Printers going off line

[diesellittle]

I have three printers on my NetGear Model R6220 network with 2.4 GHz and 5. GHz settings.  I have a MacBook AIr, a MacBook Pro, 2 iPads, 2 iPhones.  We do not print from the iPads and the iPhones.

HP DeskJet 3700

HP LaserJet M203

HP OfficeJet Pro 6960

I have  reset the printers and scanners in the system Preferences on both MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops.  I have restarted the Modem & the separate Router.  I have restarted both the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro.

Each one of the printers will go “off line” independently and I can not print from a printer off line.  Nor can I restore it easily to other or idle.  I am now seeing other strange status ‘reports’ when I look at each printers status.

How do I prevent any of my printers from going ‘OffLine” or “Other?”

[Kumar0307]

@diesellittle, Welcome to the HP Support Community! I’m here to help.

I understand the printers go offline intermittently. 

• Do you have any Anti-virus software installed on your Mac?
• How far is the printer located from the WiFi router?
• Restart the router, the printer, and the Mac
• Make sure the printer and the Mac are connected to the same wireless network. Either 2.4 or 5GHz network.
• If you have a Dual-band router and both 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks share the same name/SSID, the printer will not be able to connect to the network. In this case, contact your Internet service provider to assign different names to both networks.
• Also, check with your Internet service provider if your router is able to forward 'Bonjour packets'.

Bonjour locates devices such as printers, other computers, and the services that those devices offer on a local network using multicast Domain Name System (mDNS) service records. The software comes built-in with Apple's macOS and iOS operating systems.

• This printer supports WPA encryption, check if the router is on the same encryption method. If using WEP or WPA-PSK+FT change it to WPA-PSK

Update the printer firmware

Click here to download and install the latest printer firmware from your Mac.

Click here to know different methods of updating printer firmware.

Also, check for any software updates on Mac

Click the Apple icon > About This Mac > Software Update and install any available update.

Perform a ping test to check the connectivity

1. Obtain the IP address of the printer by clicking on the Wireless icon on the printer
2. Open a new Terminal window (it's located in Applications > Utilities, or you can just start typing it in Spotlight).
3. Enter “ping” followed by the IP address of the printer. 
4. Press Return. Press ctrl C after 10 pings
5. There should be 0% packet loss, share the results in your next post.

Hope this helps! Let me know how it goes. 

Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.

Click on the YES button to reply that the response was helpful and/or to say “Thank You”.

Have a great day! 

[diesellittle]

All of my responses are bold 

Here is my response to your questions.  I do not feel that the problem is with my Apple Devices or the three printers on the network.  I accept the idea that the problem may be with my on my NetGear Model R6220 router but I have no idea of how to check the router for problems.

From the HPSmart app, I printed all of the printer reports for each of the printers so I have ‘complete’ current info as of 11am 12/7/21.

I also show 5 printers on the HPSmart app and do not see how to delete the 2 duplications from the app.

I understand the printers go offline intermittently. 

• Do you have any Anti-virus software installed on your Mac?
• Yes Malware is on all devices
• How far is the printer located from the WiFi router?
• HP DeskJet 3700 -  ~ 6 ft same room
• HP LaserJet M203 - ~ 20’ next room [dry wall walls between rooms]
• HP OfficeJet Pro 6960 - < 2 ft
• Restart the router, the printer, and the Mac
• Done - several times and last time for about 10 minutes before restarting the router.
• Make sure the printer and the Mac are connected to the same wireless network. Either 2.4 or 5GHz network.
• Yes and the router is using both 2.4 & 5GHz bands
• If you have a Dual-band router and both 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks share the same name/SSID, the printer will not be able to connect to the network. In this case, contact your Internet service provider to assign different names to both networks.
• The failures I experience are intermittent and all printers have and do connect but then go off line by themselves
• Also, check with your Internet service provider if your router is able to forward 'Bonjour packets'.
• Internet provider has no control over the router

Bonjour locates devices such as printers, other computers, and the services that those devices offer on a local network using multicast Domain Name System (mDNS) service records. The software comes built-in with Apple's macOS and iOS operating systems.

This does not seem to be an issue since the problem is intermittent.

• This printer supports WPA encryption, check if the router is on the same encryption method. If using WEP or WPA-PSK+FT change it to WPA-PSK
• I’ll have to check this
• HP LaserJet M203 = wpa2-psk/wpa-psk [192.168.1.15]
• HP DeskJet 3700 = WPA-PSK [192.168.1.18]
• HP OfficeJet Pro 6968 = WPA2-PSK [192.168.1.5]

Update the printer firmware

Click here to download and install the latest printer firmware from your Mac.

HP DeskJet 3700 = LYP2FN2125BR

HP Laser Jet M203 = datecode 20160526

HP DeskJet Pro 6960 = MCP2CN2109AR

Click here to know different methods of updating printer firmware.

Also, check for any software updates on Mac

Click the Apple icon > About This Mac > Software Update and install any available update.

All Mac software is up to date

Perform a ping test to check the connectivity

1. Obtain the IP address of the printer by clicking on the Wireless icon on the printer
2. Open a new Terminal window (it's located in Applications > Utilities, or you can just start typing it in Spotlight).
3. Enter “ping” followed by the IP address of the printer. 
4. Press Return. Press ctrl C after 10 pings
5. There should be 0% packet loss, share the results in your next post.
1. LaserJet M203 - ONLY this printer had a problem.  In 48 pings there were several “request timeout for icmp_seq [n].  The other two printers had no timeout requests.

Hope this helps! Let me know how it goes. 

Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.

Click on the YES button to reply that the response was helpful and/or to say “Thank You”.

Have a great day! 

[Kumar0307]

@diesellittle

Thank you for the detailed response. Let us assign a static IP address to the printer.

• Obtain the IP address of the printer – You can touch the “wireless” icon on the printer control panel to get the IP address.
• Type the IP address on your web browser to obtain the printer's EWS page.
• Go to "Network" tab - General - Select "Network protocols" - Select "Enable IPv4 only" (or similar) - Apply the settings.
• Go to the “Network” tab – Click on “Wireless (802.11) – Then click on “Network address (IPv4)
• Click on the radio button which says “Manual IP” and then click “Suggest a manual IP address” to give a manual IP address to your printer.
• Click on radio button which says “Manual DNS Server” and under manual preferred type 8.8.8.8 and under manual alternate type 8.8.4.4 (This is Google DNS server address)

Monitor the printer and check for the issue.

Let me know how it goes.