imageCLASS MF753Cdw - regularly loses network connection

[justsometallguy]

This happens daily. The only way I have found to fix it is to restart the printer or unplug it then plug it back in. Has anyone found a way to keep it connected? It’s super frustrating to have to constantly walk over and do this before I can print anything. 

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

Are you using a wired or wireless connection? 

Do you have a static IP address assigned to the printer? 

If you are using DHCP, it's possible your router is reclaiming the IP address of the printer after some period of inactivity.  This is often why power cycling the printer restores the connection. 

[JW-BWC]

I'm having the same issue. Can you elaborate on your instructions.  I'm not super computer savvy.  What do you mean by DHCP and when I reinstall how do I make it use the static IP address? Thank you!

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

A router or DHCP server is responsible for managing IP addresses on your network.  This service maintains a pool of addresses it assigns to devices when they request a connection.  IP addresses are leased for a set period of time, unless you reserve or assign a static IP to a device.  Many devices come and go.  Devices like a printer are persistent.  These devices benefit from getting an assigned "static" IP address.  

Address reservation or static IP assignment is done on your router.  This process basically tells the router to assign the same IP address to a known device.  It's typically identified by its MAC address.  A MAC address is a unique hardware. Identifier embedded on a network device during the manufacturing process.  

The DHCP server on your router will periodically check in with connected devices to see if they are still on the network.  If the router doesn't get a response, it reclaims the assigned IP for future use.  However, if the device has been turned off for a long period of time or is gone to sleep, It may not get the same IP address when it wakes up or gets turned back on.  Now when you try to print your computer attempts to send the job to the last known destination.  In many cases the IP address has now changed.  The print job fails or the printer shows as offline.

By assigning a static IP, your printer will always get the same IP address. You then install the device as an IP printer on your computer.  Now when you print the job is sent to the static IP or "destination" that never changes.  This ensures persistency and that any device (computer, mobile device, tablet) will always be able to find the printer at its assigned destination IP.