Printer “unreachable” on Chromebook?

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I’ve been printing fine for years with my HP Chromebook to an HP printer.  Just did the latest Chrome update and now all of a sudden I get a message that my “printer is unreachable”.  Did the update 2 days ago and just tried to print something and keep getting this message.  Maybe the timing is a coincidence, but I feel like it could be the latest Chrome update causing the problem.  The printer works fine if I try to print to it from my Iphone.  I saw somewhere about cloudprint not being compatible after the first of next year but I don’t think that is the problem now?  Anyone else having this problem?  Any sugestions?

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Can you connect to the printer via its web interface? I assume it has wifi or ethernet.

Are you using cloud print or direct? I’d go direct – you will have to soon.

cheers, Paul

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I have been using the web interface to connect.  This morning it says it’s “unreachable”.  In looking at the IP address on the Chromebook under Settings for the printer – it appears to be using the MAC Hardware address instead of the IP address.  Maybe I should edit this to be the IP address – which is what I’m assuming that it wants?  I wonder if this is what got changed somehow with the latest Chrome OS update?  By the way – I’m now on version 86.0.4240.77.

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Paul – when you say “direct” – what exactly do you mean?  I just re-read what you wrote and now I’m not sure.  I’ve printed out the HP Network Configuration Page and there are 2 different sections.  One is 802.11 Wireless and the other is Wi-Fi Direct.  If I were to change the IP address – which one should I use.  There are 2 different addresses – one under the 802.11 section and one under the Wi-Fi direct section.  Boy – am I ever confused now!

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Well, I guess I fixed the problem. I deleted the printer as it was shown, and added it like it was a new printer.  I input the correct IP address (not the one that it had been showing) and now it prints fine.  I am assuming the the OS update somehow changed the  IP address?  Anyway – it is working for now.

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Myst

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The IP change was made by your router. Did you change it / reset it?

cheers, Paul

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No – I did not reset the router.  When I printed out my HP printers Network Configuration page I noticed that the number for the IP address shown was not what was listed when I looked at my printer information on my Chromebook under Settings.  The IP address the Chromebook was showing was actually the Hardware Address (MAC) listed on the printers Configuration Page.  I can’t imagine how it would have been changed from the IP address to the MAC address!

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Not having a Chromebook I can’t check how printers are setup.
Anyone with a CB who can tell us?

cheers, Paul

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This is 2020, not 1990 – it is absolute incompetence on behalf of google and the printer companies that they can’t auto-handshake, detect and fix the problem without human intervention!  The companies are so greedy taking money in, but don’t seem to spend any of it making our lives easier.

I have 2 kids with chromebooks – 1 continues to print just fine, while the other says “printer unreachable” and “can’t connect to printer.”  I’ve uninstalled and installed the printer.

I have no idea how to manually check the IP address of a printer (and I shouldn’t have to, but I’m trying to learn since the companies don’t care to get it right).  Frustration!

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Highsierra46

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Couldn’t agree more! This is ridiculous. I’m a computer programmer and I find this so frustrating.

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I am having the same problem. After hrs and hrs I finally got my chromebook to print, however whatever I did my mobile stopped printing. Many hrs later neither my Chromebook nor my mobile will print.

 

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You need to tell us what you’ve tried and what you did between it working and not working.

cheers, Paul

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Ok I am having this issue as well. I removed the printer but how do I “Manually” add the printer? I have typed MFP M426fdw a hundred times but the add button wont engage so I can choose it. What do I do?

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That name will probably not be the one the printer uses.

Log onto your router and look for DHCP clients / leases. You should see your machine, the printer and any other devices you have on your network.
You can either add the printer name or IP address.

cheers, Paul

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I’m having the same issue with the CB saying that the printer is “unreachable” I’m on the beta 90 update, but the desktop PC isn’t wanting to print either. The printer is a workforce 630

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And here I thought the problem was just with the (old) Canon MX922 printer on our house WiFi.  I’ve had to fight this same problems every month or two for the past two years.  This morning, the Chromebook is back to “Failed – Printer unreachable”, the Windows 11 laptop just says “Error-Printing”.  I don’t understand the pattern for when it works and when it doesn’t.  Sometimes a page will appear from the printer a day or two after I sent it!

Sometimes power cycling the WiFi router makes things start working, most times not.  Power cycling the printer doesn’t seem to make much difference…

My head hurts this AM.

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If you assign the printer a static IP address in the printer’s menu (on the printer) and/or you reserve that IP address for the printer in your Router, that may cease to be a problem as the printer doesn’t move around by DHCP IP assignment.

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Highsierra46

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I ran into this problem in the middle of a pdf file that seemed to be formatted strangely and wanted to print a little extra that ran over to the next page. Not sure if that contributed to the problem or was just a coincidence, but I believe my HP printer queue got full or stuck and wouldn’t clear. I also I tried all the usual stuff from the keyboard, and nothing helped, plus rebooted and unplugged everything multiple times. And I’m not printing wirelessly – I’m using a USB so it wasn’t some wireless communication issue. Finally, I fixed it simply by manually resetting the printer – pulling the power cord out of the back of the printer and simultaneously plugging it back in while I held the power button down for 20 seconds. Then released. Seemed to clear everything and worked great after that. I didn’t need to re-setup up my printer on my computer or do anything else.

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I can’t get past printing unreachable. I will be smashing this horrible printer HP deskjet 1510 series. Wow this sucks.

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I have no idea what BBCodes is or how to format. I usually just use a USB and plug it in and it works. I can’t get it to work.

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If you plugged it into a USB port the computer should see it. Has it ever worked?
Do you have another USB cable to try?
Can you plug it into another machine to try?

cheers, Paul

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