Anybody have experience with a HP deskjet 2700 printer

[jeanluckpiccard]

We purchased this printer last weekend at wal-mart for $24, so honestly I can't complain too much. My wife needed a cheap printer for occasionally printing coupons, recipes, etc...she doesn't use it more than once or twice a week.

 

However, the printer has an 'auto-shutoff' feature that apparently HP doesn't allow users to turn off. Typically, you should be able to push the power button and go about your business. However, the power button seems to do nothing. You physically have to unplug the power and plug it back in to turn it back on. Even after all of that, it takes quite a bit of fiddling (deleting the printer in Windows and re-adding) to get past the 'communication error' message. This seems to happen every time we go to use the printer after it automatically goes into standby mode. I'm not sure if her PC going into sleep mode after use is also creating problems reconnecting.

 

I'll mention that this is a wifi printer, it does have the option to physically connect with a non-included USB cable that I believe has to be ordered from HP. So far, we are quite disappointed with this printer...we looked at the reviews and it was rated as one of the best 'budget' printers that you can buy today.

[WhitetailAni]

Is it a custom USB plug/cable?
If it isn't, any USB cable should work.

[jeanluckpiccard]

3 hours ago, ragnarok0273 said:

Is it a custom USB plug/cable?
If it isn't, any USB cable should work.

I should have mentioned that it's a custom USB plug...it has the standard USB plug on one end and a square plug on the other...

[WhitetailAni]

Can you take a picture?

[jeanluckpiccard]

7 minutes ago, ragnarok0273 said:

Can you take a picture?

It looks like this may be a fairly generic USB cable that maybe is standard to printers? At least I've never seen it before...

 

[WhitetailAni]

It's a Type-B port.

It was used to distinguish between a host and a client on a USB connection.

Any old cable should work.

[jeanluckpiccard]

Just now, ragnarok0273 said:

It's a Type-B port.

It was used to distinguish between a host and a client on a USB connection.

Any old cable should work.

I'll see if I can find one in my pile of computer junk...LOL

 

I don't remember ever seeing a USB cable like this, so I doubt I have one.

[WhitetailAni]

I thought they were "magical printer USB cables when I was younger" and thought that they were permanently attached to our printer because it was a dirty brownish beige color, not black like every single other USB cable I had was.

I also thought that the only USB devices that didn't use a cable were USB flash drives, and was confused why a USB bluetooth adapter wasn't showing up in File Manager.

Windows 7.

[jeanluckpiccard]

4 minutes ago, ragnarok0273 said:

I thought they were "magical printer USB cables when I was younger" and thought that they were permanently attached to our printer because it was a dirty brownish beige color, not black like every single other USB cable I had was.

I also thought that the only USB devices that didn't use a cable were USB flash drives, and was confused why a USB bluetooth adapter wasn't showing up in File Manager.

Windows 7.

I just checked another printer I have connected to my PC (even though it's wifi capable)

 

It doesn't look to be permanently attached. Looks like I can just steal this one to use for her computer/printer and yes, it's like a light brown color. It's been years since I've even looked at this cable so I forgot. Thanks for your help

[WhitetailAni]

3 minutes ago, jeanluckpiccard said:

I just checked another printer I have connected to my PC (even though it's wifi capable)

 

It doesn't look to be permanently attached. Looks like I can just steal this one to use for her computer/printer and yes, it's like a light brown color. It's been years since I've even looked at this cable so I forgot. Thanks for your help

I was 5.

[jeanluckpiccard]

5 minutes ago, ragnarok0273 said:

I was 5.

I think this old printer I have is about 10 years old...sounds like they haven't bothered changing the standard in awhile because my wifes new printer came out in the last year or so.