If you attempt to print across a network and you see a message telling you that the printer is offline, here are some things to check.
- Is the printer plugged in and powered on? If not, make sure that the printer is plugged in. Then, use the power button to turn it on. After the printer is powered on, you can go into the printer driver setup window and adjust the Auto Power settings. This will allow you to turn the printer on when sending a print job.
NOTE: Not all printer models have this feature.
- Are the printer and the computer connected to the same network? To verify this, print out the network settings and check the listing for the SSID. Make sure that it matches the name of the network your computer is connected to.
- Is the printer's signal strength low due to its distance from the access point (or wireless router)? Move the printer closer to the access point (or wireless router). To check signal strength, print out the network settings and check the listing for signal strength, the higher the percentage, the stronger the signal.
- You may need to power cycle the printer and wireless router. This can restore network communication.
- Is the Use Printer Offline option enabled? To check, follow this procedure.
- Hold the Windows
key on the keyboard and type the letter R. This will open a Run box.
- In the Run box, type control printers and click OK.
- Right-click on the icon for your printer, then click See what's printing.
- Click the Printer menu, then remove the check from Use Printer Offline.
- Try to print again.
If this does not resolve the problem:
- Are you sending the print job to the correct printer? If the print job is sent to a printer that was disconnected from the computer, you may experience this error.
Example: Canon MG6800 series printer is connected to the PC wirelessly. Print job sent to a Canon iP8700 series printer that was connected via USB but is no longer connected will result in the following:
Print job sent to Canon MG6800 series printer:
