Print Jobs Stuck in Queue Despite Printer Being Detected

[PillarWizard]

Hi all,

Looking for ideas on a printing issue:

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🔹 Symptoms:

• Printer's web interface is accessible from all devices.
• Print jobs freeze in the queue and never reach the printer.

---

🔹 Affected Setup:

• 7 laptops (Win 10 & 11); ~half are newly added.
• Some previously worked, now affected.
• Other PCs on the same network can still print fine.
• No recent Windows updates on affected machines.

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🔹 Troubleshooting Done:

1. No IP conflicts.
2. All on Wi-Fi (forced 2.4GHz, disabled 5GHz during testing).
3. Restarted print spooler.
4. Assigned different IP to the printer.

---

🔹 Other Notes:

• Firewall is present, but IT confirms no changes.
• Inconsistent behavior: some users unaffected.

---

Handed this issue over to their IT department but would love to gather some ideas in the meantime, any thoughts would be much appreciated. Cheers

[oscarconil]

Check that the printer port is the IP. Sometimes a different port is automatically installed and causes problems

[ihatefinishers13]

Hi all,

Looking for ideas on a printing issue:

---

🔹 Symptoms:

• Printer's web interface is accessible from all devices.
• Print jobs freeze in the queue and never reach the printer.

---

🔹 Affected Setup:

• 7 laptops (Win 10 & 11); ~half are newly added.
• Some previously worked, now affected.
• Other PCs on the same network can still print fine.
• No recent Windows updates on affected machines.

---

🔹 Troubleshooting Done:

1. No IP conflicts.
2. All on Wi-Fi (forced 2.4GHz, disabled 5GHz during testing).
3. Restarted print spooler.
4. Assigned different IP to the printer.

---

🔹 Other Notes:

• Firewall is present, but IT confirms no changes.
• Inconsistent behavior: some users unaffected.

---

Handed this issue over to their IT department but would love to gather some ideas in the meantime, any thoughts would be much appreciated. Cheers

Wait, so JUST devices on Wifi are having this issue? Is the MFP hardwired in to the network? What if you plug an ethernet cable into them(via adapter if needed) and see if it does the same thing? If the problem goes away, it's something on their IT's end.

[nanohitmen]

Hardwire into the MFP with a laptop, if you can print to it it's their network, if you cant it could be the MFP board.

[PillarWizard]

The print port is correct. Even tried both configuration of Raw and LPR still no success.


The MFP is hardwired into the network, and all units are indeed connected via Wi-Fi.
Will definitely try connecting a laptop directly to the MFP and keep you posted.

[ihatefinishers13]

The print port is correct. Even tried both configuration of Raw and LPR still no success.


The MFP is hardwired into the network, and all units are indeed connected via Wi-Fi.
Will definitely try connecting a laptop directly to the MFP and keep you posted.

Also could try connecting YOUR laptop via Wifi, too, and see what result you get. There are a lot of things that can be done to setup Wifi now, including the ability to give different people different passwords, and that gives you certain permissions. Check and see what credentials they all use to get on the network. Perhaps you can see what network equipment they're using? We use and sell Ubiquiti hardware, and there are a LOT of things you can change for whatever purpose you need.

My guess is a protocol that the printer needs, or maybe the laptop needs to send the job, is getting blocked.

[blackcat4866]

You said that the printer ports are correct, but this sounds like a WSD port has been set. WSD port printers are only detected at initialization, so if for some reason the connection is lost, even momentarily, it will not reconnect until that PC is re-booted. Use the IP address or hostname instead. And those print jobs can get stranded forever in the queue. Sounds familiar.

Also, there is a function checkbox called: Let Windows manage your printers. Turn it OFF. Windows makes bad decisions. I creates multiple print drivers, overrides the ones you installed, and uses generic print drivers. All bad ideas.

[PillarWizard]

[Concluded]:

Thank you for your suggestions.

I connected directly to the MFP using my laptop as well as the user laptops that were previously unable to print — both were successful in printing.

I tested using IPv4, IPv6, and the hostname for the ports, but was unsuccessful. I wasn’t aware of the checkbox you mentioned, so I’ll definitely keep that in mind for the future.

In conclusion, their IT team ended up wiping one of the affected laptops for testing, and it was able to print successfully afterward. They may proceed with the same approach for the remaining devices. At this point, I’m starting to suspect that someone on their staff might be unknowingly withholding information that could help identify the root cause.

I can sleep in peace now knowing our printer is not the cause. Cheers.

[ihatefinishers13]

[Concluded]:

Thank you for your suggestions.

I connected directly to the MFP using my laptop as well as the user laptops that were previously unable to print — both were successful in printing.

I tested using IPv4, IPv6, and the hostname for the ports, but was unsuccessful. I wasn’t aware of the checkbox you mentioned, so I’ll definitely keep that in mind for the future.

In conclusion, their IT team ended up wiping one of the affected laptops for testing, and it was able to print successfully afterward. They may proceed with the same approach for the remaining devices. At this point, I’m starting to suspect that someone on their staff might be unknowingly withholding information that could help identify the root cause.

I can sleep in peace now knowing our printer is not the cause. Cheers.

An IT guy withholding information because they don't want to admit they messed up?? Nooooooo, you must be mistaken!

Since it's unlikely that JUST laptops had an update that was messing with it, perhaps if they "image" their devices, and something in that "image" was corrupt? Also thinking my initial idea of Wifi credentials being restricted could have been it. I'm definitely the kind of guy who likes to play around with different things when they have a new toy. WITH THAT, I wonder if you could have connected the machine and one of the affected laptops to a Mobile Hotspot, and see what happened? May be something to suggest to their IT before they reimage all of those devices.