HP smart shows printer as offline even though it is conencted to wifi

[lilyhazel34]

My hp printer is connected to same wifi network as my windows 11 pc, but hp smart sometimes shows that the printer is offline. Printer itself shows it is connected to wifi. Restarting printer and pc temporarily fixes the problem, but hp smart eventually shows it as offline again. I have already tried removing and adding printer again in hp smart but issue still occurs.

Can someone tell me what to do? what is the problem here?

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @lilyhazel34 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

I understand the concern. Since the printer remains connected to Wi-Fi and printing works temporarily after restarting both devices, the issue is commonly related to communication between the HP App, Windows 11, and the printer's network connection rather than the Wi-Fi connection itself.

Based on the troubleshooting already completed, please try the following:

Confirm the printer has a stable IP address:

• Print a Network Configuration Report from the printer.
• Check whether the printer's IP address changes after a restart.
• If the address changes frequently, assign a manual or reserved IP address through your router settings.

Refresh the printer connection in Windows:

• Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
• Select the printer and ensure "Let Windows manage my default printer" is turned off.
• Set the HP printer as the default printer.

Verify the printer is not set to offline:

• Open Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
• Right-click the printer and select "See what's printing."
• Select the Printer menu and ensure "Use Printer Offline" is not checked.

Update the printer connection within the HP App:

• Open HP App.
• Remove the printer from the app.
• Add it again using its network IP address if prompted.
• Make sure both the PC and printer remain connected to the same Wi-Fi band (2.4 GHz or 5 GHz) whenever possible.

Restart the Windows Print Spooler service:

• Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
• Locate Print Spooler.
• Select Restart.
• Reopen the HP App and check printer status.

Check for HP printer firmware updates:

• From the printer control panel or Embedded Web Server (printer IP address in a web browser), check for and install any available firmware updates.
• Restart the printer after the update completes.

Reinstall the printer using the HP App:

• Uninstall the current printer instance from Windows.
• Remove it from the HP App.
• Install it again through the HP App so Windows creates a fresh network connection.

The most likely causes in this scenario are:

• The printer IP address changing on the network.
• Windows losing communication with the printer port.
• Print Spooler communication interruptions.
• An outdated printer firmware or HP App installation.

To provide more targeted guidance, please share the exact HP printer model and whether the printer shows Offline only in the HP App or also under Windows Printers & Scanners.

Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye