Network printer offline

[sheeny (Al)]

I need some help to get my network printer back on line.

I have an Epson AL-C1100N network printer. It is connected by fixed IP address (192.168.1.110). Comms to the printer is normal (I can access the printer menu at 192.168.1.110). The printer shows no errors, LCD display shows it as Ready.

Both my windows 7 PC and my XP laptop show the printer as "offline". I haven't been able to find anything on the web that has helped. EpsonNet software (used to configure the printer) doesn't show anything unusual.

Any help or suggestions welcome. I have been exercising my vocabulary...

Al.

[RB (Andrew)]

I don't know much about them Al and this may be totally wrong but check your firewall/security suite settings maybe?

I have my printer on a belkin wifi thingy and I had to change some settings to ESET/firewall to get it working.

Worth having a look.
Sorry can't help further.

[wasyoungonce (Brendan)]

I have a Brother Laser on network with fixed IP. Same thing started occurring. Could see it on other computers but one could not.

Eventually twigged by unplugging LAN cable and re-inserting it recycled it an all is good....then same thing happened again the next day.

Eventually put printer on another LAN port and has been good since.

Logic as to why this fixed the issue? There is none!

[sheeny (Al)]

Originally Posted by RB

I have my printer on a belkin wifi thingy and I had to change some settings to ESET/firewall to get it working.

Worth having a look.
Sorry can't help further.

I've had a look and I can't see anything obvious. It was working before without any mods to ESET or firewall anyway.

Originally Posted by wasyoungonce

Eventually put printer on another LAN port and has been good since.

Logic as to why this fixed the issue? There is none!

Sorry, didn't work this time. No change.

Al.

[michaellxv (Michael)]

I don't have an Epson, but try taking the toner cartridge out and putting it back in.

[sheeny (Al)]

I have finally solved it. Windows 7 decided to revert to the previous network port setting (192.168.0.110) which I set up when the new router defaulted to 192.168.0.1. This resulted in no access to my NAS drive, so I have to change everything back to 192.168.1.1 based net to get access to my drive. Everything was working fine including the printer.

For some reason unknown to mankind, W7 took it upon itself to go back to 192.168.0.1 based network just for the printer. Corrected that now and all is good in W7. Tried to do the same on my XP lappy and won;t play the game... eventually pressed "Use printer online" and presto its away... The Use Printer Online option wouldn't work before... (and the printer is mapped separately not through my W7 machine.

Problem solved for now.

Yet another exercise in vocabulary practice finally over.

Al.

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by sheeny

I have finally solved it. Windows 7 decided to revert to the previous network port setting (192.168.0.110) which I set up when the new router defaulted to 192.168.0.1.

That's odd. I have a Samsung Color Laser printer that keeps on changing IP on Win7 as well. I can't seem to stick it to a static one. It's driving me nuts and I resorted to set up multiple printers with a number in the end. Might be something similar.

[sheeny (Al)]

It does sound similar Marc.



Al.

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by sheeny

It does sound similar Marc.



Al.

On a brighter note my boy started his networking fundamental course this semester so I'm contracting him soon

[sheeny (Al)]

That's the way! Breed your own IT help. My oldest son is a Computer Scientist. He's the first to tell me he's no networking guru but he built me a a nice PC!

Al.

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by sheeny

That's the way! Breed your own IT help. My oldest son is a Computer Scientist. He's the first to tell me he's no networking guru but he built me a a nice PC!

Al.

That's right mate - ROI

[mithrandir (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by multiweb

That's odd. I have a Samsung Color Laser printer that keeps on changing IP on Win7 as well. I can't seem to stick it to a static one. It's driving me nuts and I resorted to set up multiple printers with a number in the end. Might be something similar.

Marc and Al, what is providing the DHCP service? If it is Windows replace with a proper DHCP server. Your router will do a better job, and any *nix system with ISC DHCP will leave it for dead (once you know how to configure it). A DHCP server is required to always give a system the same IP and M$ does not without setting reserved allocations.

Some printers have issues with DHCP if they are not being given a lease with a very long expiry time (2 years is not unknown). This is a DHCP server configuration option.

Since your firewall probably can not cope with devices (eg printer, NAS) changing addresses you should tell the DHCP server to allocate them static addresses.

[sheeny (Al)]

In my case, the router does my DHCP. Fixed addresses for the printer and the NAS. I don't know why W7 decided to change the port address for the printer...

Al.

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by sheeny

In my case, the router does my DHCP. Fixed addresses for the printer and the NAS. I don't know why W7 decided to change the port address for the printer...

Al.

Same here. I use a Billion Bipac 7800NL. The printer is hardwired to the router via ethernet. It can work as a wireless but was dropping out.

[icytailmark (Mark)]

reinstall the printer driver and under the printer settings make sure use printer offline is unticked. Make sure the printer is set to default. Make sure the IP address is set correctly on the printer itself. Dont need to bother making your printer and NAS static IP address just let your router assign them IP automatically. IF all else fails reset your router and start from scratch.

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by icytailmark

reinstall the printer driver and under the printer settings make sure use printer offline is unticked.

Will try that. Didn't realise use printer offline should be unticked.

[icytailmark (Mark)]

sheeny another option might be to turn off DHCP on your router and assign each device an IP address for example: 192.168.1.5 for a computer 192.168.1.6 for another computer etc etc. But that kinda tricky way of doing it.