My printer displays as disconnected in the Huawei Print client

Problem and cause

The printer displays as disconnected in the Huawei Print client.

There are three types of printer disconnection issues:

Solution

Solutions to printers displayed as disconnected in the Huawei Print client:

First, follow the troubleshoot steps in Step 1 to fix network issues. Re-configure the printer's network settings and reconnect as instructed in Step 2. Then the printer will display as connected in the Huawei Print client.

Set a static IP for the printer as instructed in Step 3. Then follow steps in Step 4 to disable the AP isolation feature for the router. These will prevent the router from being disconnected again.

1. Press and hold the Start button () on the operation panel for at least 3 seconds until the printer plays a beep sound. On the system information page, check the printer's network ID in the Wireless Network section to see whether the printer and the computer are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
   

   • If the printer and the computer are not connected to the same Wi-Fi network, follow Step 2 to reconfigure the printer's network settings, then add the printer in the Huawei Print client.
   • If the printer and the computer are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, check whether the network connection is available for the printer:
     Check whether the printer is connected to a guest network or a network requiring secondary authentication:

     • If so, go to Step 2 to reconfigure the network settings for the printer, so that the printer and the computer are connected to the same available network. Then add the printer in the Huawei Print client.
     • If not, connect another device to the network and check whether the device can access the Internet properly.
       1. If other devices cannot access the Internet either, switch to another network or restart the router and try again. After switching to another network, follow Step 2 to reconfigure the network settings for the printer, so that the printer and the computer are connected to the same available Wi-Fi network. Then add the printer in the Huawei Print client.
       2. If other devices can access the Internet properly, the issue does not lie with the network. Follow Step 2 to reconnect the printer, then troubleshoot by referring to Step 3 and Step 4.
2. Reset and reconfigure the printer's network settings, delete the HUAWEI printer from the computer, and add the printer again Over LAN in the Huawei Print client.
   1. Reset the printer network:
      When the printer is powered on, press and hold the network button () on the operation panel for at least 3 seconds until the printer plays a beep sound and the network button () flashes white, which indicates that the network settings have been reset.

       

      • Resetting network settings may change the printer's IP address and LAN settings.
      • If you have set a static IP address for the printer in the Huawei Print client (see Setting up a static IP address), press and hold the Cancel button () on the operation panel for at least 10 seconds to restore the printer to its factory settings. ("88" indicates that the printer starts to be reset, and "01" indicates that the reset is complete.) Power off and restart the printer. Wait for about 2 minutes until the scanner is reset and then configure the network.
   2. Reconfigure the network for the printer:

      The following are the ways to configure the printer's network, listed from most recommended to least recommended:

      AI Life app > Huawei Print client (Connect via USB) > Huawei Print client (Via hotspot)

      For details about how to configure the network for a printer, see:

      • HUAWEI inkjet printers: Configure the network for a HUAWEI inkjet printer using a mobile phone, tablet, or computer
      • HUAWEI laser printers: Configure the network for a HUAWEI laser printer using a mobile phone, tablet, or computer
        

        Laser printers support 2.4 GHz hotspots but do not support 5 GHz hotspots. Ensure that your Wi-Fi network works on the 2.4 GHz frequency band. In addition, the printer does not support hotspots from portals in public places, such as airports and hotels.

   3. Delete the HUAWEI Printer from the computer:

      On the computer, go to Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, and delete the HUAWEI printer you have added before.

      

   4. Add the printer again:

      Return to the desktop and open Huawei Print client. Go to Add printer > Over LAN, and select the printer to connect.

      

      Printers ending in IPv6 may display depending on the router performance. In this case, choose a printer with "IPv4" in the name instead.

      

      

      

3. Set a static IP address for the printer in either of the following ways:
   • Method 1: Bind the printer's MAC address to its IP address on the router (recommended)
     On the router settings screen, bind the printer's MAC address to its IP address. In this way, the IP address is dedicated to the printer and won't be allocated to other devices. The specific operation may vary depending on the router brand. Please consult the technical support of the device vendor for details. The following uses HUAWEI routers and TP-Link enterprise routers as an example:

     • HUAWEI routers:

       Press and hold the Start button () on the operation panel for at least 3 seconds until the printer plays a beep sound. Open the system information page, and find the MAC address and IPv4 address of the printer in the Wireless Network section. Then bind the printer's MAC address to its IP address on the router by referring to Changing the IP address of HUAWEI routers and binding the static IP address.

       

     • TP enterprise routers (for reference only):
       1. Open a browser, enter the router's IP address (192.168.1.1 in most cases; the IP address and interface may vary depending on the router brand) in the address box, and press Enter to access the router's login page. Enter the account and password, and press Enter to log in to the router management page.
       2. Go to Basic settings > LAN settings > Static address assignment > New, and enter the printer's IPv4 address and MAC address to bind them (the steps to check the printer's IP address and MAC address are similar to the steps described above for HUAWEI routers).

          

   • Method 2: Set a static IP address on the Huawei Print client (workaround)

     Binding the printer's MAC address to its IP address on the router ensures the printer always has the same IP address, and permanently fixes the disconnection problem. However, if it is difficult for you to access the router (for example, you cannot obtain the login address or login password), you can set a static IP address on the Huawei Print client to temporarily restore the printer connection, but your printer could still disconnect in the future.

     Set a static IP address on the Huawei Print client. For details, please refer to Setting up a static IP address for HUAWEI printers.

     

     Setting a static IP address for HUAWEI printers on the Huawei Print client is not supported on a macOS computer.

4. If the issue persists, disable the AP isolation feature of the router. Then wait for about two minutes and check whether the printer can automatically connect. If not, the printer's IP address may have changed. Reconnect the printer as instructed in Step 2.
   • Take HUAWEI routers as an example: (Specific operation may vary by the router brand. Please consult the customer service for details. The AP isolation feature is no longer supported on new HUAWEI router models.)

     Enter 192.168.3.1 in the browser address bar to log in to the router's web-based management page. Go to Settings > WLAN > WLAN Advanced Settings, disable AP isolation, and click Apply.

     

   • To disable AP isolation on a TP-LINK router: (Specific operations may vary by the router brand. Please consult the customer service for details.)

     Enter 192.168.1.1 in the browser address bar to log in to the router management page. Click Application Management, and then click Enter under AP isolation. On the page displayed, turn off AP isolation and click Save.

     

If the issue persists

If the issue remains unresolved, feel free to contact Huawei after-sales personnel for assistance.