Canon Printer Showing Offline? Start Here (Also Covers Canon IJ Network Tool)

What "Offline" Actually Means

"Offline" is your computer's way of saying it tried to reach the printer and got no answer. That's all it means. It doesn't mean the printer is broken, and most of the time the printer is sitting there ready to go.

The problem is somewhere in between: a setting in Windows, an old network address, a second copy of the printer you didn't know existed, or a Wi-Fi connection that dropped overnight. So the job is to figure out which side stopped talking.

The fixes below start with the quick stuff and work up to the deeper network settings. They include Canon's own repair tool, the Wi-Fi Connection Assistant, which older guides still call the Canon IJ Network Tool. Mac steps are near the end.

Why Your Canon Printer Keeps Showing Offline

Most offline messages come down to one of these. If one sounds like your situation, skip straight to the fix listed next to it.

• Windows put the printer in offline mode. A "Use Printer Offline" or "Pause Printing" checkbox got turned on, sometimes after a failed print job. (Fix 2)
• You're printing to the wrong copy of the printer. Windows sometimes adds the same Canon twice, and the one you're sending jobs to is the one that doesn't work. (Fix 3)
• The printer's IP address changed. Your router hands out network addresses automatically and can give the printer a new one after a reboot or power outage. Your computer keeps knocking on the old door. If your printer worked yesterday and says offline today, this is the most likely cause. (Fixes 4, 6 and 7)
• Windows can't read the printer's status. On some network setups, Windows checks on the printer with a status request called SNMP. When that request goes unanswered, Windows marks the printer offline even though a print job would go through fine. (Fix 6)
• The printer turned itself off. Many PIXMA and MAXIFY models have an Auto Power Off timer. (Fix 9)
• A VPN or firewall is in the way. Either one can stop your computer from seeing devices on your home network. (Fix 10)
• The print spooler or driver is stuck or damaged. (Fixes 8 and 11)
• The printer has an error. A paper jam, an empty ink tank, or an open cover can stop it from responding. Canon's own advice is to clear any error on the printer before you try anything else. (Fix 1)

How to Fix a Canon Printer That Says Offline

Work through these in order. Print a test page after each one so you know which step actually fixed it.

Fix 1: Clear Printer Errors and Restart Everything in the Right Order

Check the printer before you touch the computer. A flashing alarm light, an error code on the screen, a paper jam, or an ink warning all need to be cleared first. If there's a support code on the display, look it up in our Canon printer error codes guide.

Then restart in this order:

1. Turn the printer off with its power button, unplug it, and wait about 30 seconds.
2. Unplug your router (and modem, if it's separate) for about 30 seconds. Plug it back in and give it a few minutes to fully start up.
3. Plug the printer back in, turn it on, and wait until it's idle.
4. Restart your computer.

Using USB? Unplug the cable at both ends and plug it back in. If it runs through a USB hub, connect the printer straight to the computer instead. If the problem continues, try a different cable.

Fix 2: Turn Off "Use Printer Offline" and "Pause Printing" (Windows)

Windows can switch a printer to offline mode and leave it there, even after the printer comes back.

Windows 11:

1. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
2. Click your Canon printer, then click Open print queue.
3. Click Printer in the menu bar. If Use Printer Offline or Pause Printing has a check mark, click it to clear it.

If your queue window doesn't have a Printer menu, open the classic view instead. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices, scroll down to More devices and printers settings, right-click your Canon, and choose See what's printing. The Printer menu is there.

Windows 10: Go to Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners, select your Canon, click Open queue, and use the same Printer menu.

While the queue is open, cancel any jobs stuck in it. If they won't delete, our guide to clearing a stuck Canon print queue walks you through it.

Fix 3: Make Sure You're Printing to the Right Canon

Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners and look at the list. If your model shows up more than once, like "Canon TS3300 series" and "Canon TS3300 series (Copy 1)," Windows has two routes to the same printer. Usually only one of them works.

1. Print a test page from each entry (click the printer, then Print test page).
2. Keep the one that prints. Click each of the others and choose Remove.
3. Scroll down to Printer preferences and turn off Let Windows manage my default printer. When it's on, Windows makes the last printer you used the default, and that might not be your Canon.
4. Click your Canon and choose Set as default.

Fix 4: Print Your Printer's Network Settings Page and Read It

This one printout saves a lot of guessing. It shows whether the printer is really on your network, what address it's using, and how strong its signal is.

