Re: Canon ImageCLASS Color Lasers won't print

On 2025-12-09, Lars Poulsen <[email protected]> wrote:
> My shop had a Canon color laser printer that has been working well for a
> decade, but after half our PCs had upgraded to Windows-11, it became
> intermittently unable to print: For some PCs, Windows would claim that
> the printer was offline. Sometimes it would work agin after power
> cycling the printer. It seemed clear that this was a software/driver
> problem. After trying everything I could think of for a couple of
> weeks, I decided that I needed Canon helpdesk support, but I had no hope
> of getting them to invest energy in an old, discontinued model, so I
> went and bought a new model as similar as possible to the old one. In
> fact, it looks identical, but the tomer cartridges have a different
> number :-(
>
> That was a month ago, but despite several hour-long support calls, the
> new printer has the same kind of problems, except it fails more
> reliably, and power cycling does not seem to help any more.
> When I call tech support, their scripts eventually get it working after
> an hour-long session. I print a few files, and say goodbye to the
> helper. And the next day, the problem is back.
>
> For a week, we went through a loop, where "making it work" included
> having the printer get a random IP address from DHCP. Then I edited the
> DCHP server configuration to put the printer on the IP address that we
> have allocated for it in DNS, and then it would stop working.
> Eventually, I picked a new "permanent" address for it and aligned the
> DHCP and DNS addresses to that IP. And it worked for a week ...
>
> In the old days, one could define it as a "generic postscript printer"
> and load a proper PPD file, but I can't seem to find a PPD file for the
> current Canon printers.
>
> My current working hypothesis, is that the faily recent drivers
> fail to relese the TCP session at the end of printing, thus preventing
> the next user from connecting from another device. It might even be on
> the printer side.
>
> Should I just take this printer back to BestBuy for a refund?
> And if so, what is a better printer for my environment?
>
> I need to use this with:
> - permanently installed Windows-11 desktops
> - ambulant Windows-11 laptops
> - a Linux server running CUPS
> - a couple of old desktops in a lab running Windows-7
> - and if possible, AirPrint from a few iPhones (old one did not do that)
>
> It is a sad fact, that there seem to be no good printers anymore,
> with the possible exception of monochrome lasers.
>
> I know that for anyone to actually help, I need to give model
> numbers, driver versions etc, but I am posting this from home,
> and that info is at the office. I will add that in a follow-up if
> anyone here thinks they have ideas that require it. Right now I am
> hoping to hear from anyone that has experience with these printers,
> good or bad.

The exact printer models are:
- old one: MF644Cdw
- new one: MF663Cdw

- Windows driver: UFRII driver V331
- Linux driver:   UFRII driver v620-US

I have seen an earlier driver, V220 for Windows, but can no longer find
it on the Canon support website.


-- 
Lars Poulsen - an old geek in Santa Barbara, California