Unable to communicate with the scanner...sometimes

[Agrayson86]

I have the full HP software suite installed for this printer. When I open up hp scan, it sometimes works, it sometimes doesn't. When it doesn't work, I get the error "Unable to communicate with Scanner". It suggests doing the HP Scan and Print doctor, which I have already done. It did not help. If I close hp scan and simply try again, there's a 70% chance it will work. When it does work, I can scan just fine. I've found that if I simply close and reopen hp scan enough times, it will work. But this is not ideal.

Here are the troubleshooting steps I've tried

1. Completely removed the drivers and all hp software and reinstalled
2. Tested the continuity on my ethernet cable goign to the printer

3. Used wireless on the printer instead of ethernet

4. By pass a small 5 port switch the printer is plugged into

5. Plugged the power cable directly into a wall (it was in a UPS)

6. Added the printer via TCP/IP port

6. Ran a continuous ping test on the printer. There are some "request time out" responses in the ping test, but they don't line up with the error messages. Ex: I try to scan, get the error, and check the ping. Pings are solid. Then later, when not attempting to scan, maybe minutes later, there's a "request time out"

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. 

[Agrayson86 · Accepted solution]

I was able to solve this problem. I had been running continuous ping tests for the duration of my troubleshooting. I noticed some dropped packets. I thought it might be an IP conflict. I powered down the printer completely and did another ping test. A reply! There was another device on my network with the same IP. That's why scanning sometimes worked, sometimes failed.

I changed the IP on the printer, reserved it's IP in the DHCP pool and issue has been resolved!