HP 2800e All in One printer stuck on "waiting for connection"

[DonaldL1]

I bought and installed an HP 2800e All in One printer scanner two months ago.  Beginning yesterday, the printer has been getting stuck on a "waiting for connection" message when I try to print.  HP Smart wouldn't load for about a day, too,  (yesterday afternoon through this morning) though it's loading now.  I have already turned off and turned back  on the router, printer, and the computer, and I'm still getting the "waiting for connection" message.  Any suggestions?

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @DonaldL1 

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

I understand how frustrating it must be to see your printer stuck on “waiting for connection” even after restarting the router, printer, and computer. You’ve already taken the right first steps, and the fact that the HP App was also not loading for a while suggests this is a connectivity alignment issue between the printer and your network. 

Let’s go through a structured path to bring the connection back.

Steps to resolve “waiting for connection” on HP DeskJet 2800e

1. Confirm printer’s wireless status

• On the printer’s control panel, press and hold the Wireless button until the light blinks.
• This puts the printer into Wi‑Fi setup mode.
• Check if the wireless light is solid after a few minutes, which indicates it is connected.

2. Reconnect printer to Wi‑Fi

• Open the HP App on your phone or computer.
• Select Add Printer or Set Up a New Printer.
• Follow the prompts to reconnect the printer to your Wi‑Fi network.
• Make sure you are connecting to the same 2.4 GHz band that your devices use, as many printers do not support 5 GHz.

3. Verify IP address

• Print a Network Configuration Page from the printer’s control panel (usually by pressing the Information button).
• Check if the printer has a valid IP address.
• If it shows 0.0.0.0 or 169.x.x.x, it means the printer is not connected properly to the router.

4. Restart devices in sequence

• Power off the router, wait 30 seconds, then power it back on.
• Once the router is fully online, restart the printer.
• Finally, restart the computer or mobile device.
• This ensures the printer gets a fresh IP lease from the router.

5. Update printer firmware

• Visit the official HP support page for your model:
  HP DeskJet 2800e All-in-One Printer series – Drivers and Software
• Download and install the latest firmware update.
• Firmware updates often improve Wi‑Fi stability and compatibility with the HP App.

6. Test printing from HP App

• Open the HP App and select your printer.
• Try printing a test page.
• If successful, the “waiting for connection” message should disappear.

 

If the issue continues

• Try connecting the printer via USB temporarily to confirm it prints correctly.
• If USB printing works, the issue is limited to wireless setup and can be resolved by re‑establishing the Wi‑Fi connection.

You’ve already been very patient in working through this. The most effective immediate action is to reconnect the printer to Wi‑Fi through the HP App and confirm the IP address with a Network Configuration Page. 

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Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye