Printer Not Connecting to Wi-Fi? How to Fix It

When a printer will not connect to Wi-Fi at all, the problem is different from a printer that is connected but shows as offline. Here the printer never joins the network in the first place — so the computer cannot see it, and nothing you send reaches it. Work through these fixes in order; most Wi-Fi printers are back on the network within ten minutes.

Fix 1: Check the network name and password

Start with the simplest cause. On the printer’s panel, open the wireless settings and confirm it is trying to join your home network — not a neighbour’s, and not the guest network. Re-enter the Wi-Fi password carefully: passwords are case-sensitive, and a single wrong character fails silently on most printers. If you recently changed the router password, the printer is still holding the old one, and that alone explains the failure.

Fix 2: Use the 2.4 GHz band, not 5 GHz

Most printers only support the 2.4 GHz band. If your router broadcasts one network name for both bands, or the printer is trying to join the 5 GHz network, it will fail to connect even with the right password. In your router settings, check whether the two bands have separate names — if they do, connect the printer to the 2.4 GHz one. If they share one name, move the printer closer to the router and try again, or split the bands in the router settings. The 2.4 GHz band also reaches further through walls, which helps printers kept away from the router.

Fix 3: Restart the router, then the printer

Turn the printer off. Restart the router and wait until it is fully online — about two minutes, until all its lights are steady. Then switch the printer on and let it join the network before sending a test page. Order matters here: the printer must join a network that is already up. A router restart also clears the temporary glitches that quietly block new devices from joining.

Fix 4: Move the printer closer to the router

Printers are often tucked in a corner or a different room, where the Wi-Fi signal is weak. A weak signal lets the printer see the network but fail to complete the connection. Move the printer within a few metres of the router and try the wireless setup again. If it connects there, the problem is signal strength, not settings — keep it closer, or add a Wi-Fi extender between the router and the printer’s usual spot.

Fix 5: Re-run the wireless setup wizard

On the printer’s control panel, run the wireless setup again (usually Settings → Network → Wireless Setup Wizard). Choose your network from the list it finds, rather than typing the name by hand, and enter the password when asked. If the printer remembers an old network profile, delete it first — a stale saved network with an old password or old security type blocks the new connection. Confirm the Wi-Fi light is solid, not blinking, when the setup finishes.

Fix 6: Try the WPS button method

If typing the password keeps failing, use WPS instead. Press the WPS button on your router, then — within two minutes — start WPS on the printer (usually in the same wireless settings menu, “WPS Push Button”). The two devices exchange the password themselves, which rules out typing errors entirely. Note that some newer routers have WPS switched off by default; if the router has no WPS button, skip this fix.

Fix 7: Check the router settings that block printers

Three router features commonly block printers without any visible warning. First, MAC address filtering: if it is on, only listed devices can join — add the printer’s MAC address (printed on its network configuration page) to the allowed list, or switch filtering off. Second, AP isolation / client isolation: this stops devices on the network from seeing each other, which breaks printing even when the printer connects — switch it off for the home network. Third, the guest network: printers on a guest network are usually isolated from your computers, so move the printer to the main network.

Fix 8: Give the printer a reserved IP address

Some printers connect fine, then drop off after a day or two because the router gives them a new address each time. In the router’s DHCP settings, reserve a fixed IP address for the printer’s MAC address. This is the same fix that stops a printer that keeps going offline after every restart — one stable address, no more surprises.

Fix 9: Update the firmware and reinstall the driver

Outdated printer firmware can fail on newer Wi-Fi security types (WPA3, for example). Check for a firmware update through the maker’s utility or the printer’s panel, and install it. Then remove the printer from your computer and add it again with the latest driver from the maker’s official site — this forces the computer to find the printer at its current address. If the printer still will not join any network, print a network configuration page from its panel: it shows signal strength, the network name it sees, and any error code, which tells you whether the fault is the printer, the password, or the router.

Quick recap

Right network and password → 2.4 GHz band → restart the router first, then the printer → move it closer → re-run the wireless setup or try WPS → check MAC filtering, AP isolation, and the guest network → reserve an IP address → update firmware and reinstall the driver. If the printer connects but then shows as offline, the steps in our Printer Offline guide take over from there.