HP printer losing direct ink connection during print job

[CJjmb]

My HP Officejet Pro 8720 (with HP instant ink subscription) stopped printing c 2 months ago.  Printer is still technically operational e.g. the photocopying function is still working perfectly.   However if I try to print, the print job stalls after printing the first inch or so (of an A4 page).  The printer then tries to restart and complete the job but once again stalls and spits out another incomplete A4 page.  This print-stall cycle continues ad nauseum producing multiple copies of pages with only a few inches of same A4 page (each of which I am being charged for to add insult to injury!).  I have been in touch with HP support multiple times without resolution.  It seems that source of the problem relates to a firmware update that happened in late May/early June.  The impact has been that the printer loses its connection with the HP instant ink service during the course of the ink job and this causes the print job to be interrupted (because a live internet connection is required if you are using HP instant ink).  I did (very briefly) get the printer working again for a short period  after I did a full  factory reset.  However as soon as "automatic update" forced a firmware update, the problem reoccurred.  I cannot turn automatic updates off as this is a requirement of the instant ink service.  

[CJjmb]

By the way my WiFi router is located right beside my printer and is connected through very fast high speed broadband (and nothing about my network set-up has changed in the recent past).  I have a standard high speed broadband connection with a our nations' largest  Internet Service Provider. I have multiple devices connected to this ISP with zero problems.  

[CJjmb]

One of the solutions proposed by HP support was that I needed to connect to my Internet Service Provider and give them a list of the instructions below (see text below in italics).  I have zero confidence that even if I were to somehow manage to get someone to execute this ridiculous list that it would achieve a solution.  This is based on an earlier suggestion from HP support that problem was my printer wifi connection and that I needed to contact my ISP and ask them to switch my printer from 5 GHz channel to the required 2.4 GHz channel.   I was able to  respond that my printer was indeed connected on 2.4 Hz so this was not the issue.

INSTRUCTIONS FROM HP support

We refer you to call your internet service provider and tell them the following:

 -Change the channel of your 2.4ghz into 6 or 11

(If it set to 6 change it to 11, if it set to 11 change it to 6)

 -Disable WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)

 -Update firmware of the router

- Multi-casting (Multicast Filtering) needs to be on or enabled (Allows Bonjour Connectivity) 

 -Allow Wireless Ports, these can also be blocked in security software: 

-Incoming (UDP) ports : 137, 138, 161, 427 

-Outgoing (TCP) ports : 137, 139, 427, 9100, 9220, 9500 

 Recommended that the network name and password DO NOT contain and spaces/punctuation or special characters 

 Encryption should be WPA-TKIP or WPA2-TKIP/AES

 Make the password 10 digit alphanumeric

1. Dual broadcasting enabled (for wireless b/g and n networks) 
2. Media Access Control (MAC) filtering must be disabled 
3. The built in Firewall should be at the default or lower settings 
4. Turn DMZ on from the router then add the static IP Address of the printer  

[Alden4]

Hi @CJjmb,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

Given your detailed description and the steps already taken, it seems the issue is indeed related to the recent firmware update and its interaction with the HP Instant Ink service. Here are some steps you can try to resolve this issue.

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting

Update Router Settings

Since our support team suggested some router configuration changes, it's worth verifying these settings.

Change the 2.4GHz channel:

• Access your router settings via a web browser (typically by entering 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 in the address bar).
• Look for Wireless settings and change the 2.4GHz channel to either 6 or 11.

Disable WPS:

• In the router settings, find the WPS configuration and disable it.

Enable Multicast Filtering:

• Ensure that Multicast Filtering or Bonjour is enabled.

Open Required Ports:

• Check the firewall settings and ensure the following ports are open:
  • Incoming (UDP): 137, 138, 161, 427
  • Outgoing (TCP): 137, 139, 427, 9100, 9220, 9500

Network Name and Password:

• Ensure your Wi-Fi SSID and password do not contain spaces, punctuation, or special characters.

Encryption:

• Use WPA2-TKIP/AES encryption for your Wi-Fi network.

Disable MAC Filtering:

• Ensure MAC Filtering is disabled.

Enable Dual Broadcasting:

• Ensure the router is broadcasting on both b/g and n networks.

Firewall Settings:

• Set the firewall to default or lower settings.

Enable DMZ for Printer's IP:

• Assign a static IP to your printer and enable DMZ for this IP.

