Photosmart C4580 Wireless Problem

[Wi-Fi-Guy]

Can I get some information on your environment?

How is your Officejet 6500 connected to your computer (USB or networked)?

If you're using a network connection, I have a few more questions:

1. How is your Officejet 6500 connected to your network -- wired LAN or wireless?
2. What kind router are you using?
3. Assuming you're using a wireless-router and your Officejet is connected wirelessly:
   1. Is your wireless-network encrypted (WEP, WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK)?
   2. If your wireless-network is encrypted, do you know what algorithm you're using (TKIP or AES)?
4. How long does the Officejet take to lock up?
5. When the printer locks-up, does anything work?  Can you ping the printer or access the printer's internal web-page?  You'll have to know the IP address before the event.
6. What other devices do you have on your network?  Are they connected wired or wirelessly?

[Davis]

I have some info...I'll gather the rest and pass it on.

The connection is via wireless home network.

Router is Linksys WRT54GS Wireless G with Speed Booster

Network is encrypted 64-bit WEP.

Not sure on TKIP or AES.

I have not timed the lock-up yet.  It appears to go into some sort of sleep after 10-15 minutes.  Hitting a button on the front panel wakes it up.  If I wait longer periods (overnight but maybe much sooner like an hour - don't know), I can no longer wake it up by hitting a button on the panel...I have to cycle the power.  My sense is it goes to sleep and then hibernates, but I'm not sure if it even has a hibernate.

I can access the printers internal web page.

I have entered a manual IP address along with a primary, secondary DNS...this fix, which i found on this forum (or maybe another), worked for a day or two...the printer stayed awake and then after a long weekend of no use, it went back into lock-up cycle.  The manual IP is still the same...I printed out the Network Configuration Page for the printer after the fix when it worked for the day or two and then after the fix failed.  The configuration was the same.  

I have installed the printer drivers only on my imac and a macbook, both of which access the wireless network.

Any help is greatly appreciated. 

[Wi-Fi-Guy]

Are you still having lock-up problems?

[Davis]

Yes, still have sleep problems.  The printer goes to sleep in stages.  Upon power up 3 green lights are on: power button, the quality light, the auto answer light.  One blue light is also on, the antenna symbol.  At the 15 minute mark, the quality green light and the green auto answer light go off.  At the 15 min 10 sec mark, the blight antenna light goes out.  For some period of time after this, you can print and it wakes up or you can hit a button on the front panel and then it will wake up.  The time from 3 lights out to when it freezes (allowing no print nor 'hit a button to wake it') varies from an additional 10 minutes to 24 hours.  It appears random.

Still struggling... 

[Wi-Fi-Guy]

Hmmm ... definitely, something is wrong.  Remind me, what has HP technical support told you?

[Davis]

tech support could not help.  i was on the phone for over an hour.  he led me through basic things and told me to reinstall which is tantamount to pushing the issue back on me.  after reading many posts, i'm thinking that the 6500 sleep problems are the same as the 4500 sleep problems...so, what changes were made to fix the 4500 sleep problems (via new software download) and can they be replicated for the 6500.

[Wi-Fi-Guy]

I don't think there's a systemic issue with the J6500 as there was with early versions of the C4580. The C4580's problem was due to an unanticipated interaction between the printer's custom digital ASIC and the scanner subsystem. The C4580 firmware patch was designed to correct his.

Since the J6500 does not use the same digital ASIC as the C4580, the problem you're seeing is unlikely to be related.

To be honest, I'm not aware of any other postings related to the J6500 locking up. Can you post some links for me to check on?

We can run a few more experiments (I was thinking of having you turn off the Wi-Fi radio and see if the printer still locks up) but at this point I think it's time for you to politely ask HP for a new unit (it's should still under warranty).

BTW -- don't let them talk you into reinstalling the SW or make you think this behaviour is normal. Reinstalling the SW can't possibly matter here.

[jallanb]

I had a 4580 with the same sleep/no wakeup problem.  The HP Mac person did some research and said there was a recognized firmware problem, but that they had not released new firmwarel, since it was still in the debugging stage (This was May 2009).

I was lucky.  The rep found a model that didn't have the problem and allowed me to trade up to a 6380 at no cost, after returning the 4580.

Meanwhile, there is apparently a firmware fix available as of June 2009.  Rattle the cage of the Mac support person.

[osde8info]

there is now a update to firmware WRLxFN0823AR PATCH=30 firmware PATCH = 40

which worked for me over wi-fi

[Hobbes2210]

I have also the freeze issues.

i boight recently a C4580.

When i download the update, the computer says :'nothing to update'

Tech support is not very fast 😞

Already waiting for 2 weeks for a valuable response