Color LaserJet Pro MFP M281fdw goes offline or fails to print STILL

[JasonOOOO]

Hi Again,

The help provided in this ticket enabled me to print more often:

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/LaserJet-Printing/Printer-offline-or-fails-to-print/m-p/7473383#M38818...

However the printer still fails to print more than half the time, and usually says it's offline.  It's quite frustrating, so I need more help please.

The printer is connected to my wireless network.

I just tried to follow the steps in that ticket again, but the web console looks a little different to the pictures in that ticket.  On the Networking IPv4 screen it says my IP address preferred method is Manual.  On the wireless configuration screen there isn't any spot to set the method to manual.

Sometimes the document I try to print will suddenly print out hours later.

I was just able to print a 3 page pdf document now by turning the printer off and on again, so that the file waiting in the print queue printed.  This does not always work.

[Repairatrooper]

Make sure that your printer driver is set to use a standard TCP/IP port and not a WSD port. On your PC go to control panel>devices and printers and right click the icon for your printer and select printer properties from the drop down menu. Then click the ports tab and look to see the port that has the checkmark. If the port is called WSD followed by some random numbers, click add new port, new port type and select Standard TCP/IP and then follow the steps.

[JasonOOOO]

I had a look at the printer properties, and it's a Standard TCP/IP port, and no other port is ticked.  Looking at the properties for the port, the Protocol is "Raw" and the port number is 9100.

[Repairatrooper]

Ok, the next most common issue we run into is a compatibility issue with the 5Ghz wireless built into the printers and the 5Ghz most current routers use. The printers are only compatible with BG N standards while most new routers are using the AC standard and is supposed to be backward compatible but it has been problematic. One solution that clients have used is to create a different SSID for the 2.4Ghz channel of the wireless system and lock the printer to only connect to the 2.4Ghz SSID. Yes slower, but reliable.

[JasonOOOO]

Thank you, I've tried messing with my wireless router settings - they were set to 20/40 and I have changed it to 20 to see what happens.  So far I have not had any further trouble printing, so maybe that's it!

[JasonOOOO]

It turns out I'm still hitting the same problem with the printer going offline and refusing to print.  After some searching, I believe my router model does not support 5ghz. Looking at my router settings I have 802.11 b/g/n as the mode.  Some other settings: Bandwidth 20 mhz, channel 7, guard interval short.  Would any of these have an effect?