Scanner Reported an Error

[Bard1970]

---HP Photosmart 5520 series is currently unavailable. Please check if it is turned on and connected, or try again later.---
Seriously why does it work some days and not others and yet you can NEVER determine why, no matter how many times you turn your wi-fi on and off and the printer on and off? Ad please dont tell me to restart my Mac, I have dozens of open apps and docs I'm working on. When it does decide to work the Mac was already on and I simply turned the wi-fi on and then the printer. Why can't this useless garbage recognise an available wi-fi network like every other periperhal product on the market? And:  "or try again later." Is that a joke? Like it's suddenly going to realise it's connected to a wi-fi network (it never does and so waiting is a waste of time). How come this "printer" has been the most unreliable frustratingly piece of hardware I've EVER bought?

[Kumar0307]

@Bard1970, Welcome to the HP Support Community!

• Which application do you use to scan?
• Do you have any Anti-virus software installed on your MAC?
• How far is the printer located from the WiFi router?
• Make sure the printer and the MAC are connected to the same wireless network.
• This printer supports only 2.4GHz network.

Let us try these steps to resolve this issue:

Update the printer firmware

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

Click here to know different methods of updating printer firmware.

Also, check for any software updates on MAC

Click here to know how.

Check the connectivity between the printer and the MAC

1. Obtain the IP address of the printer by clicking on the Wireless icon on the printer
2. On the MAC Go to Spotlight > search for Network utility > select Ping tab > enter the IP address of the printer in the box
3. Check the second box that says Send only > 10 pings
4. Click on ping > Check the results at the end if any packets are lost
5. Note: There should be 0% packet loss, share the results in your next post.

You may refer to this document to know how to scan from a MAC using different applications. 

Let me know how this goes.

If you feel my post solved your issue, please click “Accept as Solution”, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

[Bard1970]

Hi Kumar,

Thanks. Firmware update has been completed. Still cannot scan. ("hp scanner currently unavailable").

I use HP Easyscan. No Anti Virus. Printer only 6 feet from Router. Yes same correct wireless network. I even re-set the wifi set up on HP printer but still won't work. Macbook recently updated.

On the MAC Go to Spotlight > search for Network utility > select Ping tab > enter the IP address of the printer in the box...
I see that my wifi network (o2) was picked up by the printer when I reset it. The IP number is different on the printer compared to my Network on the Mac, how can that be? There are NO other o2 networks in the viscinity?

My printer is 192.168.1.68.

My Mac network is 192.168.1.64.????

[Kumar0307]

@Bard1970

Where do you see 192.168.1.64?

All the devices in a network will have a unique IP address but in the same range. 192.168.1.64 could be the IP address of the router or of your MAC.

Did you complete the PING test, what was the result?

Keep me posted for further assistance.

[Bard1970]

Hi

My printer SAYS 192.168.1.68.

My Mac network SAYS 192.168.1.64.

The ping test instrustions dont work for a macbook.

[Kumar0307]

@Bard1970

I think this issue needs some additional technical assistance that can be better provided through one-on-one interaction with our HP Support team.

I would request you to contact them for further assistance.

Click on this link to contact HP.

Keep me posted for any other assistance.

[Bard1970]

Thanks but that  link is asking me to sign in? Is it the same details that I used in this forum as I'm not aware of signing in there before? Also do you not have Macbooks there at HP so as to be able to give me the exact instructions on network pinging?

Thanks

[Kumar0307]

@Bard1970

You may use the same credentials to sign in.

The instructions to PING are the same as described in my previous post.

Refer to this document for more info.

You will have to enter the printers IP address in the box and then click on Ping.

If you are not able to Ping, go to safari, type in the IP address of the printer in the address bar and click on go

If you get any security notification, click on show details/advanced and 'proceed to this website'.

Check if you are able to login to the Home page of the printer. By this, we can check if the printer and the MAC are able to communicate with each other.

Keep me posted.

[Bard1970]

Hi Kumar,

Thanks for th eupdate.

I don't know what version of Apple OS you are using but your image looks VERY dated. TYhis is what Network looks like in OS 10.14.6 -- pls see images.

Not sure I know the Printer web address in Safari, besides I already know that the Mac can talk to the Printer via wifi.
The problem is that this connection can NEVER be relied on. Some days it works and other days it doesn't. Is there some order in which the wifi of each machine (printer and Macbook) must be turned on because that is the only thing I can think of that is different each time I try to get tis "Printer" to scan.

Thanks again.

[KrazyToad]

@Bard1970

You could try assigning a Manual IP Address and check if that helps

- Print a Network Config Page from the front of the printer. Note the printer's IP address.
- Type that IP address into a browser to reveal the printer's internal settings.
- Choose the Networking tab, then Wireless along the left side, then the IPv4 tab.
- On this screen you want to set a Manual IP. You need to set an IP address outside the range that the router automatically sets (called the DHCP range). If you do not know the range, change the last set of numbers (those after the last '.') to 250
- Use 255.255.255.0 for the subnet (unless you know it is different, if so, use that)
- Enter your router's IP (on the Network Config Page) for the gateway.
- Enter 8.8.8.8 for the first DNS and 8.8.4.4 for the second DNS. This is Google DNS. 
- Click 'Apply'.
 

Keep me posted