Officejet 4650 keeps appearing offline

[Femmelotje]

I have a recurring problem with my officejet 4650. 
Everytime I try to print something, windows tells me it's offline. When I check the printer, it always notifies me that it has a stable connection with my wifi. It's IP adress hasn't changed since I got it. 
I have tried re-installing the drivers, I have used the HP print & Scan doctor, but nothing seems to work. And weirdly enough, every once in a while, the printer randomly starts printing documents I have tried to print weeks before, without me doing anything about it. 

[sabretooth04 · Accepted solution]

These settings are for setting up your wireless or wired printers to:

* Stay connected to your router
* Fix printer ‘offline’ status
* Wake from sleep mode
* Speed up wireless printing

While DHCP is convenient, devices such as printers (wired and wireless) should always be assigned a static (fixed) IP address manually to avoid conflicts on your wireless network and MUST be outside the DHCP address range of the router. This is because printers are the only external devices that do not have the ability to automatically interrupt the router for a new DHCP address once the least time expires.  

After setting the static IP, the computer(s) must be updated under Printer Properties/Ports to show a Standard TCP/IP port with the printers’ new static IP address.

1. Set a static IP in the printer outside the DHCP range of the router (check your manual).  This Static IP is important as DHCP IP addresses will change upon different power up sequences of your devices.  You always want your printer to come up with the same IP address all the time.  See how to do this here:

http://www.watchingthenet.com/linksys-tip-assign-static-ip-address-to-printer-while-using-dhcp-on-yo...

This is for Linksys routers but can be used for all routers. Verify your DHCP range and change this first if needed.  After setting the static IP, the computer(s) must be updated under Printer Properties/Ports to show a Standard TCP/IP port with the printers IP address.  

To see why this problem exists and how to fix it, watch this video here for Windows.   Scroll down for MAC information.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEqvUKxWmq4

How to set a Standard TCP/IP port.  This is important.

a.    Click Start/Devices and Printers.  Right click on your HP Printer.  Select Printer Properties.  Select the Ports tab at the top.
b.    Select Add Port.  Select Standard TCP/IP Port.  Select New Port.
c.    Follow the Add Port Wizard.  Under Printer Name or IP Address, input the Static IP address you just set from the above information.  Example:  192.168.1.15.  The IP address will be copied under Port Name.  This is OK to leave this alone or you can put in your Printer Model.
d.    Select Next and Finish the Wizard.

If you create a TCP/IP port without a static IP above, you may lose your TCP/IP connection and have the same issue. This is because your network has powered up differently giving you a different DHCP address to the printer that does not match the TCP/IP address above.  This could occur at anytime just like the video shows.

For MAC PCs perform the above Static IP setting in the router and then watch here on how to perform your IP setting for MAC computers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5tNFjEBDOw

By performing the above, the printers Embedded Web Server (EWS) will now work all the time by going to your Printers Static IP address in your browser.  

2. Verify in the printer that 'Auto Off/Sleep/Energy Saving Mode' is disabled and/or the System Mode Time Out is set to zero (0) if your printer supports this.  Use the Embedded Web Server (EWS) by going to the printers IP address in your browsers address bar, click Settings Tab/Auto Off, or use the Printer Assistant, Printer Home Page (EWS). Also check your Printer Properties. This feature is automatically disabled when the printer is connected to a computer or mobile device, a network, or a fax line (if supported).  You also may not find this setting.

3. If the printer supports and has IPv6 enabled, disable IPv6 in the printer.

4. Make sure printer is plugged directly into a wall outlet and not into a UPS, power strip or surge protector. This may cause the printer to intermittently drop offline and disconnect.

5.  Make sure your printer and router are at least 5 feet apart from each other.

Additional steps to be taken if you continue to have the problem (if they are posted)…

[momentum79]

This is nuts for the average user.  You're telling me that I have to go and research all this stuff and figure out how to do all this techy stuff.  I don't have time for that. 

[sandytechy20]

@momentum79

Welcome to HP support community.

Use HP Print and Scan Doctor to check connectivity

Download HP Print and Scan Doctor.

1. Run HPPSdr.exe from the download location on your computer.

2. Once HP Print and Scan Doctor opens, click Start, and then select your printer.

   • If your printer in not in the list, turn it off and on, and then click Retry.

   • If there is a connection problem, follow the instructions in HP Print and Scan Doctor.

3. If a screen prompts you to turn on printer updates, click Yes.

4. If a screen prompts you to make your printer the default printer, click Yes.

5. Try to print.

Let me know how it goes.

To thank me for my efforts to help you, please mark my post as an accepted solution so that it benefits several others.

Cheers.

[OneofManyErics]

Even though I am probably not an average user because i fix these things all the time, I felt the same way - the instructions seemed overly complicated to switch to a static IP.  I really don't see why a static IP would be necessary - especially if it never changes but I though, ok, let's go with that as a possible solution.

Rather than following these directions, I went to the 4650 screen and pressed the icon for wireless connection. then the icon for settings, then scollled down to advanced settings. and selected that. then selected IP Settings and changed it to Manual.

I had already looked at my wireless router to pick an IP address out of the DHCP range but the printer gave me the option to have it pick an IP address that it felt would be appropriate. So I let it pick the IP address and it picked one outside of the DHCP range so it could be that you don't even need to know this - just let it pick its own static IP.

It then had a new static IP and reconnected to my wireless network.

My computer still showed it as offline. so I simply went to Settings in Windows10 and Added a printer and it searched the network, found the printer and added it. (as a side note, I then removed the old one which seemed to remove the one I just added as well so I added it again but that's a different problem, I guess)

I don't know if what fixed this was changing to the static IP or re-adding the printer but at least it is working again.

Hope that helps. It was certainly more simple than the steps above.