Diagnosis
The Canon PIXMA TS6520 utilizes a protocol called mDNS (Multicast DNS), commonly known as Bonjour, to announce its presence to iOS devices. When the Canon PRINT app "finds" the printer but fails to execute the job, it indicates a "ghost connection." The printer's IP address has likely shifted due to a DHCP lease renewal from your router, or the printer's network interface has entered a stale state where it acknowledges the handshake but cannot maintain the data stream for the actual print file. This is frequently caused by "Network Sleep" mode on the TS6520, where the printer drops the active socket connection to save power but fails to fully wake the wireless radio when the iPhone sends the print command. Because the iPhone sees the device ID in the cache, it thinks the printer is online, but the actual TCP/IP path is blocked. You can confirm this by checking the OLED display; if it shows a wireless icon but the "Network Status" page prints a different IP address than what is listed in your router's client list, the connection is desynchronized.
How to Fix It
To resolve this, you must clear the network cache and force a fresh handshake between the iOS device and the printer hardware. Follow these exact steps:
- Power off the printer completely using the power button. Unplug the power cable from the wall outlet for exactly 60 seconds to drain the capacitors on the logic board.
- While the printer is off, restart your iPhone by holding the side button and volume up button until the "slide to power off" slider appears. This clears the iOS AirPrint spooler cache.
- Plug the printer back in and turn it on. On the 1.42" OLED display, press the Setup button (pliers/screwdriver icon).
- Navigate to Device settings > LAN settings > Wireless LAN setup.
- Select Reset LAN settings and confirm by selecting Yes. This wipes the corrupted network profile without affecting your ink levels or printer settings.
- Select Easy Wireless Connect on the printer.
- Open the Canon PRINT Inkjet/SELPHY app on your iPhone. Tap the "Add Printer" icon and follow the prompts to re-link the TS6520 to your Wi-Fi. Ensure your iPhone is connected to the 2.4GHz band, as the TS6520 often struggles with 5GHz "Smart Connect" bands that merge both frequencies.
- Once the app confirms the printer is "Online," attempt a test print of a single page.
If That Didn't Work
- Assign a Static IP Address: Access your router's admin panel (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1) and find the TS6520 in the DHCP client list. Set a "DHCP Reservation" for the printer's MAC address. This prevents the IP from changing, which is the primary reason AirPrint connections fail after a week of uptime.
- Disable "Auto Power Off": In the printer's OLED menu, go to Setup > Device settings > Energy saving. Change the "Auto power off" setting to "Off" or extend the timer. This prevents the wireless radio from entering a deep sleep that the iPhone cannot wake.
- Toggle Private Wi-Fi Address: On your iPhone, go to Settings > Wi-Fi, tap the "i" icon next to your network, and toggle Private Wi-Fi Address to OFF. Some Canon firmware versions reject connections from randomized MAC addresses for security reasons.
- Hard Reset the Network Card: If the OLED menu is unresponsive, press and hold the Stop button until the alarm lamp flashes 5 times, then release. This performs a soft-reset of the wireless card specifically.
Heads Up
- Band Steering: If you have a mesh Wi-Fi system (like Eero or Google Nest), the TS6520 may intermittently disconnect if the router tries to "steer" it to a 5GHz band. If possible, create a dedicated 2.4GHz guest network specifically for your printers.
- Firmware Updates: Periodically check the OLED screen for a "Firmware Update" notification. Canon frequently releases patches for the TS-series to improve AirPrint stability.
- Ink Clogging: If you fix the connection but the pages come out streaky, perform a "Cleaning" cycle via the Maintenance menu. This is common if the printer has been idle while you were troubleshooting the network.