HP Officejet Pro 8500 Wireless A909g Loses Connectivity

[SLB]

Here we are in 2011, and same problem with the same HP response--turn off sleep mode, firmware solution still not avaiable, sending a power adaptor to see if that works. Can't believe the years and they still haven't fixed this. And yes, I loved this printer for the first 2-3 weeks. Then all the trouble started with locking up, never coming out of sleep mode; having to unplug from the back and reboot, 2-3 times per day just about. This is definitely NUTS! For all the hours TecSup and we have spent over the years, they could have replaced them all cheaper!

[dunbokin]

I am using Ubuntu 11.04 and get the same problem....so it is definately a HP problem!

[kingster1969]

Ultimately, here's the things I've got working...  My printer hasn't dropped in months (except due to power outages - it's not on my UPS circuit)...

• I did the "private menu" settings as described by TXBud here.
• I have it on wired connection to my router (I know, this isn't what you got a wireless printer for, but...  It's working.)
• I have it using a static IP address, outside of my router's regular DHCP range.
• I don't have a USB connection to the printer at all.

It's working like a champ.

[dunbokin]

Thanks, I have a touch screen on my printer and cannot seem to get the key pad to light up so that I can enter *#.

[kingster1969]

If you're printer's locked up currently, you'll have to reset it prior to entering those, I would guess.  Keep in mind that my printer is now 2 years old, so I likely have a slightly different model/version than you do (I don't have soft buttons), but it's key to note that there wasn't a thing I could do to "wake it up" when it was "sleeping" previously, beyond unplug/plug it back in.

[RevJohnLeach]

I finally found a completely foolproof way to solve the problems with my 8500!

I unplugged it from the mains, removed all cables from it, picked it up, put it in the dustbin, and bought a Canon MG5250.

Voila! Perfect printing every time.

Sometimes you just have to cut your losses, learn from your mistakes and move on.

Thanks, HP.

[kingster1969]

You've doubled the cost per print, too.  [shrug]

The 8500 is a good printer, that definitely has some issues, that I wish that they would fix.  Until then, the method that I provided above has worked flawlessly for me.  It's been up and running solidly for the past year.

[Horace1]

To All:  I have been back and forth with HP and this forum for at least 2 years.  I have had 1 of 3 problems in the past: (1) Printer locks up and has to be powered down/up, (2) Printer loses connectivity with LAN and has to be powered down/up (and sometimes re-installed on computer), and (3) Printer disappears from computer and has to be re-installed.  For a long time, every time Microsoft did an automatic software update, I would have to re-install the printer on the computer.  I am still using the printer in wireless mode, and I have a static IP address.  I download the latest HP drivers as HP notifies me they are available.  The printer seems to be a lot more stable since the last printer driver download, I can't remember the last time I had to re-install the printer on the computer, and I have not had to cycle power on the printer for a long time either.  I can't make any claims as I haven't been keeping a record of dropouts, but the problems are either getting fewer and farther between, or I am getting used to them!!

[dunbokin]

Thanks for that. I am on Ubuntu and I don't think that the Linux driver has been patched as I am still getting connectivity problems. I have tried putting the power source on a timer switch so that it turns off and on during the night...I have also turned off the power saving option....I am not confident...but will report back on whether it works or not.

[glnz]

Wow - what a forum thread !!  Same issue with my A909g - about a year ago (?) started dropping the wireless connection.  Today is the first time I started looking for answers.  My modem-router is a Westell 7500 (for Verizon DSL), which I think is pretty good.  The A909g and the router communicate using WPA2 with AES with MAC filtering, which works with my other WiFi devices to the router.  The dropped connection with the A909g is erratic.  My PC's are all WinXPProSP3, and this problem occurs (when the A909g is wireless) whether or not the PC's are wired into the router (as now) or wireless.

My A909g usualy sits two feet from the wireless router, so singal strength is not a problem.  When the printer loses the WiFi connection, the router homepage shows it X'ed out in the Wireless Network list, and when I turn the printer off then on and re-establish the connection, the router shows it as a good connection (no X).  (I access the router from the PC by going to 192.168.1.x.)

As an experiment, I am UNchecking BOTH  "In an infrastructure network use 802.11b behavior" and "In an ad hoc network use 802.11b behavior. "  Why shouldn't the printer always use g ?  (Open to your thoughts.)

The Underware fix is interesting - setting System Timeout to 0.  Haven't done it yet.  (The setting on my machine is 900.)  Does it make the printer use more power?

Thanks to all, and good luck to us!

EDIT - IT JUST WENT OFF! 

FURTHER EDIT.  Instead of 1, 2, 4 to go to Underware settings, I hit 1, 2, 3 by chance and was able to access more complete reports than normal.  Also, in *# 1, 2, 3 I was able to re-enable the wireless by Disabling then Enabling the network connection, without the machine going through a physical check that uses ink.

 __________________

Well, it's a day later and no problem so far.  Per above, I UNchecked the two 802.11b options but did NOT change the system timeout to zero in *# 1, 2, 4.  I also updated my HP software via HP Solution Center -- it downloaded only a revised version of the HP software update app hpwuschd2.exe, which I am permitting to run in the background.  I also changed the Wireless Network settings in the printer's EWS to my specific level of WiFi security - WPA2 and AES, and NOT "Automatic WPA".  Finally, as noted, in *# 1, 2, 3 I Disabled then Enabled the wireless network connection.  Also, the following services are running in the background: hpqddsvc, HPSLPSVC and hpqcsx08, but they were usually running.  Shall advise later.

__________________

Four days later and still good.  (Hope I'm not jinxing myself.)  Since I did not change System Timeout to 0, I wonder what did it.  Any thoughts?  By the way, three days ago, I also ended the other HP processes hpqddsvc, HPSLPSVC and hpqcsx08.  The only process that's been running is hpwuschd2.exe.  The HP services running in the background have been

HP CUE DeviceDiscovery Service and

HP Network Devices Support

During this time, I have used the HP A909g  for copies, scans to network folder and scans from Adobe Photoshop Elements on my PC.

__________________

Two weeks later and I've lost wireless connectivity, Had to turn the machine off and on.  Suckass, man.