RootsChat.Com

General => Technical Help => Topic started by: KN on Tuesday 19 October 10 10:13 BST (UK)

Title: wireless printer driving me mad!
Post by: KN on Tuesday 19 October 10 10:13 BST (UK)
Dear Rootschatters

I wonder if anyone out there can shed any light on my printer problem please? I have an HP all-in-one F4280 printer, with its own wireless router that is currently showing all the right lights for being fully functional.

The printer icon on the toolbar of my laptop has a red cross on it, the printer router is described as "offline" by the printer manager.

So, I've got a printer router that says its ready to work, but a laptop that can't find the wireless signal.

Possibly significant is the fact that I have in the last few days migrated from Orange Broadband to BT Broadband, using a new broadband router.  Could the signal from the broadband router be somehow interrupting the printer wireless router signal?

any thoughts would be most appreciated!

KN
Title: Re: wireless printer driving me mad!
Post by: silvery on Tuesday 19 October 10 11:18 BST (UK)
Try clicking 'printer' on the print manager, and unclicking 'work offline'. 

Go to control panel, printers and click on your printer - then click on 'printer'. 

Title: Re: wireless printer driving me mad!
Post by: silvery on Tuesday 19 October 10 11:20 BST (UK)
Your hp help will suggest re-loading the printer via its original disc, and you may have to do this. 
Title: Re: wireless printer driving me mad!
Post by: KN on Tuesday 19 October 10 14:34 BST (UK)
Thank you very much Silvery!

Looks like you have hit the nail on the head - see http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01893360&tmp_task=solveCategory&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=uk&lang=en&product=3390949

Haven't tried it yet, as it looks like it might take a while.  An activity for this evening I think!

thanks

KN
Title: Re: wireless printer driving me mad!
Post by: KN on Wednesday 27 October 10 08:42 BST (UK)
wireless printer problem update - have now uninstalled and reinstalled all printer drivers, turned spooler on and off and done everything as suggested by HP troubleshooting advice.

Still cannot print - as before, lights on printer wireless router suggest that all is well with printer - printer icon on laptop has a red cross on it.

Don't know why!!! ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

any creative suggestions out there please?

KN
Title: Re: wireless printer driving me mad!
Post by: wildcamper on Wednesday 27 October 10 08:47 BST (UK)
hi, did you turn off the router when you re-installed the printer, if not try that, this will reset the ip address and may allow them all to communicate properly,

regards
mike
Title: Re: wireless printer driving me mad!
Post by: kiwihalfpint on Wednesday 27 October 10 09:01 BST (UK)
hi, did you turn off the router when you re-installed the printer, if not try that, this will reset the ip address and may allow them all to communicate properly,

regards
mike

My wireless lights were all lit up ..... Internet was telling me I was connected but could not get on, and when I went to Run and typed in "cmd" found that the IP address was missing.   As Mike suggests have a look.   One thing I learnt with wireless is never switch off at the wall and only take the plug out of the adaptor box,

Cheers
KHP
Title: Re: wireless printer driving me mad!
Post by: KN on Wednesday 27 October 10 10:06 BST (UK)
Thank you very much for your suggestions Mike & KHP - will have another go later today.

fingers crossed!

KN
Title: Re: wireless printer driving me mad!
Post by: kiwihalfpint on Wednesday 27 October 10 10:11 BST (UK)
Forgot to mention that after typing in "cmd" a black box comes up then you have to enter "ipconfig" next to the user name.  I am only going by my experience since I went wireless.


Good luck.


Cheers
KHP :)

Title: Re: wireless printer driving me mad!
Post by: KN on Wednesday 27 October 10 11:46 BST (UK)
hmmmm, thanks KHP.

1.  have been thinking about this and remembered that my router was disconnected whilst I did the uninstall and reinstall of printer drivers as the HP instructions told me to do that.

2. have just done the run, cmd, ipconfig stuff, and getting into the realms of stuff that I really don't understand; however the little black box that came up mentioned plenty of IP addresses, but also some references to "media disconnected".
Wonder if this is significant?

KN
Title: Re: wireless printer driving me mad!
Post by: wildcamper on Wednesday 27 October 10 12:00 BST (UK)
kn, are you using wireless to connect your pc/laptop to the internet? or a cable?
Title: Re: wireless printer driving me mad!
Post by: wildcamper on Wednesday 27 October 10 12:05 BST (UK)
you could also try doing this, "right click my computer, go to manage, go to device manager" looik to see if anything has a red x over it or a warning symbol, if you see a red x over printer, click on that and click on enable, but the "media disconnected" sounds like a wireless issue to me.
Title: Re: wireless printer driving me mad!
Post by: KN on Wednesday 27 October 10 12:31 BST (UK)
Dear KHP

Have been doing a bit of research on both HP and BT websites/forums and discover large numbers of disgruntled printer owners who can't get their wireless printers to work with a BT HomeHub 2. 
The solutions look horribly complicated!
Beginning to feel that life is too short to spend hours fiddling with this, and I'll just plug in a cable when I want to print something!

thanks for your interest in this, much appreciated.

KN
Title: Re: wireless printer driving me mad!
Post by: jksdelver on Wednesday 27 October 10 16:43 BST (UK)
Did you know like other routers you can increase the wireless output on the hub. Just done it at my daughters as my lap top was having difficulty finding the hub. Worked a treat. Think she just googled the key words and it showed the instructions. If you can't find them let me know and I will ask her. I have also done it on my Orange router as well.
Title: Re: wireless printer driving me mad!
Post by: Redroger on Wednesday 27 October 10 19:02 BST (UK)
Does this apply to my situation? I have Virgin cable, but to avoid drilling a hole through the wall I connect to their modem wirelessly using a Netgear router. Sometimes it doesn't connect to Netgear, but to an unidentified network, of which so to speak I know nothing.
Title: Re: wireless printer driving me mad!
Post by: jksdelver on Wednesday 27 October 10 19:19 BST (UK)
Always worth giving it a try I am sure there will be a way to increase the output.
Title: Re: wireless printer driving me mad!
Post by: kiwihalfpint on Wednesday 27 October 10 19:49 BST (UK)
Sorry I couldn't be further help KN.   

Sometimes the big shot technicians will not think of the simple solution, I found that when I rang mine, and had one of the top techies ring me late at home, telling me what to do, unplugging the modem etc to setting up a new account ::)

You could hear the embarrassment in his voice when I mentioned that the problem could be my ISP address.

Cheers
KHP

Title: Re: wireless printer driving me mad!
Post by: Calverley Lad on Wednesday 27 October 10 19:50 BST (UK)
Redroger
Don't forget that if swopping from direct connection to modem to wireless router.
You a) have to switch modem off/on then b) switch on router (allowing 30sec or so) then switch on PC.
Router security itself is a different matter!
 Brian
Title: Re: wireless printer driving me mad!
Post by: kiwihalfpint on Wednesday 27 October 10 20:33 BST (UK)
Correct me if I am wrong, I was told never to push the reset button on the wireless modem or router as this will throw the settings out.    When we were hooked up we were never told the do's and don'ts ..... so it has been a learning curve.



Cheers
KHP
Title: Re: wireless printer driving me mad!
Post by: Calverley Lad on Wednesday 27 October 10 21:12 BST (UK)
KHP
I can't comment on your actions for a modem/router used on a telephone line.
With a cable router, pressing the recessed button reverts the router to default settings.
(Write settings down before hand, keep somewhere safe)
 Brian
Title: Re: wireless printer driving me mad!
Post by: Redroger on Thursday 28 October 10 11:53 BST (UK)
Thanks Brian, It is my usual practice.