Few things are more frustrating than when you want to print a document, when your wireless printer is in an error state or is silent. You may have already tried connecting a WiFi printer to the network in your home, but problems persist, causing the printer to stubbornly off the grid.
Ideally, a wireless connection should allow you to easily transfer documents from device to printer, but in reality it is not always that easy.
Knowing how to troubleshoot wireless printer problems can take some of this frustration out. Below we will share some of the fixes that will help you solve most of them.
- Check out the basics.
- Set your printer as the default printer.
- Restart all your devices.
- Run the printing troubleshooter
- Check your router settings.
- Update the router’s firmware.
- Disable VPN connections.
- Make the printer’s IP address static.
- Check your firewall settings.
- Change your SSID.
- Uninstall and reinstall the printer driver and software.
- Uninstall and reinstall the printer.
- Clear and reset the print spooler.
- Reset printer settings.
Troubleshoot wireless printer problems
- Check the basics.
- Set the printer as the default printer.
- Restart all of your devices.
- Run the Print Troubleshooter.
- Check your router settings.
- Update the router firmware.
- Disable VPN Connections.
- Make the printer IP address constant.
- Check your firewall settings.
- Change the SSID.
- Uninstall and reinstall the printer driver and software.
- Uninstall and reinstall the printer.
- Clear and reset the print spooler.
- Reset the printer.
Check the Basics
Some basics can be missed, so check the following before proceeding to advanced steps:
- Make sure the printer is on or has power.
- Connect the printer to a computer or other device.
- Check the toner and paper in the printer and the printer queue. Sometimes a print job with an error may delay the line, the time it takes for files to travel from your device to the printer may take longer, or a larger document may take longer to load and process.
- Check for any warning lights or error messages on the printer.
- Make sure it is connected to Wi-Fi.
- Use a USB cable to connect and check if it works again.
- Move the printer where it receives the best Wi-Fi signal without interference. Ideally, this shouldn’t be too far from the router.
- Make sure your device is also on the correct network, especially where there is a WiFi range extender, as this creates separate networks making it difficult to connect.
- If you have recently updated your browser, security software, operating system, or firewalls, it may cause problems with the connection to your printer. In this case, reconnect the device to the network, change security settings to enable printers, and / or install updated drivers.
You can also perform a system restore to revert to the default version or settings and try connecting to the printer again.
Set your printer as the default
You may be trying to connect to the default Wi-Fi printer. Sometimes the printer may have software installed with a “virtual” printer, so when you click the “Print” command, the virtual printer saves the file instead of the actual document that you send to the physical printer.
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1. Click Start> Control Panel> Hardware and Sound.
2. Click Devices and Printers.
3. Right-click the printer and select Set as default printer. Click “Yes” (or “OK”) to confirm the action.
Restart all of your devices
Restarting helps fix any software glitches that might be causing the wireless printer and connected devices to malfunction. A wireless printer, router, computer / other device, wireless access point, and modem all rely on your home or office network to connect to the Internet.
Be that as it may, if one device fails, it can affect all others. Restarting may cause the network to hum again, after which you can try the printer to see if it works.
Run the Print Troubleshooter
1. To do this, open Control Panel> Hardware and Sound> Devices and Printers.
2. Right-click the icon for your printer and select Troubleshoot. Printing troubleshooter for identifying and fixing printer connection problems.
3. Alternatively, go to the search box on the taskbar and type “Printing problem” and then select “Run the troubleshooter” to download the printing troubleshooter Click “Open” and follow the instructions on the screen.
Check your router settings
If you recently replaced your router, you may need to reconfigure your computer and printer to reconnect to the network.
The new router may have a different ISP address that requires reconfiguration and configuration of the router settings, some of which may not be suitable for your wireless printer.
- To check the router settings, open a browser and enter your IP address and press Enter. If you are not sure about the IP address, read our post on how to find the IP address of your router. You can try using admin as the username and password as the password, which are the commonly used default passwords for routers
- Find the Wireless or Security section and configure the default settings for connecting the printer.
A few things you can check in your router settings include:
- MAC address filtering – disable it as it doesn’t really make your network secure.
- Make sure your router is in the 2.4 GHz frequency range, which most wireless printers connect easily to, compared to only 5 GHz.
- Use the WiFi channel that is least used by other local networks. For printers that do not connect, channels 1, 6, and 11 generally work best instead of the default “Auto†channel selection setting.
- Disable the wireless isolation mode setting and try connecting to the printer again.
- Enable DCHP to allow the printer to obtain an IP address and communicate over the network, and to try to reconnect.
- Make sure your router, device, or printer has a guest connection, as this isolates them from other devices on the network and prevents the wireless printer from connecting.
Router Firmware Update
If changing your router’s settings doesn’t work, update the router’s firmware to fix bugs or vulnerabilities, and connection issues.
For example, downgrading to Windows 10 from a different version may cause connection interruptions, which a firmware update might resolve.
