Color LaserJet Pro 3201dw - Network/Communications Issues

[DJLipp]

I have a new Color LaserJet Pro 3201dw that is giving all sorts of problems for 2 of my end users. 

Setup:

- Printer is on the same network as users and is using a wi-fi connection.

- Using the universal HP driver (HP Universal Printing PCL 6 (v6.6.5))

- Static IP

- Firmware is up to date

- Both users are on updated Win11 PCs

Issues Discovered:

1. Printer display goes dark and unresponsive to button input. Shows as offline on the PC side. Gets fixed by rebooting the printer

2. Printer will go offline and must be restarted for it to be seen again by the PCs. Why is it going offline in the first place? I was able to find a sleep setting within the printer and it's been disabled but still I have issues.

3. Printer goes into an error state, according to the PC side. Again, a reboot of the printer seems to fix this issue, but it happens very frequently, at least once a day. No error code or message actually shows on the printer or on the PC.

Solutions:

So far, every issue has been resolved with a restart of the printer. However, this happens too frequently to be a solution I can stand. I need to find out why this is a daily occurrence for my users.

I am motioning now to try putting the printer on our AD and distributing it that way, but it's not getting my hopes up as it's just something for me to try. 

All answers welcome.

Thanks!

[zoey7886]

@DJLipp, Welcome to the HP Support Community!  

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding Color LaserJet Pro 3201dw - Network/Communications Issues! 

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.  

I understand how frustrating it is for both you and your users to deal with a printer that keeps going offline and needs frequent reboots. Let’s get to the root of it.

You’ve already done a great job updating the firmware, assigning a static IP, and disabling sleep — all the right steps. Based on your description, it does sound like a network communication issue, possibly caused by unstable Wi-Fi connectivity or power-saving behavior that isn’t fully overridden by the sleep setting.

Here are a few things you can try next:

Switch to Ethernet (if possible): Wi-Fi can be flaky with some enterprise environments. A wired connection often stabilizes communication issues.

Disable IPv6 on the printer (via the Embedded Web Server) — this has resolved similar issues for other users.

Printer Power Settings: Even though sleep is off, make sure “Auto-Off” and “Energy Save Mode” are also disabled.

Check Router Logs: See if the printer is getting kicked off the network or re-authenticating too frequently.

HP Smart App or HP Print and Scan Doctor: Try a deeper diagnostic pass — these tools sometimes catch things drivers miss.

Adding it to AD may help with discoverability, but it won’t resolve the underlying dropouts unless the connection itself stabilizes.

Let us know how it goes — we’re here to help you get this sorted!  

Hope this helps! 

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

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Regards,