tp-link USB Printer Controller broken after Microsoft/Windows 10 updates
Win10 update appears to break tp-link USB Printer Controller!
I have two different Windows 10 laptops. (HP and Lenovo.)
For many months, USB Printer Controller worked very well on both computers.
I have an Archer A7 (AC1750) router and a Brother HL-L2320D printer.
The USB cable from the printer is plugged into the USB port of the router.
USB Printer Controller is installed separately on both computers.
This configuration worked fine for a long time. No changes have been made to anything.
Over the past two or three weeks, after multiple required Microsoft updates installed on both computers at different times, USB Printer Controller no longer works on either one!
I have updated the firmware on the router to the latest level today.
I have reinstalled USB Printer Controller from tp-link's website according to instructions on both computers.
I have checked all physical connections, and rebooted the router.
I have rebooted both laptops multiple times.
I confirmed the printer and cable both work properly by plugging the printer cable directly into my laptop and I can print just fine.
But the USB Printer Controller does not work, and none of these actions have improved the situation.
Remember, it used to work. Now spontaneously it fails on two different computers.
I do NOT suspect a hardware problem because the failure to print on the two computers did not happen at the same time, but rather within a few days of each other.
I do not know what updates were installed on which computer, or when.
When I start the USB Printer Controller, it does not recognize the printer or even the router, as seen in this screenshot.
Previously, upon startup of this program on this screen I would see the Router (colored in red text I think), and then below that, indented, and in blue text(?) I would see my printer. Now as you can see, there is nothing.
And because there is nothing, there is nothing else that can be done. All options on this screen are grayed out. The pulldowns allow me to close the program, set my language preference, and show the level of the program, and that's all.
For the record....
I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY A MICROSOFT/WINDOWS 10 UPDATE.
Two possibilities:
The Microsoft Update is bad somehow.
-or-
TP-LINK needs to provide an update to USB Printer Controller to accomodate the impact of the Microsoft update to their product.
My guess is that it's the second one.
TP-LINK, any fix planned for this problem?!
Thank you!
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ArcherC8 wrote
If you are in the US are you going to https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/download/archer-a7/#Firmware
I took one of them (Archer A7(US)_V5_201029) and clicked on it and downloaded it to my Apple iMac. I got a zip file and when I clicked on it it created a folder. I opened the folder and got three files. A .bin and two .pdf files.
The .bin file was prefixed a7v5_us-up-ver1-0-16-P1....
Yep, same. Identical in every way.
Mine says the size of that .bin file is 15113 KB; compressed is 15085 KB.
What about yours? If very different from this, we might be getting somewhere. (Possibility 2.)
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Well, that is the correct latest one.
I was curious so I looked with a binary browser at the f/w d/l for my A20 and the A7. Quite different.
A20, 2 locations and the same for the A7.
A20 Header:
Same data for the A7:
The 'header' seems longer in the A7?
Now down to the data (I think it is at least, after all the 'FFFF's.
A20:
Note it starts with 'support-list' and Archer A20 is in the data.
Now the A7:
No 'support list', partially spelled. No list of routers supported?
Could the build have been bad?
@Tony, is the A7 D/L correct?
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Yes, I knew that. Depends how the file was initialized and the buffer allocated and where. Some are 0's as well sometimes.
Still, the 4KB block where the actual data starts are completely different. That is what I was trying to highlight. Compare the 2 captures at that location.
If you Google A7 invalid file you WILL find many reports of that. Most are on 3rd party f/w going, or trying to, back to stock f/w.
Of course, some routers will not allow you to reload the present or older f/w. Hence why I suggested a RESET of the router, that could work then possibly?
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IrvSp wrote
Well, that is the correct latest one.
I was curious so I looked with a binary browser at the f/w d/l for my A20 and the A7. Quite different.
A20, 2 locations and the same for the A7.
A20 Header:
Same data for the A7:
The 'header' seems longer in the A7?
Now down to the data (I think it is at least, after all the 'FFFF's.
A20:
Note it starts with 'support-list' and Archer A20 is in the data.
Now the A7:
No 'support list', partially spelled. No list of routers supported?
Could the build have been bad?
@Tony, is the A7 D/L correct?
The firmware provided was what was suggested for users to get the feature back. I went back to our team and informed them of the inability to downgrade with the suggested firmware, and was told a special request was going to be made about updating the link to resolve any downgrading issues. So far there is no time frame, but if that becomes available I'll be sure to provide that here.
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Tony wrote
The firmware provided was what was suggested for users to get the feature back. I went back to our team and informed them of the inability to downgrade with the suggested firmware, and was told a special request was going to be made about updating the link to resolve any downgrading issues. So far there is no time frame, but if that becomes available I'll be sure to provide that here.
@Tony ,
Thank you.
Do you work for tp-link?
Anyway, does this mean that the level of update being downgraded to won't work only for people trying to go backwards? Or is the build itself bad?
Presumably the level I'm attempting to go back to is the same that some users might be trying to advance UP to. Will such forward upgrades meet the same invalid file type error?
Regarding "updating the link," does this mean there's a bad or incorrect file at the link, or that the link must simply be changed to point to the right place?
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As I read 'between the lines' in @Tony's reply, it seems the F/W is doing the blocking? Either the old one will not install over a newer version or the even the newest version will not allow you to install ANY version other than a newer one.
I suspect the former, you can not install and older version and it always checks to see if it is newer, and they s/w continues to this day for that router. Probably always checked for newer than the installed one. If so, even that is a shame, and many times to clear any corruption of the f/w, one must re-install the same f/w?
I'll leave it for Tony to clear it up (yes, he does work for TP-Link and is a Moderator here) though.
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