On models with a screen or menu, go to LAN settings in the printer's Setup menu and look for Print LAN details (some models just say Print details). Models with only buttons use a button combination that differs by model, so search your model's online manual for "Printing Network Settings."

What to look for on the printout:

• Connection: "Active" means the printer is on a network. "Inactive" means it isn't.
• SSID: This is the Wi-Fi network name. It has to match the network your computer is on. If it says BJNPSETUP, the printer's network settings have been reset to factory defaults and it has to be reconnected.
• Signal strength: If it's under 80%, Canon recommends moving the printer and router closer together or clearing things out from between them.
• IP address: Write it down. You'll need it for Fixes 6 and 7.
• Subnet mask: It should match your computer's. If it doesn't, the printer and computer are on different parts of your network and can't see each other.

If the connection is inactive, the SSID is wrong, or you see BJNPSETUP, the printer has fallen off your Wi-Fi. Our guide to a Canon printer not connecting to Wi-Fi covers reconnecting it on every type of model.

Fix 5: Run Canon's Wi-Fi Connection Assistant (Formerly the IJ Network Tool)

Canon's free network utility has had three names. The original Canon IJ Network Tool was followed by the IJ Network Device Setup Utility, and Canon then renamed that one Wi-Fi Connection Assistant (at version 1.20.0 on Windows and 1.6.0 on Mac). If an older guide tells you to open the IJ Network Tool, this is what you need now.

For an offline printer, you want the Diagnose and Repair feature. It checks your computer's connection to the router, looks for the printer on the network, checks the wireless signal, and checks whether the printer port on your computer matches the printer's current network settings. Then it tries to fix whatever it finds.

1. Download Wi-Fi Connection Assistant from the Canon support page for your exact printer model.
2. Keep the printer turned on, with your computer on the same network.
3. On Windows, open Start > All apps > Canon Utilities > Wi-Fi Connection Assistant.
4. Accept the message that appears, click Diagnose and Repair, and follow the steps on screen.

Not every Canon model supports Diagnose and Repair. Canon keeps a list of the ones that don't on its support site.

Still using the older IJ Network Tool? Canon still offers it for some models, and the Mac version has been updated for recent macOS releases. If your printer shows "No Driver" next to it in the tool, select it and use Associate Port from the Settings menu to link the printer to its network port again. Canon's manuals point to this step when the printer is on its Canon network port but printing still won't start.

Fix 6: Check the Printer Port in Windows (and Turn Off SNMP Status)

If the port Windows uses doesn't match how the printer is actually connected, you'll get an offline message. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, click your Canon, choose Printer properties, and open the Ports tab. The checked port tells you a lot:

• CNBJNP_ followed by letters and numbers (description: Canon BJ Network Port). This is Canon's own network port for PIXMA and MAXIFY printers, and it's what most Canon inkjets should be using. If it's checked and printing still fails, go back to Fix 5.
• MFNP (imageCLASS and other Canon laser models). This is Canon's network port that detects the printer automatically, even after its IP address changes, as long as it stays on the same subnet.
• Standard TCP/IP port (shows an IP address). This port is tied to one address. Compare it with the IP address on your network settings page from Fix 4. If they don't match, you've found the problem. Add a new Standard TCP/IP port with the current address, or lock the address first with Fix 7 so it doesn't happen again.
• WSD port. Windows found the printer through network discovery. It often works fine, but if the printer keeps disappearing after router restarts or long idle periods, reinstalling with Canon's full driver package (Fix 11) normally sets up Canon's own network port instead.
• USB port (USB001 and so on). For USB printers, Canon says the checked USB port should show your Canon model in the Printer column. If a different one is checked, select the right one.

Turn off SNMP status (Standard TCP/IP ports only). With the Standard TCP/IP port selected, click Configure Port, clear the SNMP Status Enabled box, click OK, and then Apply. Windows uses SNMP to ask the printer for its status. When no answer comes back, Windows can show the printer offline even though it would print just fine. Turning this off doesn't stop printing. Windows just stops asking.

Fix 7: Give Your Canon Printer an IP Address That Won't Change

If your printer goes offline after every router restart or power outage, this is the permanent fix. By default, a Canon printer takes whatever address the router gives it, and that address can change.

You have two ways to do it.

Option A: Reserve the address in your router. Sign in to your router's admin page and look for DHCP reservation (some routers call it address reservation or a static lease). Pick the printer from the list of connected devices, or enter its MAC address from the network settings page, and reserve its current IP address. Every router's menus are different, so check your router's help pages if you can't find it.

