Introduction
Ease of use and convenience: With a wireless printer connected to your WiFi network, you can print from any corner of your place on any device without even using a single cable. However, when something goes wrong with the printer, it gets very infuriating. Therefore, we have written this article on How to Troubleshoot a Printer Using WiFi so that common problems get resolved, and your printer works once again.
But before that, trying to answer how to troubleshoot a WiFi printer requires first that general reasons are known.
Most common problems arise because of these causes:
1. A weak and unstable WiFi signal.
2. Inconsistent WiFi settings
3. Error in printer drivers or firmware.
4. Faulty settings of the router
5. Network interference.
You know, generally, which one has been doing it. You are ready then.
Procedure for Troubleshooting Your Printer’s WiFi Connection
1. Printers’ WiFi Connection Check
The first step in the procedure is to determine whether your printer was able to connect to your WiFi. To check if it is successful, follow these simple steps:
From the control panel of the printer, under Network Settings or WiFi Settings.
Make sure your printer is connected to the correct WiFi network. If not, reconnect by selecting your WiFi network and entering the password.
If the distance between your printer and router is a bit higher and there’s an issue with WiFi signal strength, then it would fail to connect any of the existing WiFi networks.
If the connection gets disturbed at any given time, then restart your printer from your working Wi-Fi connection according to the on-screen directions of your printer.
2. Restart Printer and Router
Sometimes, just going out and restarting your printer and your router will also help clear the problem when it’s about “WiFi connectivity.” Mostly, this refreshes the connection in the devices by rebooting their networks.
Turn off the printer and then unplug it for a few seconds and plug it back on.
Turn off your router and let it idle for at least 30 seconds. Now turn the router back on, but this time with both devices online, and see if your printer reconnects to WiFi.
3. Update Your Firmware
Maybe it’ll surprise the readers, but one of the most common connectivity issues occurs in the case where: Your firmware is outdated from your printer. Find out three easy steps for updating your firmware to read more about what it can cause:
Check the manufacturer’s website of your printer for firmware downloads; download and update using the instructions on the screen provided.
Power cycle your printer; try to reconnect to the WiFi network again.
4. Reset your printer’s WiFi settings
If that does not work, it is time to reset your printer’s WiFi settings. This is how to do it:
Open your printer control panel and from there, click on the settings > Network > Wireless Setup Wizard
Choose your network from the list displayed. Then enter the password when prompted by the setup wizard to rejoin your printer with the WiFi network.
Ensure you put it in a place where you have an excellent signal so that you do not disconnect.
5. Check Router Settings
The router sometimes has some configurations that would not let your printer connect. Here is something you can look at:
If your printer is not working on 5GHz, ensure that your router is set to 2.4GHz band so that it is broadcasted by your router.
There may also be some sort of restriction on the firewall or settings that could be preventing the connection of the printer to a network.
If the MAC address filtering has already been enabled on your router, then ensure your printer’s MAC address is part of the listed devices.
If you are not sure of what kind of configuration your settings are on your router, then you could just follow the instructions in your user’s manual or call the company and ask them to check it out for you.
6. Reinstall the Printer Drivers
Maybe the cause is printer drivers that are installed on your computer. Here is how you’ll troubleshoot this.
Uninstall all printer drivers already installed on your computer.
Go to the manufacturer’s website and download a new one. Ensure that your newly downloaded driver allows support for model printers.
Update your new driver and walk through all the steps as long as reconnecting with the WiFi
Print a page on your printer for testing connection.
Step 7: Other house devices interfere
House electronics will mostly interfere with your WiFi from the printer. Such devices include microwaves, baby monitors, and cordless phones. Eliminate interference or compromise with other electronic devices by relocating your printer and router to an area away from other electronic devices. For strong signals around areas of weak coverage signals, employ a WiFi extender.
This will reduce interference to your network as your printer will work more stable.
Final Words
Pretty frustrating, especially when these problems begin creeping in with your WiFi connection. Still, once the proper procedures for troubleshooting the printer on WiFi are done, tracing and solving the problem is quite easy. Maybe it is your printer’s WiFi the router itself or maybe an outdated driver; that way you ensure getting your printer working by the time you go through the solutions.
If so, then proceed to Printer Not Working for additional guidance and professionals in terms of how to fix your printer.