Why Won't the Printer Connect to Wi-Fi? Check Out These Quick Fixes

When they suddenly stop connecting to your Wi-Fi, wireless printers are very useful. You're not the only one who has been stuck watching your printer blink or disappear from your list of devices. One of the most annoying things for printer users is when they can't connect to Wi-Fi. The good news? There are a lot of easy ways to fix many of these problems quickly. Let's look at what could be wrong and how to easily get your printer back online.

1. Be sure of the basics first

Before you get too involved with settings, make sure of the following:

  • Doesn't your printer have any warning lights on when it's on?
  • Does your Wi-Fi work right on other devices, like your laptop or phone?
  • Connect your printer and other gadgets to the same Wi-Fi network.

Tip:
Some printers turn off after being quiet for a long time. The link might be made again after a quick restart of the printer.

2. Start everything over

Sometimes all it takes is an easy restart to fix something.

  • Don't print anything.
  • Turn your Wi-Fi router back on.
  • Do a restart on your phone or computer.
  • Once your Wi-Fi is back up and running, turn the printer back on.

This helps restart any network processes that are stuck or IP addresses that are out of date.

3. Connect the printer to Wi-Fi again

The printer can lose its link or connect to the wrong network. Here's how to get it back together:

  • On the screen of your printer, go to the Network or Wireless Settings.
  • To set up Wi-Fi or Wireless LAN, choose
  • Pick the network you want to use from the list.
  • Carefully type in the password (it matters what case you use!)

When you connect your printer, it might show a message like "Connected" or signal bars.

4. Look for more than one network

Make sure your computer and printer are on the same Wi-Fi network if your home or office has more than one, like a guest network. They won't be able to talk to each other if they don't.

Tip:
If your device is on a 5 GHz network and your printer is on a 2.4 GHz network, they may not be able to talk to each other.

5. Install or update the driver for the printer

Your device might not see the printer because the driver is out of date or not installed.

  • Open the Printers & Scanners settings on your computer.
  • The printer should be taken off the list.
  • Look for new gadgets and add them again.
  • If you need to, install the driver for your printer type by hand.

Installing the most recent driver makes sure that everything works together and that the network is found more easily.

6. Turn off and then back on Wi-Fi on the printer

Some printers let you reset the link through a Wi-Fi button or menu:

  • Turn off Wi-Fi or go into offline mode.
  • Hold on a second.
  • Turn on wifi again and connect to your network again.

This clears out any bugs inside the phone and works like a soft restart.

How to Avoid Making These Mistakes

  • When Connecting to a Wi-Fi Network, Entering the Wrong Password
  • Not being close enough to the router
  • Trying to print before everything is set up
  • If you choose the wrong printer in your device's print menu,
  • Not checking for firmware changes
  • Using VPNs or filters that stop devices from being found

How to Keep a Strong Connection in the Future

  • Make sure your printer is close to your Wi-Fi router.
  • Every so often, restart your computer and printer to make the connections work better.
  • If you have more than one home network, clearly label them.
  • In settings, tell your printer to reconnect itself or stay awake longer.
  • If you can, change your printer's firmware regularly.

Some Wi-Fi problems are hard to fix, but most of them are simple to fix if you know where to look. You can avoid hours of trouble by doing simple things like updating your software and making sure all of your devices are on the same network. Still having trouble? Get in touch with us for clearer instructions on how to fix any printer problem at work or at home.