Option B: Set a static IP address on the printer with Canon's Remote UI.

1. Type the printer's IP address into a web browser's address bar.
2. If the browser shows a security warning, choose the option to continue to the page. Canon's own instructions include this step.
3. Click Log on and enter the administrator password. Depending on your model, it's the printer's serial number, the word "canon," or a random string listed as the default password on your network settings page.
4. Go to System info and LAN settings > LAN settings > Other settings and confirm.
5. Open TCP/IP settings > IPv4 > IP address and choose Manual setup.
6. Enter the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway, then click OK.

Choose an address outside the range your router hands out automatically, so two devices don't end up with the same one. After you change it, the Remote UI will only open at the new address. You can also set a static IP from a phone, tablet, or Chromebook using the Canon PRINT app.

Fix 8: Restart the Print Spooler

The Print Spooler is the Windows service that passes print jobs to your printer. When it hangs, every printer on the PC can look offline.

1. Press the Windows key, type services, and open the Services app.
2. Find Print Spooler, right-click it, and choose Restart. If it isn't running, choose Start.
3. If it keeps stopping, right-click it again, open Properties, and set Startup type to Automatic.

Rather let Windows have a go first? On Windows 11, the printer troubleshooter now runs in the Get Help app. You'll find it at Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters > Printer.

Fix 9: Check Canon's Auto Power Settings

Many PIXMA and MAXIFY printers switch themselves off after sitting idle for a while. If yours says offline every morning or after lunch, check this setting.

Open the Canon IJ Printer Assistant Tool (on older drivers, it's the Maintenance tab in the printer's Printing Preferences) and click Auto Power. Then:

• Set Auto Power On to Enable, so an incoming print job turns the printer on.
• Set Auto Power Off to Disable, or choose a longer time.

Some models also let you change these from the printer's own settings menu. A few models don't have these settings at all.

Fix 10: Rule Out a VPN, Firewall, or Security Software

A VPN sends your computer's traffic away from your home network, so the printer can seem to disappear. Disconnect the VPN and try printing again. Canon lists this as one of its standard checks.

Firewalls and security suites can do the same thing by blocking the local traffic Canon printers rely on. Canon's list of ports that need to stay open includes:

• TCP/UDP 8611: Canon BJNP port for printing
• UDP 5353: Bonjour (mDNS), used for AirPrint and for finding the printer on your network
• TCP/UDP 9100 and 515: RAW and LPR printing
• TCP/UDP 5357: WSD, used to get printer information

A quick way to test it: turn off the firewall for a moment, print, then turn it right back on. If the job went through, add an exception for those ports or the Canon software. Don't leave the firewall off.

Fix 11: Reinstall the Canon Driver the Clean Way

If the offline message survives everything above, the driver or its port may be damaged.

1. In Printers & scanners, click each entry for your Canon and choose Remove.
2. Go to Canon's support site, enter your exact model number, and download the full driver and software package for your version of Windows.
3. Run it and choose the wireless or network connection option when it asks. That way it sets up Canon's own network port.
4. Print a test page.

Our Canon printer driver guide explains which package to choose. If the offline problem started right after a Windows update, also check our page on Canon printer problems after a Windows update.

Fix 12: Canon Printer Offline on a Mac

On a Mac, the print queue usually shows the printer as offline or not connected, or the queue just sits paused. Try these in order.

1. Look for duplicates. Go to Apple menu > System Settings > Printers & Scanners. If your Canon is listed more than once (say, one added over USB and one over Wi-Fi), you may be printing to the one that no longer works. Remove the extras.
2. Remove and re-add the printer. Select your Canon and click the minus (-) button. Then click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax, choose your Canon (it usually shows up as Bonjour Multifunction), set Use to Secure AirPrint or AirPrint, and click Add. For many PIXMA, MAXIFY, and G series models, Canon doesn't offer a separate Mac printer driver at all, because AirPrint is how those models are meant to print from a Mac.
3. Reset the printing system. If the printer still won't come online, Control-click inside the printer list and choose Reset Printing System. This removes every printer, clears your print job history, and deletes your print presets, so you'll need to add your printers again afterward.
4. Run Wi-Fi Connection Assistant for Mac (or the IJ Network Tool, if your model uses it) if the Mac can't find the printer on the network at all.

Also check the network settings page from Fix 4. The SSID on it has to match the Wi-Fi network your Mac is using.