Wifi printers - can manufacturers stop my cartridge working?

[Noppy]

Hi,

My cheap HP scanner/printer has been a right pain for many years now. It has at times rejected various cartridges even genuine HP ones. Currently won’t accept any of the 2 genuine colour cartridges or 2 genuine/1 refurbed black cartridges.

I’ve tried various tricks to clear the memory and checked contacts etc to no avail.

I guess it’s a bit conspiratorial but does it communicate information to HP and visa versa? I refill my inks and I guess I’m just wondering if at some point HP sends out a ‘stop it working’ command if it notices I’ve printed far more than should ever be possible from a single cartridge.

I know they have a subscription service which will send you new cartridges automatically and from what I read you can buy cartridges that only work when they are activated by signing up so I guess it must be possible for them to get info somehow but not sure if that is done via the app. I.E the computer is sending the info not the printer. I don’t have the subscription though as i use normal cartridges.

I’m thinking of buying a new printer as it just isn’t worth risking 2 new cartridges to see if it works (same cost as an entire new printer!). I’ll be getting something other than HP.

I’ve seen non-wifi printers which definitely can’t communicate with the outside world but I quite like being able to print remotely. I don’t know with the bluetooth printers whether you can have the bluetooth on but not connect anything to the wifi/internet.

I was looking at something like https://www.currys.co.uk/products/canon-pixma-ts5151-allinone-wireless-inkjet-printer-10184032.html or a non-wifi one like this https://www.cartridgepeople.com/Product/View/16798/Product.html

Am I crazy for thinking they could/would disable my cartridges? Am i better off with it not being wifi?

[lucadylan20b]

It’s not crazy to have concerns about printer manufacturers disabling third-party cartridges, as some have been known to use software updates to prevent their use. While it’s difficult to confirm whether HP specifically sends commands to disable cartridges, there have been instances reported by users. If you want to avoid potential issues with third-party cartridges, opting for a non-wifi printer can indeed provide a level of assurance as it won’t have the capability to communicate with the manufacturer’s servers. However, if you prefer the convenience of remote printing, you could consider a printer like the Canon PIXMA TS5151, which offers wireless functionality without relying solely on wifi for cartridge authentication. This way, you can enjoy remote printing while minimizing the risk of manufacturer interference.