> Self-disconnecting printer

Printing to my Epson Stylus DX7400 printer works normally, but its Dock icon and pop-up windows warn that it isn’t connected. This started after updating to macOS 10.12.5, with the printer connected to my Mac mini and shared from there. Do you think this is a network problem?

Before worrying about whether there is a network problem, first check the version of the printer driver you’re using. If you have Epson’s own software, note that it hasn’t been updated since November 2016, and will probably be version 2.22. If you have the driver provided by macOS Sierra or later, it should be version 9.0, and is updated through the Mac App Store’s Updates tab.

Uninstall any older driver and other Epson software first. Next, in System Preferences’ Sharing pane on your Mac mini, turn off Printer Sharing. In the Printers & Scanners pane on both Macs, select the Epson in the left side and click on the – (minus) button below to remove it. Close that pane and open it again, and add the printer back using the + button. That may trigger an update through the Mac App Store to fetch and install the current driver.

Once you’ve turned Printer Sharing back on, install the printer again on your other Mac, and you should find it remains properly connected. If not, check that your network is all in good order, with all network cables securely inserted.