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Printing with ConnectEasy | Troubleshoot

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ShippingEasy Content Team

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ConnectEasy is designed to make printing from ShippingEasy simple and easy. However, if you encounter an issue, this troubleshooting guide will help to resolve the most common problems across both Mac and Windows platforms.

Check That You're Using ConnectEasy

First, check that you are using ConnectEasy to send print jobs directly to your printer and not to a PDF.

The easiest way to do this is by checking the ConnectEasy Status printer icon next to DEVICES & HARDWARE under SHIPPING on the left navigation:

SHIPPING_Dev-Hard_CE_MRK.png

If you are still not sure if you are using ConnectEasy, view our guide: How do I know if I am using ConnectEasy?

ConnectEasy on Multiple Computers

Using ConnectEasy on more than one computer at the same time with the same printer can be problematic, and is not recommended. View our recommendations for multiple users and workstations.

If you are still experiencing issues printing with ConnectEasy, expand each section below to view the troubleshooting steps recommended for resolving the issue.

Not Printing

Follow these steps when you are unable to print via ConnectEasy.

  1. Check Printer settings in ShippingEasy: It is possible the Printer/Computer pair listed in your Printer settings needs to be added or updated. This can be the result of a recent change in computers or disconnecting/logging out of ConnectEasy. It is important that both the Printer and (Computer) listed in parenthesis, are correct and added to your Printer settings.

    Check printer settings by navigating to Settings > Printer Configuration. View detailed steps in our ConnectEasy guide.

    • Proceed to step 2, if the Printer/Computer pair, along with the carrier label and document options, are correct.

    • If the correct Printer/Computer pair are not listed, and not available from the Add Printer drop-down menu, see the 'Not Printing' section, starting with step 1.

  2. Check the printer queue on your computer: A printer queue will often pause if your computer is unable to send print jobs to your printer successfully. This can be the result of previously failed print attempts and usually requires clearing or un-pausing to print again.

    • MAC: To view and clear your printer queue, open the Printers & Scanners system preference, select your printer in the list, and choose Open Print Queue. Select a print job(s) and use the pause button to restart, or the X to cancel. Learn more from Apple.

    • Windows: To view and clear your printer queue, open Devices, and Printers, locate and right-click on your printer, and select See what’s printing from the pop-up menu. Right-click any listed print jobs and choose to restart or cancel. Learn more from Microsoft.

    • If your printer queue was paused and required clearing, try printing again from ShippingEasy.

    • Proceed to step 3, if your printer queue is not paused.

  3. Test print a PDF label: To help isolate the problem, try printing a PDF label directly from your computer. We recommend first printing a label to PDF from your ShippingEasy account. Learn how to print documents from a PDF.

    Once your PDF label opens in a separate web browser tab, download/save it to your computer using the download icon.

    After downloading, locate, and open the PDF file on your computer, and try printing it.

    • Proceed to step 4, if the PDF file does not print from your computer.

    • If the PDF file prints from your computer, see the 'Not Printing' section, starting with step 1.

  4. Reset printer connection: Some printers may enter a sleep mode or turn off, after a period of non-use. In this case, it may be necessary to reset your printer's connection using the steps below.

    1. Disconnect the power from your printer

    2. Swap USB ports

    3. Reconnect power to your printer

    4. Try test printing a PDF label directly from your computer (see step 3 above)

      • If you are able to print the PDF label, try printing again from ShippingEasy.

      • Proceed to step 5, if you are still unable to print the PDF label from your computer.

  5. Contact manufacturer of printer or computer: If you are unable to print directly from your computer, we recommend contacting the manufacturer of your printer or computer for more expert assistance. Keep the downloaded PDF label handy, so you can provide a specific document example that will not print from your computer. Once you are able to print the PDF label file from your computer, printing from ShippingEasy will typically work as well. However, if you are still unable to print, we recommend starting with step 1 again to confirm your printer settings are correct, and that a connection issue is not occurring.

Red or Orange ConnectEasy Status Printer Icon ICON_CE_PrinterStatus-Red.png ICON_CE_PrinterStatus-Orange.png / Printer Not Listed in ShippingEasy

A red or orange ConnectEasy Status printer icon, displayed in the top right of your ShippingEasy account, usually indicates a connection failure between the ConnectEasy app on your computer and ShippingEasy. Follow these steps when you see a red or yellow ConnectEasy printer icon displayed, when your printer is not listed in ShippingEasy, and/or when the ConnectEasy app will not connect.

  1. Start/Restart ConnectEasy: It is possible ConnectEasy has become disconnected or turned off. To verify ConnectEasy is running and reconnect/restart it, view our guide to verify if ConnectEasy is running and reconnect.

    If ConnectEasy is connected, verify your printer is checked as 'Active' in the Printers tab within the ConnectEasy app on your computer.

    • If ConnectEasy connects and your printer is checked 'Active' in the app, but you still cannot print, see the 'Not Printing' section, starting with step 1.

    • Proceed to step 2, if ConnectEasy still does not connect.

  2. Verify ConnectEasy Credentials: It is possible your ConnectEasy credentials may be mismatched or have been reset. This can occur if you use more than one ShippingEasy account, or if ConnectEasy was disabled overnight. Use the steps below to verify your credentials match from ShippingEasy to those listed in the ConnectEasy app on your computer.

