Wi-Fi Printer Setup

A wireless printer joins your Wi-Fi network the same way a phone or laptop does: it finds the network by name, authenticates with the password, and is given an address on the network. Once that has happened, any computer or phone on the same network can be pointed at it. Most wireless setup problems are a failure at one of those three stages, so it helps to know which stage you are in.

What you need before starting

• Your network name (SSID), spelled exactly as your other devices show it.
• Your Wi-Fi password, which you type into the printer and nowhere else.
• The printer powered on, with ink or toner and paper installed.
• A device on the same network to finish setup from.
• About fifteen minutes; the printer may restart once or twice.

Step 1: Position the printer sensibly

Wireless printers usually have small internal antennas and are often placed low down, in a cupboard or behind a desk — all of which weaken the signal. Before you begin:

• Put the printer where a phone standing in the same spot shows a usable Wi-Fi signal.
• Keep it away from large metal objects, microwave ovens and cordless phone base stations.
• Avoid placing it on the far side of a thick masonry wall from the router if you can.
• If the printer must live somewhere with a weak signal, a wired Ethernet connection is usually more reliable than adding a wireless extender.

Step 2: Identify the correct network

This is the single most common stumbling block. Modern routers often broadcast more than one network, and a printer may only be able to use one of them.

Step 3: Run the wireless setup wizard on the printer

This is the standard method and works on any printer with a display. Exact menu names vary by model.

1. Open the printer's settings menu.

   Look for a gear, wrench or Setup icon on the touchscreen, or a Menu/Setup button on models with a small display.

2. Select Network, Wireless or Wi-Fi settings.

   If wireless is switched off, turn the wireless radio on first. Some printers disable it automatically when a USB cable is connected.

3. Choose Wireless Setup Wizard (or Wi-Fi Setup).

   The printer scans for networks. This takes five to thirty seconds.

4. Select your network name from the list.

   If it is not shown, select the option to enter a network name manually and type it exactly, including capitalisation.

5. Enter the Wi-Fi password.

   Take your time on a small keypad. Where the printer offers a "show password" option, use it to check what you typed before confirming.

6. Wait for the confirmation message.

   A steady wireless light generally means connected; a blinking light means still trying or failed.

Step 3 (alternative): Connect with the WPS button

If your router has a WPS button and your printer offers a WPS option, you can connect without typing the password. This works only where both devices support it.

1. Start WPS on the printer.

   Select the WPS or push-button option in the wireless menu.

2. Press the router's WPS button within two minutes.

   The pairing window is deliberately short.

3. Wait for the wireless light to become steady.

If WPS is switched off on your router, leave it off and use the password method. Turning off network security features to make a printer connect is not a good trade.

Step 3 (alternative): Connect using the manufacturer's setup app

Many printers, particularly those without a display, are set up from a phone app published by the manufacturer. The app typically connects your phone to a temporary wireless network the printer creates, passes your home network details across, and then reconnects your phone.

• Install the app only from your phone's official app store, and only the app named in the printer's own documentation.
• The app will ask for your Wi-Fi password so it can pass it to the printer. That is expected behaviour for a manufacturer's own setup app on your own phone.
• Be cautious with any other app, website or caller that asks for your network password. EA Consultants LLC never asks for it.

Step 4: Confirm the printer joined the right network

Print a network configuration or wireless test report from the printer's Network or Reports menu. It tells you three useful things:

• The network name the printer actually joined — check it matches the one your computer uses.
• The connection status, usually shown as Connected or Ready.
• The IP address, typically like 192.168.1.42. Write it down; it is needed if you ever have to add the printer manually.

Step 5: Add the printer to your devices

Joining the network makes the printer reachable. Each device still needs the printer added before applications can use it.

• Windows: Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners › Add device. Full steps: Windows printer setup.
• Mac: System Settings › Printers & Scanners › Add Printer. Full steps: Mac printer setup.
• iPhone or iPad: with an AirPrint-capable printer, choose Share › Print in any app and select the printer. No separate setup is needed.
• Android: printing usually works through a print service. Check Settings › Connected devices › Printing (wording varies by phone) and enable the default print service or the manufacturer's plugin.

Keeping a wireless printer connected

A printer that connects today and disappears next week is usually reacting to a change on the network rather than failing.

• If you change your Wi-Fi password or router, the printer must be set up again. It has no way to learn the new credentials.
• If your router hands out a different IP address, a printer added by IP address stops working. Adding it by name, or reserving a fixed address in the router, avoids this.
• Power-saving modes on some printers make them slow to wake. If the first print job of the day fails but the second succeeds, that is often the cause.
• Firmware updates occasionally reset network settings. Reconnect using the same steps.

Independence notice: EA Consultants LLC is an independent third-party company providing informational printer setup and troubleshooting guides. We are not affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, or authorized by printer manufacturers or other technology brands unless explicitly stated. All product and brand names, trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners and are used for identification purposes only.

Wi-Fi printer setup questions