How to make that damned new ethernet port disappear again ?

Gloops1 · ‎03-27-2025

Hello everybody,

An MFP 138a printer discovers itself an Ethernet port after five years, where it has never had before.

The connection via network is refused during the USB connection, as "the printer is connected to an Ethernet port", so says Print and Scan Doctor.

Where can I discover that brand new Ethernet port, to disconnect it so that the printer can do its job further ?

***

Further information

This problem appeared on Windows 10.

As it was requested by Print and Scan Doctor I unplugged the printer from the power during one minute, and during that time I restarted the router.

A few minutes sooner, a Windows update had restarted the machine.

I then installed the printer to print through the bbox on a Windows 11 machine.

I obtained the same error message from Print and Scan Doctor, with the same pictures.

The printer spooler service runs, as I was somewhere advised to verify.

***

Oh, I must say that there is a progress. When I opened the thread, the printer was in status "inactive".

Now, it is in status "default".

The next step could be that the two test pages I printed go to the printer.

The Windows problem solving assistant says that there is a problem with this printer, and that Windows will take other measures to solve it.

Does this mean that I have to wait for the next Windows updates ?

Max3Aj · ‎03-30-2025

@Gloops1, Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.
It sounds like your HP Laser MFP 138a printer is incorrectly being detected as having an Ethernet connection, which is preventing USB printing from working. This is unusual, as the MFP 138a does not have an Ethernet port.

Possible Causes & Solutions:

Check Windows Printer Port Settings

Windows may have mistakenly assigned an Ethernet port to your printer.

Open Control Panel → Devices and Printers.
Right-click your HP Laser MFP 138a and select Printer Properties.
Go to the Ports tab.
Check if the printer is assigned to an Ethernet or WSD (Web Services Device) port.
If it is, select the correct USB port (e.g., USB001, USB002).
Click Apply and OK.

Remove and Reinstall the Printer

Unplug the USB cable from the printer.
Go to Control Panel → Devices and Printers.
Remove the printer by right-clicking and selecting Remove device.
Restart your PC.
Download and install the latest driver from HP website.
Reconnect the printer via USB and set it up again.

Disable WSD in Printer Properties

In Printer Properties, under the Ports tab, disable any WSD (Web Services for Devices) port if present.
Ensure the printer is using a USB port instead.

Restart Print Spooler

Press Win + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter.
Scroll down to Print Spooler, right-click, and select Restart.

Check Network and Windows Update Interference

Since this issue appeared after a Windows Update, try:

Disconnecting the printer from your router (if connected via Wi-Fi or USB-sharing).
Rolling back the last update via Settings → Update & Security → View update history.
Pausing Windows Updates temporarily to see if the issue persists.

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!

Max3Aj

HP Support

Gloops1 · ‎03-31-2025

Hello @Max3Aj, thank you for your answer.

I have to explicit something, first. When connected to the USB port of the computer, the printer works properly. For this I have to select the "HP Laser MFP 131 133 135-138" printer queue.

For use when several users want to print to the same printer, each with his own computer, there is a possibility that has well worked during about five years: the printer has to be connected to the USB port of the router, and the "HP_lnc HP_L sur http://gestionbbox.lan:631" printer queue has to be used. This is what does not work any more.

And this happened while there was only one user on the site, so I am unable to tell you how much time has elapsed since then. This makes me careful about rolling back the updates, as there were many updates recently.

So, let us see the control panel.

As I see in the French edition, in the control panel the command I have to click literally means "Properties of the printing server".

In the Ports tab, the last line shows "http://gestionbbox.lan:631" in the Port column, "Internet Port" in the Description column, and "HP_Inc__HP_L" in the printer column.

I should spontaneously have inverted the values of the Port and Printer columns, but apart from this I recognize the values that have been set up.

What you are focusing is the description column, there I see "Internet Port", this seems correct, is not it ?

The printer spooler service is working.

Well I remember that uninstall and reinstall the drivers and software was a path proposed by the debugging software. For this maybe I shall wait a few weeks, as I shall be absent from tomorrow on.

For the moment being, for this reason there will be only one PC used on the site, so the Internet printing will not be used.

Print and Scan Doctor helped repair the scanner, so everything that will have to be used during those few weeks works fine.

So, if I understand, what is best to do now is wait for my return and uninstall/reinstall the software?

I am sorry about letting the thread not closed.

[The forum informs me of an automatic correction on an HTML term. Well I had a look at the properties I quoted, apart from this I do not see where the problem is, maybe I am not attentive enough.]

Max3Aj · ‎03-31-2025

@Gloops1, Thanks for the clarification!

Since your USB-connected printing works fine, but network printing via the router’s USB port (CUPS on http://gestionbbox.lan:631) has stopped working, the issue seems to be either the router’s print server or Windows recognizing it incorrectly after an update.

