App says "printer is not connected" or "looking for printer...", manual IP didnt work

[Erika_Asks]

HP Support advised me to assign a manual IP for the printer, which I was able to do, but this did not fix the problem, I also disabled the IPv6 setting as instructed. I also re-set up the wi-fi wizard. Nothing has been a permanent solution.

Original quetion:

my devices say "looking for printer" or "no printer found" but if i restart the router it works -- temporarily.  This happens with ALL devices using wi-fi, so its not about the wireless set up or the computer.

  This happens on all devices, all mac and PC laptops  and all iPhones in my house, so i know the problem is not with the computers. If i restart my modem/router, the printer will work for a short period of time (my computer can see it) but after a while, it disappears again.  The printer works fine, the wi-fi is fine, there are no problems that can easily be troubleshooted and again, the problem is not with the wi-fi or the computers.  Since it works when i unplug and plug back in the router, you can see that the wireless is working fine and the printer is working fine.

[Dragon-Fur]

@Erika_Asks

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@Erika_Asks wrote:

HP Support advised me to assign a manual IP for the printer, which I was able to do, but this did not fix the problem, I also disabled the IPv6 setting as instructed. I also re-set up the wi-fi wizard. Nothing has been a permanent solution.

Original quetion:

my devices say "looking for printer" or "no printer found" but if i restart the router it works -- temporarily.  This happens with ALL devices using wi-fi, so its not about the wireless set up or the computer.

  This happens on all devices, all mac and PC laptops  and all iPhones in my house, so i know the problem is not with the computers. If i restart my modem/router, the printer will work for a short period of time (my computer can see it) but after a while, it disappears again.  The printer works fine, the wi-fi is fine, there are no problems that can easily be troubleshooted and again, the problem is not with the wi-fi or the computers.  Since it works when i unplug and plug back in the router, you can see that the wireless is working fine and the printer is working fine.

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Just like every other device, routers do fail.  Routers can also be outdated by the simple fact of your network overwhelming the router's ability to provide the service required by the deluge of demands in the network.

If the router is due (needful) for a firmware update, you should find a notice to that effect when you log into the router.  Regardless, if the router is still supported (not old as dirt), you should be able to invoke (request) a firmware update somewhere in the router's menu hierarchy.

If the router is indeed "old as dirt" and / or it cannot longer provide the service you need for your many devices, consider a new router - the biggest, baddest, most robust router you can afford.  The network is the center of everything and should be treated so.

Still buckets of rats?  Upgrade your ISP service - slow, ineffective ISP service is another bane of home networks.

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[Erika_Asks]

Hi Dragon-Fur.  This is a very new router/modem supplied by my new internet provider, its a hitron and wave broadband gave it to me. It works just fine for everything else. so its def not old as dirt and doesnt seem to require any firmware update.

I was hoping to hear back from the HP Support specialists who suggested i do a range of things, which i did do. I'm at a loss. I just have to keep uplugging the modem and then plugging it back in each time i want to print.  Any other ideas?

[Dragon-Fur]

@Erika_Asks

Well, for those of us who have answered, I would expect you have been given duplicate advice by now.  Such is the way.  Printers are simple devices - there is not much onboard intelligence as compared to a computer, for example.  The number of things that can go wrong with the communication setup are limited.

One more try - If the suggestion is already another duplicate, just ignore it.  Smiling.

If the only time the router balks, fails, or otherwise shows distress is when the printer is connected (or trying to connect),

without further information, the problem device does sound like the printer and the underlying cause may be located in the printer.

The HP ENVY 7640 e-All-in-One Printer model was introduced in mid-2014

What to do?

A few Ideas...

Power Outlet

The outlet (power source) for the router or the printer might not be providing clean, steady, power to the device.  "Bumpy" power can cause odd issues, including a disconnect.

Printer

If you want an "easy way" possible solution, replace the printer.

If the old printer is causing the problem, a new printer will resolve the issue.

The printer is four, almost five, years old.  Long service time for a consumer grade printer.

Router

First make sure that every device on the network is actually using a separate IP address.  The type of failure you describe could simply be a fight over an IP address.  You need to check this on the router, of course - most routers have a "network map" or a "connected device list".

Once you have a list of what each device is supposed to be doing, print the list, export the list to a file - take a snip and save the image to the computer - have the list available for later, in other words.

Check the list against the IP address on each device.  Any device that is rotating IP addresses might be running into another device.  Not supposed to happen, of course.

Devices

If you love your printer, if you do not at the moment have the budget to replace the printer with a model that you like better, if you live in the mountains or the wilds of snow country and having a printer delivered would require two strong men and a mule, if you believe the problem could be elsewhere:

Device a method to test the network and the other devices on the network.

Rotating Device Check - Combination Router/Device

Leave the printer connected.

Restart the router.

Have a mental list (backed up by your actual list) of what is on the network when the router fails...

When the router fails,

Disable one device, shut down one device that is ordinarily on the network.  Leave the device shut off.  For example, one goog place to start is any TV or game device.

Restart the router.

When the router fails,

Disable another device.

Restart the router.

When the router fails,

Disable another device.

Repeat.

The weak point in this experiment is the obvious, the issue might be interplay between two devices and not the router and the device.  The router could still be the failure point, however, because the router must direct the network.  You could end up with a tangle of starting, disabling, restarting, disabling...

Could be something else, of course; this list is not complete.  The intent is to give you more ideas of where to look and what to try.

Good Luck.

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We are a world community of HP enthusiasts dedicated to supporting HP technology.

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