Printer Cannot Be Contacted Over Network: Fixes

If your computer says it cannot contact the printer over the network, the printer is either offline, on a different subnet, or the print spooler service has stalled. This guide walks you through the most common causes and the exact steps to restore the connection, starting with the quickest fixes and moving to deeper troubleshooting.

Why This Happens

Network printers rely on a chain of connections: the printer must be powered on and connected to the same Wi-Fi or Ethernet network as your computer, the printer’s IP address must be reachable, and the computer’s print spooler service must be running. A break at any link produces the same generic error. Common culprits include:

• The printer went to sleep and did not wake up when the print job was sent.
• The printer’s IP address changed (DHCP lease renewal) while the computer still points to the old address.
• A firewall on the computer or router is blocking the printer’s communication ports (usually 9100 for raw printing, 631 for IPP, and 515 for LPR).
• The print spooler service crashed or is hung, which stops all print jobs.
• The printer is connected to a guest Wi-Fi network or a different subnet than the computer.

Quick Checks to Run First

Before diving into driver reinstallations, run these five checks. They resolve about half of all network printer issues in under two minutes.

1. Confirm the printer is on and awake. Look at the printer’s display. If it is dark, press a button or touch the screen. Some printers do not wake from sleep when a print job arrives if the job is sent while the printer is in deep sleep.
2. Print a network configuration page. Most printers have a menu option under Settings or Network that prints a page showing the current IP address, subnet mask, and gateway. This page is your ground truth.
3. Ping the printer’s IP address. On Windows, open Command Prompt and type ping [printer IP]. On macOS, open Terminal and type the same. If you get replies, the network path is alive. If you get timeout, the printer is not reachable at that address.
4. Check the printer’s Wi-Fi signal. If the printer is far from the router, the signal may be too weak. Move it closer or use a wired Ethernet connection temporarily.
5. Restart both the printer and the computer. Turn the printer off, wait 30 seconds, turn it on. Also restart the computer. This clears most temporary glitches.

Fix the IP Address Issue

The most common cause of “cannot be contacted� is a changed IP address. Home routers use DHCP, which assigns addresses dynamically. When the printer’s lease expires, it may get a new address. The computer still has the old address in its printer port settings.

To fix this on Windows:

1. Open Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
2. Right-click your printer and select Printer Properties.
3. Click the Ports tab. Look for a port with a checkmark. It will likely be a “Standard TCP/IP Port� with an IP address.
4. Click Configure Port. You will see the IP address the computer is using.
5. Compare it to the IP address on the printer’s network configuration page. If they differ, update the port to the new IP and click OK.

To prevent this from recurring, assign a static IP address to the printer. You can do this in the router’s DHCP reservation settings (using the printer’s MAC address) or directly on the printer’s network menu. A static IP ensures the address never changes.

Restart the Print Spooler Service

The print spooler is a background service on your computer that manages all print jobs. If it crashes, every printer shows as “offline� or “cannot be contacted.� Restarting it is safe and takes less than a minute.

On Windows:

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Scroll down to Print Spooler. Right-click it and select Restart.
3. If it is not running, right-click and select Start.

On macOS: The spooler is not a separate service you can restart easily. Instead, open System Settings > Printers & Scanners, select the printer, and click the minus button to remove it. Then click the plus button to re-add it. This resets the spooler connection.

Check Firewall and Port Settings

Windows Firewall or third-party security software can silently block printer communication. The printer uses specific ports that must be open for inbound and outbound traffic.

• Port 9100 – Raw printing (most common for TCP/IP ports)
• Port 631 – IPP (Internet Printing Protocol)
• Port 515 – LPR (Line Printer Remote)

To test if the firewall is the issue: Temporarily disable Windows Firewall (or your third-party firewall) and try printing. If it works, the firewall is the culprit. Re-enable the firewall and add an exception for the printer’s IP address or for the print spooler application. Do not leave the firewall disabled.

Reinstall the Printer Driver

If the network connection is fine (ping works) but the printer still cannot be contacted, the driver may be corrupted or outdated. A clean reinstall often fixes this.

1. Remove the printer from your system: Devices and Printers (Windows) or Printers & Scanners (macOS). Right-click and select Remove device.
2. Download the latest driver from the printer manufacturer’s website. Do not use the CD that came with the printer – it is likely outdated.
3. Run the installer. When prompted, choose Network or Wireless connection, not USB.
4. Let the installer search for the printer. If it does not find it, enter the printer’s IP address manually.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my printer show “offline� even though it is on?

This usually means the computer has lost the connection to the printer. Check the printer’s IP address on its network page and compare it to the port settings on your computer. Also, check if the printer is in sleep mode – wake it up by pressing a button. On Windows, you can also go to Devices and Printers, right-click the printer, and uncheck “Use Printer Offline� if that option is selected.

Can I connect to a network printer using its hostname instead of IP?

Yes. In the port settings, instead of entering an IP address, you can enter the printer’s hostname (e.g., HP1234.local). This is more reliable if the IP changes, because the hostname resolves to the current IP via mDNS or DNS. However, not all routers support this, and the hostname must be correct.

What does “printer not responding� mean?

It is the same as “cannot be contacted.� The computer sent a request to the printer, but the printer did not reply. The cause is almost always network-related – IP mismatch, firewall, or the printer being asleep. Work through the quick checks first, then the IP fix, then the spooler restart.

Why does my printer work on one computer but not another?

If one computer can print and another cannot, the issue is specific to the failing computer. Check its firewall settings, print spooler status, and whether the printer driver is installed correctly. Also verify that both computers are on the same network segment – if one is on a guest Wi-Fi and the other on the main network, they cannot see each other.

Do I need to reinstall the driver after every Windows update?

No. Windows updates rarely break printer drivers, but they can change firewall rules or network settings. If a printer stops working after a major Windows update, first try the spooler restart and IP check. Reinstall the driver only if those fail.

Is it better to connect the printer via USB instead of network?

USB is more reliable for a single computer because it avoids network issues entirely. But it only works for that one computer. If you need multiple computers to print, network is the way to go. For a home office with one computer, USB is a simpler fix.

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