Old HP 6700 Printer "waiting for printer to become available"

[scotttftde]

I recently upgraded my Xfinity router and I can no longer print to my old HP 6700 printer. I had no problems before connecting wirelessly to print or scan. Now the printer rarely notices the new (stronger) wifi signal. I can scan from my computer with a USB connection but I cannot print with a USB. I get the error message "waiting for printer to become available." I can print a test page so I feel like they must be connected. Can you help, either to get me reconnected to the WiFi or to print via USB, I've manually added the printer's MAC address to the WiFI via the admin page to help with MAC Filtering.

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @scotttftde,

Welcome to The HP Support Community.  

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

I understand the issue is related to the changes in your network configuration after upgrading your Xfinity router, as well as potential conflicts with the printer drivers in macOS Catalina. 

Here are a few troubleshooting steps to resolve the issue:
 

1. Reconnect the Printer to WiFi

Since the printer was working fine before the router upgrade, you'll need to reconnect it to the new WiFi network.

Ensure WiFi is Enabled on the Printer:

• On the printer's control panel, go to Network or Wireless settings.
• Choose Wireless Setup Wizard and follow the prompts to reconnect the printer to your new WiFi network.
• Ensure you're using the correct WiFi password.

Restart the Router and Printer:

• Power off both the router and the printer for about 1 minute, then restart them. This often resolves connectivity issues.

Check Network Configuration:

• Ensure that the printer is connected to the correct 2.4 GHz band on your router (some older printers may not support 5 GHz).
• Since you’ve manually added the printer’s MAC address, make sure that MAC filtering is properly configured, and your printer is not blocked from accessing the network.

2. Reset Printer Settings

Sometimes resetting the printer’s network settings can resolve connectivity issues.

• On the printer, go to Setup > Network > Restore Network Settings to reset the network configuration.
• After that, try reconnecting to the WiFi using the Wireless Setup Wizard again.

3. Reinstall the Printer on macOS (for USB and WiFi)

It’s possible the printer drivers may not be working properly after the router change or macOS updates.

For WiFi:

Remove the printer:

• Go to System Preferences > Printers & Scanners.
• Select your HP Officejet 6700 from the list and click the - button to remove it.

Re-add the printer:

• Click the + button to add a new printer.
• If the printer is connected to WiFi, it should appear in the list of available printers.
• Select your printer and make sure to select the correct driver (AirPrint or HP driver if available).

For USB Printing:

Make sure the printer is connected directly to your Mac via USB.

Remove and re-add the printer as described above. When adding it back, make sure to select USB as the connection method and not WiFi.

If you still get the "waiting for printer to become available" error:

• Reset the printing system by right-clicking in the Printers & Scanners window and selecting Reset printing system. This will remove all printers.
• After resetting, re-add the printer.

4. Update Printer Firmware Update the firmware on an HP printer

Your printer might need a firmware update to work properly with the new router or Catalina.

• Download the latest firmware from the HP Support website.
• Install the firmware update via USB.

5. Check for macOS Catalina Driver Updates

Since macOS Catalina sometimes has driver compatibility issues with older printers, you can:

1. Update macOS Catalina: Make sure you're running the latest version of Catalina.
2. Check HP for Catalina-compatible drivers: Visit the HP support page to see if updated drivers for Catalina are available for your Officejet 6700.

6. Xfinity Router Settings

Your new router may be blocking the connection due to security or firewall settings.

• Log in to your router's admin page and make sure that no restrictions (like port blocking or enhanced security settings) are preventing the printer from connecting.
• Try temporarily disabling any firewall settings on your router and test if the printer connects.

7. Test Printer on a Different Network

To rule out any issues with the printer itself, try connecting it to another WiFi network (like a mobile hotspot) to see if it works properly. If it does, the issue is likely with the router configuration.
 

Refer to this document: HP Officejet 6700 Premium e-All-in-One Printer series - H711 User manual 

Troubleshoot a Wi-Fi connection to an HP printer
HP printers - Wi-Fi connection is lost after router or network settings change
HP printer setup (HP Smart app)
Set up the HP printer with AirPrint in macOS
HP printer setup (Mac built-in driver)
 

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day.

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