Let's rewind all:
The printer is a printer wired to the router.Installed US Robotics is a wired router with 4 ethernet inputs and one USB output for the network printer. The router includes a printer server into its body: then the printer is connected there. The address of the printer is provided by the configuration of the router and is (according to fixed IP of my Homenetwork) :
http://192.168.1.1:1631/printers/Samsung
The network: it is formed by 4 computers, all from DELL, the main one is an Optiplex 980 WIRED to the Router. The Others are laptop WiFi connected to the network by means of an AP (wired to the router) or by an Extender.
The failure:
After years of regular working, the Optiplex (wired to the net) and one of the laptops (WiFi connected to the net) were unable to print. No errors warning, just printings stuck in the spooler. After a while I clean the spooler without any other result. This happened just one day, without any significative action, on my side. The only possibilities are: effect of a virus or effect of a system upgrade.
Important note: Both the computers showing print problems are Windows 7 (one 64 n, the other 32 b). The remaining computers, connected WiFi are both XP, and they print regularly to the network printer (hanged to the router)
As you may understand the connection type is no-matter.
Your suggested operations have been already done without any result. The Computers not-printing , if get the print installed as local/USB, install it immediately and print regularly.
On my opinion the problem is around the suddenly occurred problem from Window 7 computers to be unable to open the print server port.
One comment :
"..Getting restless about an issue doesn't help, sometimes most complex problems have simple and obvious resolutions that we often skip them..." makes me smile !
I am a 77 years old retired engineer and I spent my life in semiconductors, application software and electronics consumer product design. This problem is one of the most difficult I met. I have googled around to understand if a virus or a malware is up in these moments, whose caracteristics is to readdressing TCP/IP targets, but I found nothing. I have very little habit to browse Sites, therefore I can count on one hand the number of viruses got. Of course I have good programs to scan for, and I found nothing. The network is OK I checked, with tools, (from Cisco and Others) for troubles, but no result. The port 1631 exist and it results closed at the scanner.
Now I am working to find the way to force the port to open.
That's all for the moment.
I appreciate very much you are giving your time to this problem.
Please fly slow-rise !
Manlio