If your printer says offline, it has lost connection with the ethernet. This may be due to a settings issue or a broken cable.
How many times have you asked yourself “Why is my printer offline?”, Googled it for 20 minutes and then ready to throw it out of the window in pure frustration.
Most of us have at one point, suffered a love/hate relationship with our home or office printer. Just when you needed to rely on a usually trusted friend and then ultimately lets you down – well, that’s tech for you. Today we aim to correct this annoying problem with the ultimate guide on how to get your printer back online.
We will cover the major brands including HP, Epson, Brother, and Canon. Focus on compatibility issues with Windows 7, 8, and 10. Furthermore, we take no prisoners with laser or inkjets. They are all family to us here at funphotocreator.com.
The sole aim is giving much-needed care and attention to our old trusty printers. Let’s start by looking at some common issues that might get you back up and running in just a couple of minutes.
3 Ninja quick fixes to solve the “why is my printer offline? conundrum
Sounds silly but sometimes the answer to the problem is right in front of your face. Let’s rip through some quick fixes:
Quick Fix One for Wi-Fi printers: Computer cannot connect or drops connection with the printer
If randomly hp printer keeps going offline and you use WiFi to connect, then it could be a coverage issue. Have you moved your printer to another room? To check if your wireless printer can connect to your internet do the following:
- Access the printer diagnostics panel (under settings) on the LCD screen of your printer. If you do not have an LCD enabled printer then you can check via your PC control panel.
- Look for the connectivity or Wi-Fi connection option. If it displays offline then you need to re-connect your printer with your WiFi.
- Check to see if your computer has it’s WiFi radio checked on. On laptops it can easily be disconnected by pressing FN +F3. This is a common issue.
- Move your printer close to your computer and run through the installation Wizard gain. Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions precisely. This includes the order of installing the software and connecting the printer to your computer.
Quick Fix Two: Printer drivers need updating
When your PC updates with security fix or installs new software your computer registry settings often change. This can cause issues with devices. To update your printer drivers in Windows 10 (it doesn't matter if you are connected via LAN or Wifi):
- Click Start >> Device Manager (or search device manager) >> Find a printer in the list.
- Select the device then right click >> update driver.
- Select use the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option.
- If windows cannot locate the driver then go direct to the manufacturer's website and download the official driver. (Canon, HP, Brother, and Epson all have dedicated driver download pages.)
Where can I find official drivers for my printer?
No need to search online for links, we have gathered HP, Epson, Brother, and Canon download driver download pages for you:
Quick Fix Three: Force the status of the printer to online
Did you know that you can manually force the status of a wireless printer to go online? It’s a quick and easy way to see if you can fix the “why is my printer offline” issue:
- Uninstall the printer via device manager. (See Quick Fix Two to find out how to access DM).
- Select the printer, then click “remove device”.
- Finally, to add your printer, select “printers and scanners” option >> Add a printer.
- Windows will scan your PC and then install the printer for you.
Hopefully these quick fixes work. Next, let’s look at ethernet or wired printer offline issues and how to fix them.
Why is my USB / Ethernet Printer Displaying Offline?
A “wired printer” should be easier to fix in theory because you should not network connectivity issues that surround Wi-Fi.
Most printers come shipped with a USB cable. If after installation your printer does not work, then try another cable. A faulty ethernet or USB cable is the likely cause. Try the cable on another device, if it works then it could be LAN issue where the IP of the printer is not in communication with the network router.
If this is the case then a clean installation of the printer will likely fix the problem, if this persists then check your network router as there maybe MAC address conflict with other devices on your networks such as an Xbox, PlayStation or TV box. If you can plug in your printer via ethernet cable and not use the wireless (WiFi) feature then this would help with elimination coverage issues.
Conclusion :
We hope you find the above tips useful (answering the why is my printer offline question once for an all) and that you don’t end up fighting (and losing) with your laser or inkjet printer. If your printer is new, then, of course, it is covered under warranty and you can simply send it back for a replacement.
Older printers are harder to troubleshoot and can simply wear out depending on usage. It could well be time to look for a newer model that is more efficient, quieter, and produces better print quality.
Visit here for 123.hp.com/setup and installation on your Device Either using Windows & MAC.
