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“Communication not available” message appears when printing
wirelessly
Try one or more of the following:
M
AKE
SURE
YOUR
COMPUTER
AND
PRINTER
HAVE
VALID
IP
ADDRESSES
FOR
THE
NETWORK
If you are using a laptop and have power saving settings enabled, then you may see the ”Communication
not available” message on your computer screen when you attempt to print wirelessly. This can occur
if the laptop hard drive has powered down.
If you see this message, then wait a few seconds and then try to print again. The laptop and printer
require a few seconds to power up again and reconnect to the wireless network.
If you see this message again after you have waited long enough for the printer and the laptop to
connect to the network, then there may be a problem with your wireless network.
Make sure that the laptop and printer have both received IP addresses:
For Windows users
1 Open the command window.
In Windows 8
From the Search charm, type run, and then navigate to:
Apps list > Run > type cmd > OK
In Windows 7 or earlier
a Click , or click Start and then click Run.
b In the Start Search or Run dialog, type cmd.
c Press Enter, or click OK.
2 Type ipconfig, and then press Enter.
The IP address appears as four sets of numbers separated by periods, such as 192.168.0.100.
For Macintosh users
1 From the Apple menu, navigate to:
About This Mac > More Info
2 From the Contents pane, choose Network.
3 If you are connected over a wireless network, then choose AirPort from the Active Services list.
The Router entry is typically the access point.
Locating the printer IP address
• From the printer, print a network setup page.
In the TCP/IP section, look for Address.
• View the printer settings.
From the printer control panel, navigate to either of the following:
– > Setup >
OK
> Network Setup >
OK
> Wireless 802.11 b/g/n >
OK
> Network Connection
Setup >
OK
> TCP/IP >
OK
> IP Address >
OK
– > Setup >
OK
> Network Setup >
OK
> Ethernet 10/100 >
OK
> Network Connection
Setup >
OK
> TCP/IP >
OK
> IP Address >
OK
If the printer or the laptop does not have an IP address, or if either has an address of 169.254.x.y (where
x and y are any two numbers between 0 and 255), then do the following:
1 Turn off the device that does not have a valid IP address (the laptop, the printer, or both).
2 Turn on the device, and then check the IP addresses again.
If the printer or the laptop still does not receive a valid IP address, then there is a problem with your
wireless network. Try the following:
• Make sure your access point (wireless router) is turned on and is working.
• Remove any objects that could be blocking the signal.
• Temporarily turn off any unnecessary wireless devices on your network and pause any
network‑intensive activities, like large file transfers or network games. If the network is too busy,
then it is possible that the printer is not receiving the IP address within the allowed time.
• Make sure your DHCP server, which may also be your wireless router, is working and is configured
to assign IP addresses. If you are not sure how to do this, then refer to the manual that came with
your wireless router.
If the printer and computer have valid IP addresses and the network is operating correctly, then
continue troubleshooting.
M
AKE
SURE
THE
WIRELESS
PORT
IS
SELECTED
Note: This solution applies to Windows users only.
1 Open the printers folder.
In Windows 8
From the Search charm, type run, and then navigate to:
Apps list > Run > type control printers > OK
In Windows 7 or earlier
a Click , or click Start and then click Run.
b In the Start Search or Run dialog, type control printers.
c Press Enter, or click OK.
2 Right‑click the printer, and then select Printer properties (for Windows 7 or later) or Properties
(earlier versions).
3 Click the Ports tab, and then locate the selected port.
The selected port has a check mark beside it in the Port column.
Troubleshooting 58