"49 Service Error - Turn Off Then On" - M251nw LaserJet200

[johnwfarrand]

HP Laserjet 200 Series - M251nw

OS X 10.7.5

The Printer keeps displaying:

"49 Service Error - Turn Off Then On"

I purchased the printer new from a Best Buy only 4 days ago.  Only the first night did the printer work properly.  I have it installed on my wireless network, and never plugged in the USB cord during installation, just like the installation guide suggested.  Like I said, the first night, it was fine.  Printed everything fine, the apps worked on it (still do actually), and the printer slept just fine that first night.  It never woke up (as far as I know).

Now it won't sleep.  Nothing changed on my computer, but now I get the "49 Service Error."  I have no way of finding out what that even means.  It will run it's error, and if I don't get to it in time (only about 30 second window to turn it off while it says this), it will turn itself off and reboot.  After reboot, it shows the home screen just fine for about 3 minutes, then gives the "49 ERROR" again, and the whole cycle starts over.  This happens about 50 times a day now.

I have unplugged it for several hours at a time, and the printer will behave for about 30 minutes, but then start the cycle again.

I turned off the wireless on it, still happens,

I checked and ran a firmware update on it, still happens.

I turned off the wireless on my computer (just in case it was calling to the printer), still happens.

I uninstalled and reinstalled the drivers on the computer, still happens.

On another note, I have to reinstall the drivers every time I want to print it seems.  If I let it sit for a day, the computer can't find the printer.  Eventhough nothing has changed.  I don't shut off my computer, so the drivers aren't lost, I don't turn off the printer (I try to let it sleep, but it won't), but when I go to print, the printer "can't be found," and the document will sit in the print que for 15 minutes before I give up and start troubleshooting.  Even while the computer and printer are on the same network. To get a print out, I have to run a cycle of rebooting my computer after uninstalling the drivers and unplugging the printer power cord.  After I print, the printer is fine for about 20 minutes, then starts erroring on me again.

I'm very frustrated by this situation.  I'd like to think I just have a bum printer, because the print quality is really top notch on this thing, and it's exactly what I was looking for, but I can't deal with this much longer.

Please Help!

[Shane_R]

For the 49 error, I will have to send you some steps via private message to take care of that.  As for the install problem, the printer might be falling off the network when the error comes up, causing the need for a reinstall.  Setting a static IP on the printer should prevent this from happening.  I'll include a document with those instructions, plus some other tips, below.  Let me know what happens.

Printer Does Not Maintain a Wireless Connection

[stevesz]

"49 Service Error - Turn Off Then On" - M276nw LaserJet200

So I experienced virtually the same problem with my brand new M276nw only after 5 days.

2 days of support chat with HP is leading me down the same path of Off, restart, repeat. Off for 3 mins, restart. Then off for 25 mins, restart. Then off for 4 hours, restart.

 Thinking that it was a power issue I isolated the plug in from everything (it was sharing a plug in with a small 300 ups for my NAS). Still Service error 49. Chat with HP wanted me to repeat the process the next day. I gave up and returned the printer to Staples, they were great, new printer.

Got it home, plugged it in to a completely isolated circuit (nothing else on this dedicated circuit) and made it static wireless. 2 hours later it started the same service error 49.

I unplugged it last night to give it a day and for me to think.

Now what?

I read Shane_R 's reply to johnwfarrand but saw no solution only some steps via private message.

Is this a solved problem for a known issue?

Please help.

[johnwfarrand]

The private message included a method for a factory reset, but since the printer is new, that probably won't fix the problem (especially since you're having the SAME issue). I've deduced that it [should be] a network (wifi) issue. Once I turned off the wireless, it worked fine until I turned it back on a week later. I might recommend doing that until HP can figure out a firmware update that keeps the printer from checking a network connection -depending on it- and erroring every 5 minutes.

Setting a Static IP might help, I just haven't done it yet. I had to turn it off when I went out of town, because I was afraid the 49 Service Error was going to happen so many times (over 4 days), it might completely ruin the printer.

I hope to post my findings soon. There's no need for these printers to have so much difficulty with a wireless signal.

[stevesz]

I did also read about another laser printer in the forums (can't recall the model) but they pointed directly to the wireless network as well. That post made reference to "a documented issue" that should have been suggested to the user in his chat support.

He suggested that it had to be removed from the wireless influence to be firmware updated and get out of it's loop. Not sure if that applies to your 251 or my 276 so that'll require a bit more work.

