my computer says the printer is offline even though it's on and connected to wifi

Diagnosis

The "Offline" status on a Canon PIXMA G7020 is rarely a physical disconnection and is usually a communication breakdown between the Windows Print Spooler and the printer's network interface. This occurs when the printer enters a deep sleep state or when the router assigns a new dynamic IP address (DHCP lease expiration) that doesn't match the port configuration stored in your computer's registry. Essentially, your PC is sending data to an "address" that the printer is no longer listening to. You can confirm this by checking the printer's current IP address via the onboard LCD screen. Navigate to Network Settings > Confirm LAN Settings. If the IP address listed there differs from the one found in the printer properties on your PC, the handshake is broken. Additionally, if the "Use Printer Offline" toggle is checked in the print queue, Windows will ignore any active network connection entirely, keeping the status as "Offline" regardless of the actual hardware state.

How to Fix It

To restore the connection and force the computer to recognize the G7020, follow these exact steps:

1. On the G7020 control panel, press the Setup button (wrench icon). Use the arrow buttons to navigate to Device settings > LAN settings > Confirm LAN settings. Note the IPv4 address (e.g., 192.168.1.15).
2. On your Windows PC, open the Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers.
3. Right-click the Canon G7020 series icon and select See what's printing.
4. In the print queue window, click the Printer menu at the top left. Ensure that Use Printer Offline and Pause Printing are both unchecked. If they were checked, unchecking them often restores the connection immediately.
5. If it remains offline, go back to Devices and Printers, right-click the G7020, and select Printer Properties.
6. Navigate to the Ports tab. Click Configure Port. If the IP address listed here does not match the one you noted from the printer's LCD screen, you must update it or switch the port to a "Standard TCP/IP Port" using the current IP.
7. Click Apply and then OK. Restart the Print Spooler by opening services.msc, finding Print Spooler, right-clicking it, and selecting Restart.

If That Didn't Work

• Assign a Static IP: Log into your router's admin panel (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1) and find the DHCP reservation list. Assign a permanent IP address to the MAC address of your G7020. This prevents the "Offline" error from recurring every time the router refreshes its IP leases.
• Disable SNMP Status: In the Printer Properties > Ports > Configure Port menu, uncheck the box labeled SNMP Status Enabled. This feature often incorrectly reports a printer as offline if the printer is in a low-power sleep mode, even if it is perfectly capable of printing.
• Reset the Network Stack: On the printer, go to Setup > Device settings > LAN settings > Reset LAN settings. This clears the cached network profile. After resetting, use the "Wireless LAN setup" to reconnect the printer to your SSID from scratch.
• Firewall Exception: Check your antivirus or Windows Defender Firewall. Ensure that the ports 80, 443, and 161 (UDP) are open for the Canon G7020 driver. Sometimes a security update will suddenly block the communication port, triggering an offline status.

Heads Up

• Avoid "Generic" Drivers: Never use the Windows Class Driver. Always install the full Canon G7020 driver package from the official site to ensure the bidirectional communication (which monitors ink levels and status) works correctly.
• Power Cycle Sequence: If the printer disappears again, always power cycle in this order: Router first, then Printer, then PC. This ensures the DHCP handshake happens in the correct sequence.
• Avoid 2.4GHz/5GHz Split: The G7020 supports 2.4GHz. If your router uses "Smart Connect" (merging both bands), the printer may occasionally drop the connection. If stability is an issue, create a dedicated 2.4GHz guest network for your printer.