topic Re: PIXMA G3270- wifi prints to slow, USB cable wont connect in Printer Software & Networking

PIXMA G3270- wifi prints to slow, USB cable wont connect

Tanya905 — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 22:21:42 GMT

My printer worked when connected to wifi, but it was painfully slow- too over 10 mins to print one page on pain paper in draft mode. I bought a cable to connect directly to my mac mini and now it wont find the printer at all.
I tried turning off the wifi on the printer - i turned off the printer for a few minutes and turned if back on - I removed the printer from settings and reset the printing system. downloaded the full driver from the cannon site and went through the full set up, choosing USB connection. but i still cant add the printer back to the mac.

When i click "add printer,scanner or fax, the printer is there (under default) but when i click "add" it goes to "setting up the device" and i want for 5 mins before it tells me "an error occurred while trying to add the selected device. unalbe to communicate with the printer at this time"

a quick google search tells me this printer has problems with the wifi AND with USB cables? what do i do here?

Re: PIXMA G3270- wifi prints to slow, USB cable wont connect

DerrickL — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 00:15:44 GMT

Uninstall the printer again, and disconnect it from your mini-mac, don't connect again until the installation prompts you to do so.

Connecting Canon PIXMA G3270 to Mac Mini via USB

Requirements

Canon PIXMA G3270 printer
USB cable (included)
Mac Mini
Canon driver/software (downloadable)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prepare the Printer:
- Unbox and assemble the printer.
- Connect the power cord and turn on the printer.
- Ensure the ink tanks are filled and paper is loaded.
Download Canon Drivers:
- Open a web browser on your Mac Mini.
- Go to the Canon support website: ij.start.canon.
- Enter "G3270" in the search box and select your printer model.
- Download the appropriate driver for macOS.
Install the Driver:
- Locate the downloaded file (usually in the Downloads folder).
- Double-click the file to start the installation.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
Connect the Printer:
- Use a USB cable to connect the printer to the Mac Mini.
- The Mac should automatically recognize the printer.
Set Up the Printer:
- Go to "System Preferences" on your Mac.
- Click on "Printers & Scanners."
- Your Canon PIXMA G3270 should appear in the list. If not, click the "+" button to add it.
Test the Connection:
- Print a test page to ensure everything is working correctly.

Following these steps will successfully connect your Canon PIXMA G3270 to your Mac Mini using a USB cable.

Re: PIXMA G3270- wifi prints to slow, USB cable wont connect

Tanya905 — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 00:17:45 GMT

thankyou for taking the time to reply. I've done all these things several times. The printer does appear in the list, but im never able to add it- it just gives me that error . I've beenn working on it for hours. i've finally disconected the cable and connected back to wifi. but i want to connect by cable so it's faster- takes forever over wifi

Re: PIXMA G3270- wifi prints to slow, USB cable wont connect

DerrickL — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 03:16:58 GMT

Could the cable be damaged?

Re: PIXMA G3270- wifi prints to slow, USB cable wont connect

shadowsports — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 14:51:58 GMT

Hi Tanya,

The G3270 supports 2.4 / 5 GHz Wireless and WPA3 security. 2.4 has greater range than 5G, but the latter supports higher bandwidth. This printer allows multiple simultaneous connections, example USB and wireless at the same time.

Let's get some additional information please.

What is the proximity (distance) of your printer to your wireless network? Same room, different floor, etc?

Are you using a single router or a mesh system. Please describe, we would like to understand your network environment.

Thank you for telling us you're using the printer with a MAC.

As my colleague mentioned a faulty or incorrect USB cable can keep the printer from being properly detected. If you are using an adapter to change the connector or connecting to a hub instead of directly to the computer, this can also cause detection issues.

Printing should not take 10 minutes. This type of behavior would indicate a connection problem or issue with the printer drivers.