When I initially setup printer #1 everything was perfect and I didn't even touch the wireless.

When I setup printer #2 I initially didn't have any problems because I never connected anything to it. I didn't enabled wireless since I had only wanted to test it for power first in a dedicated circuit. Then I enabled wireless in that same spot and then the trouble started with this new printer.  I wouldn't have thought the NIC could create such a problem, Tech support kept mentioning "fuser issues" which is why I spent so much time looking at power requirements.

Tonight I'll do more network trouble shooting. Primarliy I want my printer to be wired but also want the availability to wireless devices in the house.

[stevesz]

***UPDATE*** (at least for my LaserJet Pro 200 M276nw)

I have found the root cause but will need further assistance from someone at HP to "solve" this one....

I have a D-Link DIR-825 wireless router. It has dual band (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz).

Normally I have both enabled for the myriad of devices that people have these days.

I updated the firmware to the latest update (20121026) then restarted. Received the 49 Service Error shortly after restart.

Then I disabled both bands to test each wireless band independently.

The printer acted normally so I decided to enable each band seperately.

When I enable the 2.4 GHz band in the router, the printer immediately throws a 49 Service Error.

I tested this several times (5 to be exact) and each time during the router reboot the printer indicated the error.

So I left the 2.4 GHz band disabled and went on to the 5 GHz band.

I enabled the 5 GHz band 3 times and disabled it and found no effect on the printer (at least within a 5 minute window).

So now I'm left with only a single band wireless router or a printer that likes to restart itself every 20 minutes or so.

There is probably a setting (or 2) that can be tweaked in either the router or the printer that can prevent this (I hope).

I just need to find the right HP person............  

[MikeAffolter]

Hi

I have the same problem (Error 49) with my new HP LJ 200 M276nw. I tried with and without Wireless ... but got every time this Error 49 with a reboot. Has anyone a solution for this.

I have already the newest firmware installed!

[stevesz]

Hi Mike,

I got real busy and wasn't able to dedicate enough time to ironing out the real cause however the issue has not re-surfaced after some changes that I did. I have not "verified" the root cause by back-tracking and downgrading to re-produce the issue though. Not even sure that I want to explore that avenue.

Not sure if you read the previous stuff about turning OFF 2.4GHz for my router but I did have to turn back on 2.4 which we couldn't live without for certain devices. During this period I had resigned myself to only turning on the printer when we wanted to print because it would want to reboot continuously every 10 mins or so.

Since I started responding under this other thread (251) I realized that I should post under the 276 so that others might see it. HP did contact me looking to assist further. Unforetunately they wanted me to re-contact chat because "there were no trouble-shooting steps listed for my case" even though I had spent more than 2 hours with them "trouble-shooting". They AGAIN started with "turn the machine off, wait for 3 mins."....That's what the first guys had me do, not again! Sorry to rant.

Anyway, I dropped chat and was going to call them but thought that I would eventually get to a point where they'd want my router updated to the latest firmware. We all know that when you get new equipment, compatibility eventually gets questioned and firmware is the starting point so...The point is that I actually needed 4 firmware updates for my Dlink DIR825 which took awhile (like an hour because of reboots/logons/re-config etc).

The short of the story is that prior to my DLink firmware updates, the printer would not function wireless or without, NVRam reset or not, printer firmware update or not. Some other post referred to removing the printer completely from the Wireless wan influence before factory resetting, I guess I kind of did that because I did kill my 2.4 GHz and factory reset the printer. But the problem re-surfaced each time I turned 2.4 back on (within seconds).

This made me see that the router may have had a hand in the issue so  complete firmware update is where I went. Since that time I have turned 2.4 on/off/on/off with no issues. The ONLY thing that I haven't done yet is to turn wireless on for the printer.......This may open up the can of worms but for now it functions perfectly, sleeps, wakes, emails, scans and prints just that way it's supposed to.

Do I want to mess with it? Only if someone really really wants to print from a wireless device maybe I'll try.

[MikeAffolter]

Hi

I have shot down al the wlan function but still got a problem with error 49! I guess I will bring the printer back and try to get a new one.

Mike

[rumaih]

I had the same problem today, thinking i was the WiFi. i went and exchanged it with the modle without WiFi m276n and hocked it throgh a LAN cable. Still the same problem. I'm fed up i'm going to Conon