Address" for the printer, and since I performed this action, I have only had one connectivity dropout in the last 2 weeks.  If you look back in the forum messages yu can find the procedure.  You can also use the printer front panel display to get to your wireless setup and do it from there.  I set the fixed IP address very high (I think the maximum is 255).  Anyway, hope this helps.

Horacer

[wwrush]

New issue.  First, for all out there, a new firmware revision is available, and one of the improvements is supposed to relate to network connectivity.   However, I am discovering a nuance I had not realized before today.   My Windows 7 Ultimate (64 bit) always shows the HP 8500 when I open up the HP Solutions Center or Ping the IP address.  It is odd, though, that my XP machines cannot ping the printer, and the only way to print to it from an XP machine is the way I used to do with my Windows 7:   Go to the printer control panel, toggle off wireless networking, then back on.   This results in my being able to ping from an XP machine, and print to the printer.   After printing it seems the printer will stay "online" for about 15 minutes then XP's can no longer ping it.....but Win7 can......   explain that!

This time I have no answers----it's really challenging.   I had really hoped that with the new firmware this would go away.  As things stand now, as long as I toggle off and on my wireless card on the printer, I'm fine using XP machines...

any ideas to try?

[Horace1]

wwrush,

Have you added the HP programs to your Windows Firewall Exception list and your Anti-Virus Firewall Exception list?  Refer back to page 4 (we're on page 9, now) to the message I posted on 12-04-2009 @ 09:01AM.  Don't know if this will help, but it did help my XP system...

[wwrush]

Horace,

As a matter of fact, I had not, and appreciate the information.   That will be my task for this evening!   BTW, my Win7 has not dropped a single time over the past several weeks now, despite my loading the new firmware and switching from McAfee to Norton (Comcast!)....   If I can get XP connected, I should be home free.

I'll let you know...

[wwrush]

That didn't work, Horace, although I do believe it needed to be done, so thanks.  

Win7 still stays connected, but all of my XP machines do not.   From my XP's I can ping any computer or device in my network EXCEPT the HP 8500.  However, if I cycle the 8500's wireless off then back on, I can immediately connect from my XP boxes.

I have the 8500 as a static IP outside the range of my DHCP list, and followed the instructions from this by PrintDoc. (to the letter).   For now it looks as though when anyone in my house needs to print (except me), they need to go to the printer and cycle the wireless off then back on, then go back to their computer and print the job.   When it is connected, there is no problem with print quality or results.

If I hear anything futher, I'll pass it along.

[dflynn5]

I purchased a HP8500 A909g  about 3 months ago and had no issues whatsoever until I replaced my Netgear WNR854T with a Netgear 3500L.  Promlems arose immediately but I assumed it was because of changing IP with the new router.  I looked on this forum and applied the newest firmware, set a static IP, basically did everything I could find and nothing worked.  I have  Windows 7, Vista and XP and Windows 7 seemed the most stable.  I also switched between wireless and ethernet.  Nothing worked for long.

Then, on impulse, I daisy chained the WNR854T and attached the printer to the wireless WNR854T.  Since then, I have had zero disconnects.   Given the variety of routers here, I assume there is nothing wrong with my new Netgear 3500L but there definitely seems to be an incompatibility with the HP s/w and certain routers causing this disconnect.

[MagicTH]

I am very happy for you. BUT, I have an OfficeJet Pro 8000 (same printer without the scanner and fax). It WORKED for NINE (9) months then suddenly started having the exact same problems as everyone else.

Here are the interesting parts:

I don't have a Verizon router. I do have the linksys WRTU54G that fixed your problem.

I have a MAC running OS 10.6.3/10.6.4 and it has the SAME problems as all the Windows machines.

My firewall is OFF so no need to authorize any special programs or ports.

HP agreed my printer was defective and sent me a new replacement printer today.

IT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM :-(

I also have a Windows Vista laptop. It has the same problems.

My suspicion is the printer getting dropped on Group Key Renewal, but I think someone tested that already.

The weird thing is "Why did it work for 9 months?". The only possible changes are Windows/MAC OS updates.

[Horace1]

Very interesting.  You may be on to something.  I have had 2 different routers (my latest is a WRT610N), but I have had the same problem with both of my routers, but maybe they are both incompatible with the 8500 software interface.  I interfaced with Customer Support, and they finally raised the problem to an HP Case Manager.  He did nothing for me, as he said he is a Network expert and he hasn't seen any problems like this cross his desk, and if I have to recycle power on the 8500 2 or 3 times over a 2 week period, he considers that an acceptable drop out rate for a wireless Network.  I informed him about this forum (which he doesn't read), and he said the regular Customer Service personnel monitor the forum, and that if only a "handful" of people are having problems (which the forum represents) among the thousands of units sold, then the problem must be with the environment the printers are installed in.  So, unless some member of the forum comes up with a solution, it looks like we're out-of-luck.  In my opinion, the 8500 has a deficient software interface that won't work with some routers or some such related problem.  My wireless Network works with every other piece of equipment I have with no drop outs except for the 8500...

[MagicTH]

Update: I tried "fixing" the security to WPA2 and AES and moving my static IP address outside the range of assignable IPs. It failed. I logged into my Linksys and made a change to Group Timeout (basically to get the router to reset) and the printer reconnected. I don't expect it to stay. I will change my Group Timeout to something very short and test...