If you have changed your router’s Wi-Fi settings, you may be unable to connect to your HP printer from your computer or mobile device. This can be frustrating, but it’s actually quite easy to fix this problem. In this article, we will discuss why you are unable to connect to your HP printer and the steps that you can take to fix this issue.
What should you do if your printer won’t connect?
The best way to fix connectivity issues is to reboot your router. This can be done with a hard reset of your router or by simply unplugging it from its power source for about 20 seconds and then plugging it back in. It may take a few minutes for your network settings to readjust, but once they do, you should be able to connect using Wi-Fi or a wired connection. If that doesn’t work, it’s time to look at changing your IP address on your printer. To do so, you must first turn off its built-in wireless and connect via USB cable instead. Next, press and hold go on your printer until you see maintenance mode. Select network settings change followed by IP address change. Change your IP address to one that isn’t currently being used (e.g., 192.168.1.100) and save those changes before turning off maintenance mode again. Once you have successfully changed your IP address, try connecting again through Wi-Fi or a USB cable if all goes well, everything should now be working properly.
Try rebooting your printer first
The first thing you should try is simply rebooting your printer. Turn it off and then back on again. Sometimes when wireless printers are set up, they automatically go into sleep mode after a certain amount of time passes, which will cause them to drop their connection with your computer. A quick reboot can fix that without you having to make any changes in settings or fiddle with anything at all.
Unplug your printer and router, then plug back in
Some routers and printers are not compatible. However, if you have changed your Wi-Fi settings recently or had a power outage, try unplugging your router for about one minute and then plug it back in. Often times a quick reset is all that is needed to get things back up and running. If you continue to have issues with your network connection, contact tech support from your printer’s manufacturer for additional assistance.
Check if you have an IP conflict on your network
When you’re adding a new printer to your network, it can be easy to overlook your printer’s IP address. That’s not something you want to do if you’re already sharing that IP address with another device in your home. To check whether or not you’ve added a new device and are now sharing an IP address with it, consult your router’s settings. Each router is different, but typically you’ll look for either IP conflict or DHCP conflict. This should tell you what device on your network is using that particular IP address. If it’s a printer connected to one of your computers, unplug its Ethernet cable from that computer and plug it into another computer.
Reset your computer’s TCP/IP settings (Windows 8.1, 10 users only)
Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 users only need to reset their computer’s TCP/IP settings in order to reconnect their computers with their Wi-Fi routers. To do so, click Start and then click Network Connections . Right-click your main network connection and then click Properties . Click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and then click Properties . In Properties , select Obtain an IP address automatically , and then click OK . Restart your computer if prompted.
Reset the wireless router (router password may be needed)
If your router is wireless, try turning it off and then back on. If your printer was connected to a network or an internet connection before, it may be disconnected when you reboot your router. In that case, it’s time to reset your wireless router to factory settings and reconfigure everything from scratch. To do so: Unplug the power cord for 10 seconds. Wait for 30 seconds and plug it back in.
Reset the printer by unplugging it from power, then turning it back on
Hold down power button for 30 seconds until printer shuts off, then plug back in and hold down power button until it turns on. If you don’t want to manually restart your printer every time you make a change, you can use a wired connection. Many printers come with an Ethernet port that allows you to directly connect it to your network. Alternatively, if your network doesn’t support Ethernet connections or you want to save yourself from hunting down an Ethernet cable each time, use a Wi-Fi range extender: they typically cost around $30 and extend Wi-Fi coverage throughout your home or office.
Manually reconnect your wireless printer to your wireless network
Go to your computer, open your Control Panel and select Network and Internet. Select Network and Sharing Center, then Change Adapter Settings. Right-click on your printer’s network connection (typically Local Area Connection 2) in that list and choose Properties. Open up Wireless Networks, click Add, then enter your network name (SSID) and security information. Once you’ve reconnected to a network, try printing something again on your HP printer to make sure it works correctly. If it does work correctly after you manually reconnect to a wireless network but doesn’t work when you reconnect automatically, talk with whoever is responsible for administering or maintaining that router; it may be that they need to reconfigure some settings or add some new ones.
Verify that you can print from another computer
If you can’t connect to your router or access any Wi-Fi networks on your computer, it could be because of one of two issues: an issue with your router’s settings or an issue with your computer. To isolate which problem is causing you issues, try printing from another computer and checking if there are any errors. If it works, then you know that there is an issue with a setting on either your computer or router; if it doesn’t work, you know that there is a technical glitch in one of those devices and that is why your printer won’t connect. Make sure that both routers have been assigned different IP addresses so they don’t conflict with each other.
Connect a printer with a touchscreen control panel
Tired of digging through router settings and don’t know what IP address to assign your new wireless printer? Look no further than your printer’s control panel. Most models have a touchscreen interface that makes it quick and easy to connect wirelessly with routers from most major providers. In general, follow these steps
1. Make sure you’re connected to your network via an Ethernet cable or by physically pressing WPS on your router if you have one. If not, press WPS on your printer until its WPS light flashes rapidly (this usually takes three seconds). Then press WPS on your router within two minutes until its WPS light flashes rapidly as well. This initiates a secure connection between both devices using Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS). 2. Select Wireless in your printer’s control panel menu, then select Add Network in either Step 2 or Step 3 depending on which model you have:
A. If you’re connecting to a private network like your home Wi-Fi, select Private Network in Step 2 and enter your security key in Step 3;
B. If you’re connecting to a public network like those at coffee shops or hotels, select Public Network in Step 2 and skip Step 3 since there is no security key required for public networks.
C. If you’ve just changed your router’s name or password but can’t remember them now, select Other Network in Step 2 and enter 192.168 for both fields in Step 3 since most routers use 192.168 as their default IP addresses
D. If you’re setting up a guest network, select Other Network in Step 2 and enter 0.0 for both fields in Step 3 since guest networks are often set up with 0.0 as their default IP addresses.
E. If you’re setting up multiple networks simultaneously, repeat Steps 2 and 3 for each additional network type (i.e., private, public, etc.). Once complete, click Apply to save your changes and restart your printer to enable Wi-Fi connectivity. Note: Some printers require rebooting after setting up multiple networks simultaneously just be patient.