Summary of What’s Happening:

✅ USB Printing (Direct to PC) Works → Uses the queue "HP Laser MFP 131 133 135-138"
❌ Network Printing (Via Router's USB) Fails → Uses "HP_Lnc HP_L sur http://gestionbbox.lan:631"

Before Uninstalling/Reinstalling the Software, Try These:

1️⃣ Check if the Router’s Print Server is Still Enabled

Log in to your BBox router’s admin panel (probably at http://gestionbbox.lan).
Find the USB printer sharing settings and check if the print server is enabled.
If there’s an option to restart the print server, do that.

2️⃣ Test Printing via Direct IP

>Open Command Prompt (Win + R, type cmd, hit Enter).

>Type: ping gestionbbox.lan

>If you get a reply, your router is reachable.

>Try manually adding the printer:

Open Control Panel → Devices and Printers.
Click Add a printer → The printer that I want isn't listed.
Choose Add a printer using a TCP/IP address or hostname.
Enter gestionbbox.lan or its IP address.
Select the correct driver when prompted.

3️⃣ Check Windows Firewall & Network Isolation

Disable Windows Firewall temporarily to see if it allows printing.
If your router has client isolation or guest mode enabled, it may block access between devices.

Plan for When You Return:

If the issue persists, then uninstall and reinstall the printer drivers & software.

Also, check if your router’s firmware was recently updated—it might have changed USB printing behavior.

For Now:

Since you’re leaving and USB printing is working, you can postpone troubleshooting the network printing until you’re back. No need to close the thread—just continue when you're ready.

I hope this helps!

If my response resolves your issue, please click “Accepted Solution” to help others find the answer. Also, don’t forget to click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up” button to say thanks!

Take care and have a great day.

Max3Aj

HP Support

Gloops1 · ‎03-31-2025

Hello,

As you imagine, I was not surprised the error about the Ethernet port was unusual.

1. Seen from the router's configuration page, the printer is enabled.

There are three shares that are enabled and can be disabled if needed : DLNA, Samba, printer.

The USB port of the router could also receive an external disk. The router detects there is no disk connected, which is normal as there is only one USB port, and the printer is connected on it.

Unfortunately I see nothing to restart the printer.

2. Ping the printer

C:\Windows\System32>ping gestionbbox.lan

Envoi d’une requête 'ping' sur gestionbbox.lan [2001:861:3281:a00:86a1:d1ff:fe41:980c] avec 32 octets de données :
Réponse de 2001:861:3281:a00:86a1:d1ff:fe41:980c : temps=3 ms
Réponse de 2001:861:3281:a00:86a1:d1ff:fe41:980c : temps=3 ms
Réponse de 2001:861:3281:a00:86a1:d1ff:fe41:980c : temps=4 ms
Réponse de 2001:861:3281:a00:86a1:d1ff:fe41:980c : temps=3 ms

Statistiques Ping pour 2001:861:3281:a00:86a1:d1ff:fe41:980c:
Paquets : envoyés = 4, reçus = 4, perdus = 0 (perte 0%),
Durée approximative des boucles en millisecondes :
Minimum = 3ms, Maximum = 4ms, Moyenne = 3ms

I presume this should have been done with the CODE tag, but I am afraid I do not find it.

Add manually the printer is what is said to do at the beginning when installing it, is not it ?

Except I am supposed to add 631 as port number, after a colon.

I tried that last week I did that, by adding a printer by its name. I had no error message while doing that.

Just now on Windows 11 (on my machine) I tried again, using the Parameters application as it is much more readable than the control panel. by giving its name.

The installation failed with error 0x00002EF3.

Oh, network error ? You said me I had to temporarily unactivate the firewall.

The control panel has detected that E-Set Intenet Security is installed, so unactivate E-Set should do it.

I unactivated the real-time protection of the file system, and HIPS.

I am afraid the installation of the printer still failed with the same error number. I have restarted the rooter a few minutes ago, and got the printer out of sleep before validating the command.

3. Firewall : well, already done.

Hum, I tried that on Windows 11, with the advantage to let Windows 10 unchanged and take no risk with the machine that will stay here.

Well, on Windows 11 I can uninstall the device.

Going to do that, so I interrupt my writing as perhaps I shall need to restart Windows 11.

Gloops1 · ‎03-31-2025

I restarted my Windows 11, restarted the router, and unpluged the printer from the power during a minute.

This time I could create the printer queue again.

Unfortunately, when I launch a test page, it appears during half a second in the queue, and the printer has seen nothing.

I am next going to uninstall the software.

Gloops1 · ‎03-31-2025

I uninstalled these

Then I installed HP_Laser_MFP_131_133_135-138_Full_Software_and_Drivers_1.20(1).exe, downloaded last Friday.

It installed the whole software, and printed a test page through the USB port of my machine.

I then plugged the printer to the USB port of the router.

