imageCLASS MF644Cdw Airprint name keeps changing

[fcrwx]

I have a MF644C and about every week or so the Airprint name changes. This prevents me from printing via my Macbook Pro until I delete and re-add the printer. Under "Settings/Registration: Preferences: Network Settings > AirPrint Settings" I originally set the Printer Name to "Canon MF644C", then it suddenly changed to "Canon MF644C (dd:ed:b5)" and most recently changed to "Canon MF644C (dd:ed:b5) (dd:ed:b5) (7)". I really don't care what the name is, but why does it keep changing?

[Cyberic]

This thread is nearly a year old so I doubt that Canon cares enough about AirPrint users to fix the bug.

The scenario of self-rejecting the name was described before in this thread (last November) because the bug can be reproduced when printer is not even connected to network.

So yes, it's probably an easy fix, but Canon doesn't care.

I talked to them on the phone 8 months ago, they accepted the bug and said it would be fixed "some day" (which probably means "not in the lifetime of our printer")

I too had to teach non-technical people to fix when I'm not around.

Instead of teaching them to remove / add, I told them to fix the name on the web page as it's easier

Steps are :

- Connect to http://IP-address/ (fixed)

- Click to login (admin)

- Click on Settings / Network / First option at top (IPv4)

- At the very bottom, remove the extra stuff after the name

- Click OK and try printing again

Even my youngest 10yo manages to do it when he needs to print from iPad or Mac

I agree fixing the firmware would be best but I won't hold my breath for it (anymore) and buy another brand when this printer is dead. I've advised my customers to do the same.

[rsarvis]

@Cyberic
I appreciate his numerous posts and consider it absurd that anyone would try to cast it as spamming. Each post was a substantive post that stands on its own, often in response to others separate posts.

[mdecaro]

It is nearly a year and a half since this was first posted, and Canon still has not fixed this well documented problem. Sad.

[feax]

I had to buy another Color Laser printer today and I bought a HP…

[anchal512]

I have the exact same issue on mac. I tried using Mac drivers from Canon but they don't work either. changing the airprint name on the printer sounds like a better workaround for now. Maybe I will write a mac script to do this everytime a reboot my mac.

[Dolphin777]

Hi Guys, I also have this problem... I played around with the wireless setting and it just doesn't go away. However, I switched it to wired cable to my router and the problem goes away. Maybe you should all try and see this works around works, it will definitely save some headaches though, although its a workaround. Cheers.

[deryk]

Just to add a bit more data, while investigating this issue with my family's ImageClass MF642C I found that I could reliably reproduce the issue by: a) switching the device's network connection from wireless to wired then back to wireless in the touch-screen options (Preferences > Network > Select Wired/Wireless LAN); or b) by rebooting the router while the printer was on and connected to the wireless network. Rebooting the printer or turning it off completely (including unplugging it) did not cause the airprint name to change. When the airprint name did change, from these methods, I was still able to access it via my ios device to print, so I'm not sure how it can eventually become unavailable entirely. As a work-around for my macs, I set a static IP address and used the ip address and airprint protocol to connect to the printer. That way, it's not dependent on the variable airprint name. As for idevices, which depend on the multicast airprint name, you just need to select the printer by it's new name.

[feax]

The issue still happens to me once every six months or so. Therefore I wrote a simple daily python job that checks if the name changed and amends it if necessary. Problem solved.

[deryk]

If you don't mind sharing your code, I'd really appreciate it!

[janbee]

Agree, just escalate to the developers already!!!!

This is insane. I have multiple printers and other devices using mDNS in my network, and no other service disappears or change their names.

Funny thing is also, this seems to be a bigger issue with the pricier laser printers, my canon mx925 works much better in regards to its bonjour implementation and at least does not disappear as often.

The mf742cdw keeps disappearing from the network after going to sleep almost immediately or within 5min and changing its name after a few hours it seems!

I can see that it drops the published Services:

_printer._tcp
_scanner._tcp
_privet._tcp
_uscan._tcp
_http._tcp

first, while keeping:

_ipp._tcp
_ipps._tcp

alive.

I will keep watching these two to see if they disappear later, or are maybe the reason the silly code upon trying to reregister switches to a new name.

But If the Canon Laser guys would go to the consumer ink printer guys and ask for their bonjour implementation we would already be in a better, yet far from perfect state...

Or maybe just get real devs to rework that implementation!!!!!!!!

For the disappearing part, I have tried mDNS reflectors and caches which only help so much. But the name changing thing is still the worst.  

My Epson Printer is always available, never disappears, and for the last 3 years has yet to change its name. (YES CANON ON THE SAME DARN NETWORK, BEHIND THE SAME ROUTER....!!!)

Why do over 300 Services stay visible and keep their names without a problem on my network, but Canon just won't get their implementation right?

avahi-browse -at | wc -l
366

C'mon canon, mdns is not that hard to understand!