We can provide additional information once you answer the questions in this reply. 🙂

Re: PIXMA G3270- wifi prints to slow, USB cable wont connect

Tanya905 — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 14:57:40 GMT

I thought that as well, but my mac recognizes that the cable is connected, and when i am in "printers and scanners" the printer is there, showing connected via USB. so i think the cord is fine- When i click "add" it tries, but then comes back with an error that the printer cant be added🤷🏼‍♀️

Re: PIXMA G3270- wifi prints to slow, USB cable wont connect

Tanya905 — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 15:02:36 GMT

the printer is in the same room as my mac- router is below on the lower level.

im connecting the cable directly into the mac mini. se my reply about the cable (not the issue)

I dont use wifi with my mac- I am hardwired. I could turn on wifi to print I guess, but that is not idea

Re: PIXMA G3270- wifi prints to slow, USB cable wont connect

shadowsports — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 16:23:55 GMT

Good morning,

While wireless is not required, it is more flexible than a USB connection because it allows any device connecting to your network regardless of interface to utilize the printer. Using a USB connection is more limiting and is generally convenient for printing from a single device only.

Depending on obstructions and building materials a wireless connection could be challenging. Again this depends on proximity and what's in between, stone, glass, plumbing heating ducts, Etc. Since 2.4 GHz has greater range that's probably the band I would target connecting to if you decide to use wireless at any point.

Let's explore USB. You indicated that the printer appears in your printer and scanners applet, but you are unable to add it. You wouldn't want to try to add the printer twice. This would definitely create problems.

Let's start over, this will only take a couple of minutes. Start by disconnecting the USB cable from your MAC.

Next open the printers and scanner dialogue on your MAC, select the printer and press the minus key (-) to remove it. Close this dialogue and open up the Applications folder. You can get there using Finder.

If you installed any Cannon software please drag the application(s) to the trash can, uninstall them.

Important. When complete restart your MAC.

When you're back on your desktop , visit the link below and select downloads, then MAC, and the version of Mac OS that you are running.

https://www.usa.canon.com/support/p/pixma-g3270

Download the Master Setup and the IJ Scan Utility Lite.

Run the master set up utility. During the driver installation process it will prompt you to connect the printer to a USB port. Do not connect the printer until prompted to do so.

It may include the IJ scan utility but if it doesn't run that one after. You should now have Printing and Scanning ability.

Please test both and let us know how it goes.

Re: PIXMA G3270- wifi prints to slow, USB cable wont connect

Stephen — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 14:08:50 GMT

It sounds like you've been through a gauntlet trying to get this G3270 to behave. I can certainly see how that would be frustrating, especially when you’ve already gone the extra mile of buying hardware and doing a full driver reinstall.

The "painfully slow" Wi-Fi performance (10 minutes for a draft page) is almost always a symptom of a weak signal or "channel congestion." Most PIXMA units operate on the 2.4GHz band. If your Mac is on 5GHz or if your router is trying to automatically switch the printer between bands, the data packets often get dropped or delayed indefinitely.

The USB issue is a bit more specific. If the Mac sees the printer in the "Add" menu but timed out during setup, it’s a sign that the macOS "CUPS" (Common Unix Printing System) is stuck. Essentially, it's looking for the printer at its old "network address" while the physical cable is trying to tell it to look at the USB port.

Advice over coffee:

Reset the Mac Printing System: This is the "nuclear option" for Mac printing issues. Go to System Settings > Printers & Scanners. Control-click anywhere in the list of printers and select "Reset printing system." This will remove all printers, so you'll have to add them back, but it clears the communication cache that is likely causing that timeout.
Toggle the Printer Interface: Make sure the Wi-Fi on the printer is explicitly turned OFF while you are trying to set up the USB. Sometimes the dual active interfaces cause the internal controller to hang.
The Cable/Port Check: Mac Minis can be picky about power draw on USB ports. Try a different port on the back of the Mini and ensure the cable is no longer than 6 feet.

If that setup screen still gives you an error after the system reset, the best path forward is to speak with one of our support specialists directly. They can look at your specific macOS version and help clear out any deeper library conflicts.

For illustration purposes only. May contain errors.

For Support, call 1-800-OK-CANON (800-652-2666) weekdays from 9am to 6pm (ET), or visit your Canon Account at https://canon.us/account for personalized support options.

Re: PIXMA G3270- wifi prints to slow, USB cable wont connect

Tanya905 — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 15:09:22 GMT

thank you for your detailed reply- I did do all these steps and nothing was working. Im thinking it might be a mac problem, which will resolve with a new update? Right now i am using the printer via wireless direct (connecting to my computer instead of the router) and it's better🤷🏼‍♀️