XPS13 Loses Connection with Network Printer

Question

Hi there,

This is a minor but slightly annoying problem with my XPS13 9300 using Windows 10 Pro. Randomly, the laptop loses touch with my network HP printer and, for example, when I print a document it just sits in the queue. Another example would be opening the HP Smart App to take a scan, and the printer shows as off line, even though it isn't.

Restarting the laptop fixes the problem, but I have also found an even simpler solution. If I open Windows, Settings, Printers and Scanners and 'Run the Troubleshooter', it fixes the problem almost immediately (during the 'detecting problems' phase) and I don't even have to choose the printer and run the troubleshooter. If there is a document in the print queue it simply starts printing, and if the HP Smart App is open the printer immediately shows up and I can scan.

For info, this problem also happens with a completely different printer on a different network, so I don't think it is the printer. I can also print a document from my phone even though a print has failed from my laptop, so I don't think it is a network issue.

Usually, when the problem has been 'reset' I can print many documents without issue. Other times I can print one document and then the next one doesn't work and I have to resort to the troubleshooter trick.

With such an easy solution I have lived with this for a couple of years now, but it would be nice to resolve it if anyone has any ideas.

Earl Magnus · Answer

This is almost certainly a Windows issue rather than a Dell issue. With that said, assigning the printer a static address may fix your problem. The change would need to be made in three places:

Find out how to reserve one or more network addresses on your router for static assignment. Or, there may be a way of telling the router that your printer's address should be static.
Set the static address on your printer. You may have to change the printer's IP address assignment from dynamic or DHCP to static first.
Remove and re-add you printer with its new static address on your laptop

With a static address, Windows will not have to rediscover the address of the printer.

Dunstan1 · Answer

Earl, thanks for taking the time to reply and I appreciate your response. I did wonder whether to post on a Windows forum, or even an HP one, but the Dell community seems to be a bit friendlier somehow!

I will give your solution a try and report back. Best wishes.

XPS

XPS13 Loses Connection with Network Printer

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