MG3620 Generating duplicate printers despite single one

[harrisr]

Anyone ever seen one printer generate so many detected printers?

I'm connected by wire and this list of growing "duplicates" keeps getting larger.

[harrisr]

It's a bit of a personal scenario but essentially my workplace desks have pre-setup monitors and a ton of other accessories all setup to be plugged in with their dock. It'd be a lot of work to do this daily just to stop spawning a new printer each time I come back home...

This port change thing seems super unusual given that it's the same printer already recognized on the same device sigh. Seems odd to keep a second USB hub plugged in at all times too no? RE: inconvenient/risky travelling with it without it getting damaged.

I suspect that test will succeed (not in the way we want) but in any case, if it doesn't, we don't have another obvious lead/path right?

[Stephen]

This context was the missing piece of the puzzle!

Welcome to the community! It looks like you've been working through this with DerrickL, but I wanted to provide a deeper look at why macOS is "respawning" these entries and how to stop it.

TL;DR: Your USB hub and work dock are creating "Virtual Ports" that macOS caches. Switching between the two hardware paths tricks the Mac into thinking it's a new printer every time. To stop this, plug the printer directly into your Mac's onboard USB port or switch to Wi-Fi with a Static IP.

Why this is happening Your USB accessories create virtual ports to route data. When you plug into a hub, macOS assigns that specific hardware path a unique ID. When you unplug, the virtual port disappears, but macOS often "holds onto" it in the background so the device is ready if you plug back in.

When you move to your workplace dock, macOS detects a totally different controller and creates a new virtual port. Because the OS is still caching the old one from home, it often assigns a brand-new identity to the printer (e.g., MG3620_2, _3) rather than reusing the original entry.

Solution 1: Consistent Hardwire

To keep the speed of a cable without the clutter:

Try connecting the MG3620 directly to a built-in USB port on your Mac laptop instead of using the hub/dock. This keeps the hardware path identical every time you sit down at home.

Solution 2: Transition to Wi-Fi (The "Location-Blind" Fix)

Switching to a wireless connection removes the "USB path" from the equation entirely.

1. Preparation: Note your Wi-Fi network name (SSID) and password.

2. Reset Network Settings: On the printer, hold the Network button until the alarm lamp flashes, then release.

3. Setup: Download the latest setup software from https://canon.us/ijsetup. Run the installer and choose Wireless LAN Connection as the connection method.

4. Static IP: To ensure the Mac never "loses" the printer, access the printer's Remote UI by typing the printer's IP address into your web browser. Under Network Settings, assign a Manual/Static IP address.