HP MFP 3301 - Unable to Wake From Offline State

[phatanator]

<<Originally posted by: prouser39 - Reposting because the issue went unresolved.  I have two HP LaserJet Pro 3301 printers.  I'm experiencing the same issue, and have tried everything listed below>>

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share our ongoing struggles with the HP MFP 3301 multifunction printer in hopes of finding a real solution—or at least confirming that we're not the only ones dealing with this.

We’ve had numerous support calls and troubleshooting sessions regarding a recurring issue where the printer seems to "fall asleep" and then disappears from the network. Once this happens, it won't respond to pings, print jobs, or even show up on the network until it’s physically power cycled. This is a huge problem in an office environment where the device is expected to be reliably accessible throughout the day.

Here’s a quick overview of what we’ve tried so far:

• Disabled all power-saving/sleep modes (where possible)

• Disabled IPV6

• Set a static IP address and reserved it via DHCP

• Updated to the latest firmware available from HP

• Rebooted router and switch

• Changed from Wi-Fi to Ethernet

• Set manual DNS and gateway settings

• Verified the printer is not in any kind of error or offline mode before sleeping

• Tested on different network ports and with different cables

Despite all this, the problem persists. It looks like some kind of power management bug is also putting the network interface to sleep—and it doesn’t properly wake up when the printer is accessed remotely.

As part of troubleshooting, HP even shipped us a refurbished replacement of the same model. Unfortunately, it exhibits the exact same behavior, so it's clearly not just a hardware fluke.

For context, we have nearly three dozen other HP printers deployed across our business network—both LaserJets and MFPs—and they all work fine. They go into power-saving mode as expected and reliably wake up when sent a print job. This issue seems unique to the 3301dfw.

In one community thread, I saw someone mention that these “Pro” series printers from HP are essentially consumer-grade devices with limited networking stability. According to that post, if you want a printer with robust and reliable networking behavior (especially in business environments), you need to step up to one of HP’s “Enterprise” models.

If that’s true, it’s disappointing. The 3301dfw is marketed as a "Pro" printer, and you’d expect basic features like stable networking and reliable wake-from-sleep to work consistently.

Has anyone else experienced this and found a workaround—or can anyone confirm that upgrading to an Enterprise-grade printer truly solves the issue? At this point, we’re trying to decide whether to continue troubleshooting or cut our losses and replace the device.

Thanks in advance for any insight!

[Garp_senchau]

@phatanator, Welcome to HP Support Community,

Thank you for posting your query; I’m here to help by guiding you through steps to resolve this issue

It sounds like you’ve been through a lot of troubleshooting already, and I can understand how frustrating this issue must be, especially when other HP printers on the network are behaving normally. Given that you've already covered most of the typical troubleshooting steps, here are some additional things to try.

Reset Printer to Factory Settings:

Go to the printer’s menu and find the option to Restore Factory Defaults.

This might clear any settings causing the issue.

Disable Sleep and Power-Saving Modes:

Double-check that Energy Saver, Auto Sleep, and any Low Power Mode are disabled in the printer's settings.

Check Network Settings:

Make sure the printer’s static IP is outside the DHCP range, so no conflict happens.

Also, try Google DNS (8.8.8.8) if you haven’t already.

Network Switch Settings:

If you have a managed switch, disable Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) to prevent the network port from going to sleep.

Test on Another Network:

Try the printer on a different network (even just a couple of computers connected) to see if the problem is specific to your current network setup.

I hope this helps.

Please feel free to reply here if you have any questions or if you need further clarification on any of the steps. 

Take care and have a good 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,

[phatanator]

Hello and thank you for your response.  I am certain there is a bug with the firmware.

I have two of the exact same model:

• Both of them lose network connectivity and can only reconnect by power cycling the printer.
• There are only two power save options
  • Sleep - There is no disable option.  The only option is to set the sleep timer to the max which is 60 min.
  • Power Off - This setting is disabled.
• The printers are on different switches
• Network settings are good.  No IP conflict, and this is not a DNS issue.

How can we get the engineering team to correct the bug and issue a firmware update?

Thanks,

Joe

[Garp_senchau]

Hey @phatanator, 

Thanks for reaching out! Since the issue remains unresolved, I suggest contacting our phone/chat support team for personalized assistance. They can provide one-on-one help and may even be able to work their remote assistance magic to fix the problem.

Note: There might be a nominal charge for the service they provide.

Regards,