[Alden4]

Printer Firmware and Software

• Check for Printer Firmware Updates:
  • Sometimes HP releases patches for known issues. Check if there's a newer firmware update that addresses the problem.
• Disable Automatic Updates Temporarily:
  • Although it’s required for the Instant Ink service, disabling automatic updates temporarily to stabilize the printer might be a solution until HP releases a fix.

Network Stability

Static IP Address for Printer:

• Assign a static IP address to your printer to ensure it doesn’t change and cause connectivity issues.

Wi-Fi Signal Strength:

• Even though your router is nearby, check for any potential interference (e.g., other electronic devices) that might affect the Wi-Fi signal.

By following these steps, you should be able to narrow down the issue further or at least stabilize your printer until a permanent fix is available.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Alden4

HP Support 

[CJjmb]

Thank you for the response Alden.

The most straightforward fix for me would be to revert to an earlier version of firmware.  And as s I mentioned in an earlier post, I was able to get my printer working again after I  did a factory reset.  However the problem reoccurred soon afterwards because I was unable to stop automatic updates happening.  The option to stop "automatic updates" is greyed out on my printer.  I believe this relates to my subscription to the HP ink service.  Is there anyway I can override this setting so that I can stop automatic updates happening? 

[Alden4]

Hi @CJjmb,

Thank you for your response, 

To prevent automatic firmware updates on your HP printer, especially when the option is greyed out due to an HP Instant Ink subscription, you can try the following steps.

Disable Internet Access:

• Disconnect your printer from the internet. This will prevent it from receiving firmware updates. You can do this by turning off Wi-Fi on the printer or unplugging the Ethernet cable if it’s wired.

Modify Router Settings:

• Block the printer’s access to HP’s firmware update servers via your router settings. This involves accessing your router's settings and creating rules to block specific URLs or IP addresses associated with HP's update servers.

Cancel or Modify HP Instant Ink Subscription:

• If feasible, consider canceling or modifying your HP Instant Ink subscription. Without the subscription, the option to disable automatic updates might become available.

Manual Firmware Downgrade:

• If the above methods are not suitable, you may try manually downgrading the firmware by downloading an older version from HP’s support site (if available) and installing it via USB. 

Here's a general guide on how to downgrade the firmware:

Download Older Firmware:

• Visit the HP Customer Support - Software and Driver Downloads page.
• Enter your printer model and search for firmware updates.
• Download the older firmware version (if available).

Install the Firmware via USB:

• Extract the downloaded firmware file.
• Connect your printer to your computer via USB.
• Run the firmware update tool and follow the on-screen instructions to install the older firmware.

Factory Reset:

• If you haven’t already, perform a factory reset on your printer to restore default settings. This might temporarily disable automatic updates until the printer reconnects to the internet.

By implementing these methods, you can prevent automatic updates from interfering with your printer’s performance.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Alden4

HP Support 

[CJjmb]

Hi Alden & thank you for your reply.

I had asked you if it is possible to prevent automatic updates so that I can revert to an earlier version of the printer firmware.  Your solution is to stop my printer connecting to the internet.  However if I do that, I will no longer be able to print as my printer will not operate without a live internet connection as this is a requirement of the HP direct ink service.

I seems that when I signed up to the direct ink service, HP disabled my ability to control my own printer settings (a printer which I purchased independent of any direct ink subscription).  This was not clear to me at the time and it is very frustrating that HP's latest firmware update has now prevented me from being able to use my printer for nearly 2 months (while also charging me for the many aborted print jobs).  In the interests of balance I should note that I had no issues with the direct ink service for many years prior to this latest firmware update.  

[Alden4]

Hi @CJjmb,

Thank you for your response, 

I'm sending a private message to assist you with the next action.

Please check your Private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Community profile Next, to your profile Name, you should see a little blue envelope, please click on it or simply click on this link.

I hope this helps! Keep me posted.

Alden4

HP Support 

[CJjmb]

Alden - Thank you for your PM recommending that I reach out to HP phone support for further assistance.  However I have already made extensive use of the phone support channel and the one-on-one remote assistance over the past 6 weeks.  Unfortunately the HP representatives I spoke to were unable to fix the issue. 

I must now accept that HP are not able to resolve this issue - an issue which arose following a forced HP firmware update.  I have therefore cancelled my HP direct ink subscription and purchased a new non-HP printer.  In 40+ years I have always purchased HP printers so I regret that this decision has been forced upon me.  However I also regret all the time I have lost and the fact that an otherwise perfectly functioning printer is now obsolete . I do not feel good about this in view of the priority we should be attaching to extending the lifetime of our devices within a circular economy.