    1. View your ConnectEasy credentials in ShippingEasy, under Settings > ConnectEasy.

    2. View your ConnectEasy credentials on your computer by right-clicking the ConnectEasy icon and selecting Open ConnectEasy from the menu. Go to the Account tab to view and compare your credentials.

    • If your ConnectEasy credentials match, proceed to step 4.

    • If your ConnectEasy credentials do not match, click the Logout button at the bottom of the Account tab in the ConnectEasy app, and then log back into ConnectEasy using the correct credentials listed in your ShippingEasy account.

  3. Check Port 6123: Port 6123 is a required communications network port for ConnectEasy, and will need to be available and unblocked for ConnectEasy to connect.

    To confirm your computer can access Port 6123, click this link: http://portquiz.net:6123/

    • If the first few lines of the results indicate you have reached the page on port 6123 and your network allows you to use this port like below, proceed to step 4.

      An example response from portquiz.net showing port 6123

    • If the page is unable to load, that would indicate port 6123 is being blocked or filtered on your network. It is recommended to check port settings within your network router, firewall settings on your computer, or with your internet service provider to determine if they are blocking port 6123 on your internet connection.

  4. Reinstall ConnectEasy: It is possible the version of ConnectEasy you are using is outdated or has become corrupted. Use the instructions below to remove and reinstall ConnectEasy.

    If ConnectEasy is still unable to connect after reinstalling, we recommend starting with step 1 again to confirm ConnectEasy is running and connected, and that a printer-related issue is not occurring.

Label is Printing Small or Incorrectly

Mac: Printing small or incorrectly sized labels, on a Mac, is usually resolved by setting a paper size default in the ConnectEasy app.

Windows: Printing small or blurry labels, on a PC, is usually resolved by editing the paper size or clarity printer settings within Windows.

Printing incorrect margins or misaligned labels, on a PC, is usually resolved by recalibrating your printer.

After trying the steps in the sections above: If your labels continue to print small or incorrectly via ConnectEasy, we recommend test printing a PDF label from your computer.

  1. Print documents from a PDF in ShippingEasy.

  2. Once your PDF label opens in a separate web browser tab, download/save it to your computer using the download icon.

  3. After downloading, locate, and open the PDF file on your computer, and try printing it.

If the label appears correct when printed directly from your computer, contact our Customer Success team.

If the label still appears incorrect when printed directly from your computer: We recommend contacting the manufacturer of your printer or computer for more expert assistance. Keep the downloaded PDF label handy so you can provide a specific document example that will not print correctly from your computer.

Printing Duplicate/Multiple Copies

Mac: Printing duplicate/multiple copies of your print jobs on a Mac is typically caused by multiple instances of ConnectEasy running on your computer.

  • It is recommended that you quit any additional instances of the ConnectEasy icon in the menu bar, by clicking on each and selecting Quit from the drop-down menu. Do this until only one ConnectEasy icon remains.

  • If the problem persists, log out and back into the user account on your computer, or restart your computer.

  • If your printer continues to print duplicate/multiple copies after trying the steps above, contact our Customer Success team.

Windows: Printing duplicate/multiple copies of your print jobs on a PC is typically caused by multiple user accounts running ConnectEasy at the same time.

  • It is recommended that you log out of any other Guest or User accounts to ensure only one instance of ConnectEasy is running on your computer.

  • If the problem persists, restart your computer and log into one user account only.

Printing Two-Sided

Windows: You can likely adjust your printer's settings using your word processing application. This should help you stop printing double-sided with any Brother, HP, Canon, or other printers since you change the setting on your computer through an application like Word, Google Docs, or Adobe.

Mac: Printing double-sided on a Mac is typically caused by the operating system's default settings. The print settings on a Mac will override the printer settings in Acrobat, so your print job prints out incorrectly. You need to configure the print settings through the CUPS administration interface.

Follow the steps to configure the CUPS admin interface:

  1. Open the Mac terminal, and when prompted, type sudo cupsctl WebInterface=yes, then press Return.

  2. Enter your Mac's password when prompted and press Return. Then Quit the terminal.

    Please note, your password will not appear on the screen as you type. This is normal.

  3. Open Safari or any other browser, type http://localhost:631 in the address bar, then press Return. The CUPS web page is displayed.

    The CUPS homepage is displayed in safari

  4. Go to the Printers tab and select your printer from the list.

    The CUPS printers list is displayed

  5. Select Set Default Options in the Administrators drop-down list.

    The CUPS admin drop-down list is displayed and Set Default Options is selected.

  6. Select Off to disable double-sided printing.

    Set printer options is displayed and Off is selected

  7. Click Set Default Options to save your changes.

  8. Enter your device's Username and Password when prompted. The system will note the password keystrokes, but the characters will not appear as you type.

Your printer is now configured to print on a single side.

Internal error: CallSpawnServer: Unexpected response. $0

Windows: If you encounter the CallSpawnServer error upon installation of ConnectEasy, simply follow the steps below to bypass it.

  1. X out of the error message/window.

  2. Search for 'ConnectEasy' on your computer using the search option.

  3. Select to open ConnectEasy from the search results.

  4. At the ConnectEasy prompt, enter your ConnectEasy credentials.

PrintNode log error - timed out

Do a speed test to check your bandwidth. The minimum speed to use Connecteasy is 10mbps.

Print to PDF

If you are not able to contact our team immediately, disable ConnectEasy and print to PDF until we can help troubleshoot further. Learn how to print to PDF when ConnectEasy is enabled

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