4 ms·

Some newer HP printers will not print or scan without an HP Smart account

37 points by miles 5y ago

miles 5y ago
XenonOfArcticus linked[1] to another comment[2] from last year that may offer a workaround, though HP's own documentation[3] reflects the notion that an HP Smart account is required to print. [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/pwrgb1/buyer_beware_some_newer_hp_printers_will_not/hej2gb1/ https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/pwrgb1/buyer_bewa... [2] https://www.reddit.com/r/printers/comments/j8l7v5/cannot_use_printers_basic_functions_without_hp/ganz915/ https://www.reddit.com/r/printers/comments/j8l7v5/cannot_use... [3] https://support.hp.com/us-en/product/hp-laserjet-mfp-m232e-m237e-printer-series/38099931/document/c06985417 https://support.hp.com/us-en/product/hp-laserjet-mfp-m232e-m...
yuppie_scum 5y ago
Do yourself a favor and spring for a Brother.
- jimmaswell 5y ago
  I've had a good experience with Lexmark so far too.
- mikecoles 5y ago
  I picked up a Brother after the "printer tracking dots" was brought to light. Another issue was when I had to scan in a copy of my birth certificate; The device wouldn't scan it in because of the 'constellation'. https://www.eff.org/issues/printers https://www.eff.org/issues/printers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EURion_constellation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EURion_constellation
999900000999 5y ago
I would like it to be illegal to sell hardware which forces an account for basic usage. With Nvidia, you can give them 2k USD and still need to signup for a GeForce account to use your new card. After struggling to find one for 12 months. What if I'm in a locked down environment, or GASP don't have constant access to the internet. Can you get around this with Ubuntu/Debian/Raspbian . It's not unreasonable to have a PI just for print jobs.
- atatatat 5y ago
  Wait, really?
  - 999900000999 5y ago
    Yes, unfortunately. While there might be some way around it, every year Nvida gets more and more hostile towards users, you generally need to sign up for GeForce account to use their desktop client in order to install drivers. I really do like the desktop client, I think every manufacturer should have a nice GUI to simplify installing drivers, there's no reason I need to sign up to use it. They're obviously seeking to start selling services, and the idea is once you become a part of the Nvidia family you'll want to give them more money. Why I'm I still the product once I purchased a product ?
aaron695 5y ago
It's really fun when you have to connect wirelessly to the printer because the cord is missing and login via the internet for the HP software to use it, at the same time. This is different to OPs story. But for the HP software to not care that it made using the printers wireless mode so hard because of compulsory logins made me hate HP.
rastafang 5y ago
Printers are getting less and less relevant, how can they get away with this? I'm really happy with my cheap HP LaserJet M15 B&W printer though...
yingliu4203 5y ago
I have used HP printers for many years. The software is consistently the worst you can image: it has huge size for so many years and is complex to use. Last week I struggled awhile to not create an account to scan a document. Eventually I gave up and create an account.
2Gkashmiri 5y ago
Been using HP 5820 wireless printer for around 3 years IMO. Never signed in to anything. Yesterday I found out it tracks number of scans and prints. Going to try hard to prevent it from updating software or firmware although a config page said automatic firmware update is on. Don't know
rwaksmunski 5y ago
I have an older Brother MFC laser printer without DRM toners. I hope it lasts me a lifetime.
poulpy123 5y ago
I bought a laser B&W printer for the price of an entry level ink printer and a ink replacement, and I couldn't be more happy. It's a bit big but it's fast, the ink last forever and never dry
morsch 5y ago
Apparently there's a M209dwe, which forces you to subscribe to HP's toner subscription model (yeah, that's a thing now), and a M209dw, which doesn't. He got the former; it's quite a bit cheaper. On Amazon, you can tell it's a crippled product from the description, but I can see how you could easily miss it. So, avoid the ones with an e suffix. Or better yet, just avoid HP.

37 points by miles 5y ago

XenonOfArcticus linked[1] to another comment[2] from last year that may offer a workaround, though HP's own documentation[3] reflects the notion that an HP Smart account is required to print. [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/pwrgb1/buyer_beware_some_newer_hp_printers_will_not/hej2gb1/ https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/pwrgb1/buyer_bewa... [2] https://www.reddit.com/r/printers/comments/j8l7v5/cannot_use_printers_basic_functions_without_hp/ganz915/ https://www.reddit.com/r/printers/comments/j8l7v5/cannot_use... [3] https://support.hp.com/us-en/product/hp-laserjet-mfp-m232e-m237e-printer-series/38099931/document/c06985417 https://support.hp.com/us-en/product/hp-laserjet-mfp-m232e-m...

yuppie_scum 5y ago

Do yourself a favor and spring for a Brother.

jimmaswell 5y ago
I've had a good experience with Lexmark so far too.
mikecoles 5y ago
I picked up a Brother after the "printer tracking dots" was brought to light. Another issue was when I had to scan in a copy of my birth certificate; The device wouldn't scan it in because of the 'constellation'. https://www.eff.org/issues/printers https://www.eff.org/issues/printers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EURion_constellation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EURion_constellation

999900000999 5y ago

I would like it to be illegal to sell hardware which forces an account for basic usage. With Nvidia, you can give them 2k USD and still need to signup for a GeForce account to use your new card. After struggling to find one for 12 months. What if I'm in a locked down environment, or GASP don't have constant access to the internet. Can you get around this with Ubuntu/Debian/Raspbian . It's not unreasonable to have a PI just for print jobs.

atatatat 5y ago
Wait, really?
- 999900000999 5y ago
  Yes, unfortunately. While there might be some way around it, every year Nvida gets more and more hostile towards users, you generally need to sign up for GeForce account to use their desktop client in order to install drivers. I really do like the desktop client, I think every manufacturer should have a nice GUI to simplify installing drivers, there's no reason I need to sign up to use it. They're obviously seeking to start selling services, and the idea is once you become a part of the Nvidia family you'll want to give them more money. Why I'm I still the product once I purchased a product ?

aaron695 5y ago

It's really fun when you have to connect wirelessly to the printer because the cord is missing and login via the internet for the HP software to use it, at the same time. This is different to OPs story. But for the HP software to not care that it made using the printers wireless mode so hard because of compulsory logins made me hate HP.

rastafang 5y ago

Printers are getting less and less relevant, how can they get away with this? I'm really happy with my cheap HP LaserJet M15 B&W printer though...

yingliu4203 5y ago

I have used HP printers for many years. The software is consistently the worst you can image: it has huge size for so many years and is complex to use. Last week I struggled awhile to not create an account to scan a document. Eventually I gave up and create an account.

2Gkashmiri 5y ago

Been using HP 5820 wireless printer for around 3 years IMO. Never signed in to anything. Yesterday I found out it tracks number of scans and prints. Going to try hard to prevent it from updating software or firmware although a config page said automatic firmware update is on. Don't know

rwaksmunski 5y ago

I have an older Brother MFC laser printer without DRM toners. I hope it lasts me a lifetime.

poulpy123 5y ago

I bought a laser B&W printer for the price of an entry level ink printer and a ink replacement, and I couldn't be more happy. It's a bit big but it's fast, the ink last forever and never dry

morsch 5y ago

Apparently there's a M209dwe, which forces you to subscribe to HP's toner subscription model (yeah, that's a thing now), and a M209dw, which doesn't. He got the former; it's quite a bit cheaper. On Amazon, you can tell it's a crippled product from the description, but I can see how you could easily miss it. So, avoid the ones with an e suffix. Or better yet, just avoid HP.