imageCLASS MF751Cdw loses cloud connectivity, needs power cycle to reconnect

[jkcps]

"universal print error" "cannot communicate with the server" "internal error"

We are using 5 MF751cdw printers with "Microsoft Universal Print" cloud service.  This works ok but if for any reason the printers lose connectivity with the Microsoft Universal Print cloud service the printer requires a power cycle to reconnect.    I think it's a canon problem however since for whatever reason lets say the Microsoft service is down (Which I doubt it is but lets pretend) and the printer loses connection (which is understandable), when the service comes back online the printer should automatically reconnect and not require a power cycle to reconnect.  I can simulate this problem by disconnecting the network cord from the printer then re-plugging it.  The printer works fine after that.  I can get to the built-in remote UI with no problem and I can print via TCPIP or USB.  But the screen sits there saying "universal print error" "cannot communicate with the server" "internal error" and you cannot print via Microsoft Universal Print unless you power cycle it.  I've called canon support and they said it's a Microsoft problem and I'm the only person to have ever complained about this.  How do I get canon to investigate this?

[shadowsports]

Greetings ,

Give me the morning to do a little research. I've not deployed Microsoft universal print in Azure,

Have you verified the MF751Cdw supports universal print?  Does it have native support or are you using a connector or proxy?  Has the printer's firmware been updated to the latest available? 

Please describe your configuration in more detail locally and in Entra.

[jkcps]

I have 4 MF751cdw, 1 MF753cdw and 1 LBP247dw.  They all support Microsoft Universal Print natively and I am not using the UP connector or a proxy.  They all are on the latest firmware and they all exhibit the same exact problem.  I used the UP connector for a little while with an old Xerox printer I have and it worked correctly all the time.  Our internal network is very simple.  1G dedicated fiber comes into our building then into our router.  The router is plugged into our switch and the printers are plugged into the switch.  We have zero network issues or complaints and never have outages.  We have no servers at all on premise.  Anything service we use is in the cloud.  All of our computers are Entra joined and use inTune MDM.  Again there is never a complaint about connectivity issues except for the canon printers and UP.  I could pull the fiber from the router and replug it and everything would return to normal except the canon printers and the UP service.  I'd have to walk around and power cycle the printers to make them connect to UP.

[shadowsports]

Roger on that, config sounds solid.👍

[shadowsports]

I just checked and Universal Print is not supported on my MF644 or 656, so I'm using your 751 manual.

Where are the printers getting DNS?  Firewall?  Are you using ISP DNS or 3rd party CloudFlare (other)?

I agree this is looking like a printer issue thus far. 

The devices are registered, they appear in Azure.  They function normally when connected.  You don't have any errors, they reconnect when power cycled, but not on their own.  No retry.

Are the printers using static IP's on the device or is assignment coming from a range above or below your DHCP Pool?  Not questioning your config, just looking at all angles.  Something is keeping UP from checking or reconnecting to Azure.

The printers do have a 3 yr warranty, so Canon Support is available also.  Have you reached out yet?  

[jkcps]

Using cloudflare dns.  1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1.  This is all correct... "The devices are registered, they appear in Azure.  They function normally when connected.  You don't have any errors, they reconnect when power cycled, but not on their own.  No retry."  Printers are DHCP as static is not a requirement for UP.  Even if it were I'd be using DHCP with reserved addressed based on mac.  I can walk up to a printer right now, pull the ethernet, reconnect it and these messages will appear...  "universal print error" "cannot communicate with the server" "internal error".  A power cycle will reconnect it.  Nothing else will.  They're not retrying to connect.  As I stated above, I called support who stated that it's a Microsoft problem.  They said they don't support UP, I was the only person to have ever complained about this problem and told me to call Microsoft.

[jkcps]

Is there any way to address this with Canon?  They've already told me it's not their problem but it's easy to duplicate by simply unplugging the ethernet and re-plugging.  The only fix at that point is a power cycle.

[jkcps]

Canon is the most frustrating company I have ever had to deal with.  I have given them the exact steps to reproduce this problem and they continually say that there is nothing they can do.  The problem lies in their firmware and I cannot get anyone to understand it. Both support agents I talked to have never heard of "Microsoft Universal Print".