In the Windows Parameters, I installed a printer, that I did not find in the list and that I designated by its name, "http://gestionbbox.lan:631"

It asked me the drivers. It did not ask me to connect through the USB port of the computer.

But I obtained the same results as before the reinstallation, when I create a test page I see its name in the dialog box during half a second, but I see nothing in the queue, and hear nothing from the printer.

Well, did I forget anything ?

The operations are the same in Windows 11 as in Windows 10, are not they ?

Just in case, the SHA256 sum of the "software and drivers" downloaded file is

08E6903CA35334A01DD211CD28008ED1BF15C7A1FF5ED93F2FB92F6C7A42229D

***

HP Smart find the queue to print from the USB port of the computer, not the one to print from the router.

Or course each time I get the printer out of sleep.

zoey7886 · ‎04-02-2025

Hello @Gloops1,

I appreciate the detailed troubleshooting you've already done—you're certainly thorough! Since you've confirmed that the printer works fine over USB, that means the core functionality of the device is intact. The issue seems to be entirely related to how it's being recognized over the network.

Given that your router's USB port is acting as a print server, the unexpected "Ethernet" recognition might be caused by how the router is handling the connection. If Print and Scan Doctor detects the printer as being connected via Ethernet, it’s likely the router is presenting it that way to your network.

At this stage, I’d recommend reaching out to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or checking your router's documentation to see if there are specific settings for printer sharing via USB. Some routers have options to toggle between different print server modes, which might help resolve this issue.

In the meantime, since USB printing is working perfectly, you can continue using that method without any issues. Let me know if you need further assistance!

Take care, and have an amazing day!

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!

Regards,

ZOEY7886
I am an HP Employee

Gloops1 · ‎04-02-2025

Hello Zoey, thank you.

My first idea was to contact the communication operator, that provided the router and operates it, they refused to treat printing problems.

About the settings, did you see that I put a screen copy of the user interface, in my message dated 03-31-2025 05:04 PM?

As this is not my local time, I imagine you see the same time.

There is a yes/no cursor for print sharing, it is set on yes.

If you think it is useful I can try and put it on no, to see the difference.

Since my last message, as I postponed a little my departure, I launched HP Smart a further time.

Both queues are detected, I selected the one for printing through the network.

That was two days ago, my memory is a little less precise.

I remember there was a "not connected" button that I clicked. This time I was invited to operate the procedure to designate the printer via USB (get its IP address), as normally happens when installing the printer the first time.

At a moment it said again that the printer was connected via Ethernet, but only once. I tried again and the procedure went on.

Unfortunately, it took a longer time as usual but at the end said that the device failed to connect to the network.

Maybe I have time to try it once again if you think it is useful.

Is there any component in the printer that is specific to printing via the network? I suppose no as the router routes the printing data, but it is good to be sure of it.

I try and imagine what can prevent to find an IP address for the printer connected on the router, I have to say I have no real idea about that.

As the address of the router is 192.68.1.254, I should say the IP address normally should be 192.68.1.254: followed by the port number that was provided (after gestionbbox.lan:), and I found that address. It was in the port tab in the properties of the printer, more precisely of the queue through Internet. There were both gestionbbox.lan:631, that is selected and I could not change selection, and 192.68.1.254:631, twice (with a checkbox that I could not check).

I am unable to explain the failure of the procedure to attribute that address again.

Is there a specific canal in the USB cable that is used only during the attribution of the IP address?

That cable is five years old, it prints fine when connected to the USB port of the computer.

The problem rises on two computers with two versions of Windows. The printer prints fine when connected to the computer, not when connected to the router.

The supposed IP address appears in the properties of the printing queue, port tab, but not checked and I could not modify this. The line that was checked showed "gestionbbox.lan:631".

The settings page of the router displays the exact reference of the printer, when it is on and connected to its USB port.

It also shows "Enabled". I tried connecting an external disk instead, it then shows "no printer connected", and lower in the storage section shows the exact reference of the disk. I then connect the printer again.

When sending a document, it does not appear in the queue, as it did before reinstallation.

The name of the document only appears in the dialog box of the program that wants to print it.

Gloops1 · ‎04-03-2025

I tried printing from Notepad2, with the printer disconnected, to see whether the document would stay in the queue.

The program says that the printer meets an unexpected configuration problem, with error number 0x80072ef3.

Same thing if I try to print a test page.

I ran SFC /ScanNow, it said it found no integrity violation.

No change if I pause the printing from the page in the Parameters application.

From there, impossible to display the properties of the printer.

There was a "problem resolution tool", provided with Windows, but the last time I launched it it said it was about to change place and would be disactivated.

I launched Print and Scan Doctor again.

The session looked like the previous one.

I was said one time the printer was connected via Ethernet, I clicked on continue, and eventually I was said the printer could not connect to the network.