MF644cdw - Shows Offline from MAC

[kaushikn]

I have been struggling to get this printer to work consistently on my network from my MACs. Most of the times when I try to print, I get an error.

Opening the Settings --> Printers and Scanners --> Canon 644c,

The banner says that the printer is offline.

Under the print job I get the message Priner - Unable to find printer

• The printer is on
• The printer is close to the wifi router
• I am using a reserved ip address for the printer (so that I have the same ip each time)
• I can access the printer from the browser using the ip address
• I was able to print from a moblie phone
• I can scan from the Canon Print Business mobile app
• I have installed the latest drivers from the support site on the PCs 
• I have tried to use the Airprint driver as well as the Canon Support site drivers

None of the macs can consistently print using the print function. 

Anyone else face the same problem?

[pinthea]

SOLUTION:

What made the whole problem go away is that I did this:

1.  Setup the printer with a static IP address (don't use DHCP).  It doesn't matter if you're printing wirelessly or have it connected via ethernet.  This is critical because you'll need the static IP address later in these steps.  After you have done so, restart the printer and ensure that it's using the static IP address.

2.  Download the latest drivers from Canon's website.  Install them.  (YMMV whether or not this will all work when trying to connect via AirPrint from your Mac, I used Canon's drivers.)

3.  Remove the printer from MacOS.  Remove the Fax too if you have an entry for that.  Reboot if you want to, never hurts after doing something like this.

4.  Add the printer.  DO NOT use the first tab where it auto-detects and finds it via Bonjour.  Instead go to the 2nd tab (that looks like a globe) and add it using the IP address that you established in the previous step.  IPP is the default protocol, keep it.  Then you MUST select in the "Use" field the printer driver you installed in the previous step.

5. If possible, I'd also recommend not using WiFi as the way to access the printer on your network, use an ethernet cable to connect the printer directly to the router.  (I have not done this but it is always recommended!)

6. You can also configure the printer's WiFi settings (if you didn't listen to me in step 5) to disable the printer's WiFi power management setting (turn it off), that was highly recommended in another post and as far as I can tell it couldn't hurt.

As far as I can tell, step 4 is important because it tells the driver "always find the printer at this IP address" and bam, even when it's asleep, I can print to it from my Mac, even via WiFi, when I couldn't before.
This raises the question "what about my iPhones and iPads?" where you don't actually install any print drivers and it relies on AirPrint?  I don't know, I haven't toyed around with that just yet.  But these steps got me printing even after the printer went to sleep and would otherwise have shown as offline.  I hope this works for you.

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

This is a 4 year old thread.  In consideration of others, please help the community and others who are trying to assist you.  

Inserting oneself into the middle of another person's topic makes it very difficult for others looking for solutions and for those who are trying to help.  Its best to start your own topic when you are seeking support or assistance.  This helps everyone, and ensures your request gets the attention it deserves.  

In light of this, a reply from the beginning of this year 2024 (by user pinthea) is a good solution:

Re: MF644cdw - Shows Offline from MAC - Page 3 - Canon Community

This is not a MAC issue, its a network issue.  Using DHCP is fine for visiting devices.  Devices which come and go from your network.  For persistent devices (like printers and network attached storage) assigning a static IP ensures the destination of the device will not change.  It is an effective and reliable way to ensure a device on your LAN is always reachable.  Its easiest to assign or reserve an IP for a device on your router.  It only needs to be done once and ensures the device can always be found at its assigned IP.