See the manual for your router or contact the manufacturer of your device for further instructions as the steps may differ depending on the router. Some may also need special instructions for connecting to wireless devices, especially those provided by ISPs.
Disable VPN Connections
If you are using VPN to securely connect to a remote network, this may limit your ability to print via a WiFi printer. This is for security reasons, but you can disconnect the VPN connection and try to connect to your home network and resume printing functions.
Make the printer IP address static
IP addresses can fluctuate within a certain range, regardless of whether your device stays in one place. This can be confusing, especially if multiple devices have been trying to connect wirelessly for a given time.
If this is the case, refer to the manual for your router to learn how to set a static IP address for your printer so that it does not change over time.
Check your firewall settings
Your device’s firewall is designed to block any malware attacks, but it can also block network settings for printing. This can over-protect your device, depending on how it is configured, and prevent it from seeing your printer on the local network.
However, the firewall settings are different, in which case you should consult the user manual or the vendor’s website to find support resources.
Make sure you update your software, set your firewall settings to Medium or Trusted Zone where your device is connected to the network, and enable all warning messages to be displayed.
Make sure you don’t have multiple firewalls enabled at the same time as this causes multiple wireless printer connection issues or you might find your wireless printer is not printing.
Change your SSID
Changing your Wi-Fi network name (SSID) may resolve connection problems. If there are multiple routers with the same SSID as Home, you can change one so that it is recognized by your printer and fixes connection errors due to disconnected or incorrect wireless connection.
This means that you need to reconnect your computer system or compatible devices to the correct network to which the printer is connected.
Uninstall and reinstall the printer driver and software
This will require reinstalling or reconfiguring the special network drivers for your printer.
1. Open Control Panel> Programs.
2. Click Programs and Features> Uninstall a Program.
3. Click the name of your printer, and then click Yes to confirm the action. Turn on the printer and go to the manufacturer’s website for specific instructions on how to download and install drivers for your model. After installation, follow the instructions to set up your printer connection and try printing again.
You can also reinstall the printer drivers using Windows Update by clicking Start> Settings> Update and Security and clicking Check for Updates. If an updated driver is available, it will be downloaded and installed and your printer will use it.
Alternatively, use the disc installation software that came with your printer, as this can help you install its drivers or check for driver updates.
What if the printer driver is not installed?
What if the printer driver is not installed?
1. In this case, click Start> Settings> Devices.
2. Click Printers & Scanners, and then click Print Server Properties under Related Options.
3. Click the Drivers tab and check your printer. If he is there, then go ahead. If not, click Add.
4. Click Next on the Welcome to the Add Printer Driver Wizard
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5. Click your device architecture in the process selection field and click Next.
6. In the Select Printer Driver section, click the manufacturer, select the printer driver, and then click Next> Finish. Follow the instructions on the screen to add the printer driver.
Note. If there are no new drivers, contact the manufacturer and ask when they will be available. If your printer model is no longer supported, you may want to check for updated drivers on your printer in the same series as there is a chance they will work with some loss of functionality on your printer.
It’s unlikely, but there’s nothing to lose if it doesn’t work already.
Uninstall and reinstall the printer
Try removing the printer and reinstalling it to see if the connection will work for reprinting.
1. To remove the printer, click Start> Settings> Devices. Click Printers & Scanners, locate your printer, click it and select Remove Device.
2. Reinstall the printer by clicking Start> Settings> Devices> Printers & Scanners. Select Add Printer or Scanner.
3. Select your printer from the list of available ones (including Bluetooth or printers connected to another computer and shared on your network) and click Add Device.
Note. If you are using a repeater, wireless access points, or multiple routers with different SSIDs, make sure you are connected to the same network so that the device can find and install the printer. Print a test page to make sure it works correctly.
Clear and reset print spooler
The print spooler controls the printing process. If you find that your wireless printer is not printing, the problem might be with the print spooler. In this case, clear the print spooler files and restart the print spooler service.
1. In the search box, enter services and select Services from the search results.
2. Click the “Standard” tab and double-click “Print Spooler”.
3. Click Stop> OK.
4. Enter% WINDIR% system32 spool printers again in the search box, and then select% WINDIR% system32 spool PRINTERS from the search results. Delete all files in this folder.
5. Enter services and select Services. Click the Standards tab and double-click the Print Spooler in the list. Click Start, in the Startup Type field, select Automatic, and then click OK.
Reset Your Printer
This is a last resort solution where all other fixes did not help, as it clears all of your printer settings, including WiFi login credentials, in order to restore the connection.
Please refer to your printer’s instruction manual for how to perform a factory reset, as the steps vary by brand and model. Information may also be available online if you do not have a user manual.
We’ve covered the most likely solutions to wireless printer problems. If your printer still won’t connect after performing each of these fixes, you can check with the manufacturer, return it to the store, or buy a new printer and start over.
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