Printers that won’t connect to Wi-Fi. Printers that say they’re connected but don’t show up on the network. Printers that show up in the wireless devices list but just won’t print. It feels like I tackle these problems on a weekly basis, whether it’s my own printer at home or those of my friends and family.
Wi-Fi printers seem to be as finicky as the moving parts inside them, so while we’ve focused on printer troubleshooting basics before—and those are still good routes to pursue—if you find your printer is disappearing from the Wi-Fi network, this guide will help you fix networking problems so you can get your documents out the door.
Update Your Drivers and Firmware
As with all technology, it helps to begin your troubleshooting journey by updating all the relevant software. Head to your printer manufacturer’s website—whether it’s HP, Brother, or someone else—and search for your printer’s model number in the support section.
Reboot or Unplug to Start Fresh
It’s become a cliche in tech circles, but with printers, it’s true more often than not: sometimes you just need to turn it off and turn it back on again. Often, that means pressing and holding the power button until it shuts down (though it may ask you to clear the queue first). If this doesn’t work—mine sometimes says “busy” and won’t let me power it off—you may have to unplug it completely, then plug it back in.
Move It Closer to Your Router
I can’t tell you why, but I’ve seen many Wi-Fi printers that just seem to have weak signals, even if all my other devices work fine in the same location. My printer is much more reliable if the router is in the same room, and my father-in-law’s printer only works if he opens all the doors upstairs before trying to print.
Even if the Wi-Fi signal in that room seems fine, try moving your printer closer to the router if you’re having connection issues. If your printer has a sub-par Wi-Fi chip, it may need a super strong signal to stay connected. (This should go without saying, but make sure the Wi-Fi name and password are correct.)
If you aren’t able to connect your printer to the router directly, you have another option: connect it to your computer over USB, then use your computer’s built-in printer sharing to print from other PCs in the house.
Once plugged in and set up as a wired printer, you can share a printer in Windows. Go to Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners, click on your printer, and choose Manage > Printer Properties. Under the Sharing tab, you should have an option to share that printer.
Mac users can do something similar from System Preferences > Sharing > Printer Sharing—just check the Printer Sharing box, check the box next to the printer you want to share, then add it from your other computers as if it were a normal network printer.
This solution can sometimes be finicky in its own right, but it’s worth a shot if your printer just refuses to stay connected to Wi-Fi on its own.
