How to fix printer does not connect WiFi

If you want to know how to solve the printer and do not connect WiFi, I could help you. After solving the problem of the offline printer, you had another grain. You were trying to associate the printer with your Wi-Fi network. However, there seems to be no way to do it. You have checked the WiFi password countless times and are sure you have entered the correct one. 

While typing it correctly, the wireless MFP cannot connect to the local network. Too bad, since you preferred to avoid the connection with the USB cable (much slower). Not knowing where to "hit the head" anymore, you tried to find a solution and ended up on my blog.

If you want to know how to solve printer does not connect WiFi, I could help you. After solving the problem of the offline printer, you had another grain. You were trying to associate the printer with your Wi-Fi network. However, there seems to be no way to do it. You have checked the WiFi password countless times and are sure you have entered the correct one. While typing it correctly, the wireless MFP cannot connect to the local network. Too bad, since you preferred to avoid the connection with the USB cable (much slower). Not knowing where to "hit the head" anymore, you tried to find a solution and ended up on my blog.

In this guide, I'll explain to you just how to solve printer does not connect WiFi on Windows, Linux or macOS. I tell you what are the main causes that prevent the printer from connecting to your network via wireless. Also, I show you solutions to the problem. So if you agree, we can start right away.

You were right to ask yourself how to resolve printer does not connect WiFi on Windows, Linux or macOS. Before spending money to buy a new wireless printer, it is always good to give it a try. So, all that remains is to try your luck.

To resolve the printer does not connect WiFi, you must first try using the original software provided by the printer manufacturer, containing the latest drivers. Depending on the printer model, if you do not have the CD, the software can be found on the manufacturer's website, such as HP, Canon, Xerox, Brother, Epson, and others. Once you have downloaded it, follow the instructions on the screen and try connecting the printer to Wi-Fi.

If the printer still does not connect WiFi, try changing the wireless network password. It will seem strange to you, but if there are ambiguous characters, such as asterisk, dollar sign and others like these, these passwords give problems to the firmware of old printers (and not only). Try putting in a simpler one, just to give it a try.

In the event that it works, it creates a secure password online for your wireless network excluding strange characters. If it still does not work, try to get the router to accept the WPA protocol, as well as the WPA2 protocol. For security reasons, the new modem routers disable WPA exclusively for WPA2. However, older printers still need this wireless protocol. Find the IP address of the router, enter it, go to the Wi-Fi section and re-enable WPA.

Tips

If doing this you can solve the printer does not connect WiFi, I advise you to leave the WPA protocol disabled, because you may be hacked. I told you in the guide to protect a WiFi network. Rather, you'd better change your wireless printer. Or, to spend less, you could buy a WiFi Ethernet adapter that supports WPA2. This, as long as your wireless printer also has a LAN network card.

Not being able to print a document because the printer connected to our computer is offline is always a big nuisance. Maybe we use it every day and it happens to us suddenly. Maybe instead it is a printer that we don't remember from who and when it was the last time and that doesn't want to know to connect. It doesn't matter, however, the offline printer is a waste of time and frustration. Unless we know how to immediately fix the problem to solve it quickly and easily.

For UAE Technician, everything that helps us to experience the world of printing in all its nuances is always important, from the most creative ideas to small, big technical tips. Here is a quick guide to solving any offline printer problems for Windows operating systems.

What to check first

First, we need to check if our printer is actually offline or if the problem that prevents us from printing has to do with something else. Although it may seem a rather trivial thing, let's not forget, for example, to check that the printer is actually connected. If we use an ethernet cable, we check that it is connected and that it is not damaged. If we use the wireless connection, we check that the Wi-Fi is turned on and working.

If this quick check fails and actually the connections are in place, then let's start looking for the problem within Windows. Whatever version of the operating system we are using, it will be sufficient to first access the Control Panel from the "Start" menu. Once done, we will have to choose the "Devices and printers" item, which is usually found in the "hardware and sound" category. 

We will thus find ourselves in front of the icons of all the external devices that are connected to our PC. At this point we might realize that the printer is "off", ie the colors of its icon are opaque and not full and bright like those of other equipment in operation. This means precisely that the printer is offline 

At this point, we click with the right mouse button on the printer icon and then click with the left button on “View print in progress”. In the new window that opens we go to "Printer", top left in the horizontal menu. Here you need to check that the items "Suspend Printing" and "Use Printer Offline" is not checked. If they were, we remove the checkmarks: probably now our printer will regularly start working again.

Offline printer? Let's check the network!

But what if there is no check or if the printer does not want to start again? No problem: we still have several arrows to our bow.

At this point, we click again with the right mouse button on the printer icon in the control panel and then click on "Troubleshooting". This function will make a check of the settings to be updated and will automatically resolve any problems that may still be present in the printer control panel.

If even after this step, the printer continues to remain offline, then the next step is to check the status of our network. To do this we need to click on the icon that marks the access to the network, present in the lower right corner of the windows bar. In the window that opens, we need to look in the menu on the left to change the "Sharing settings".

This control is particularly useful if you have recently intervened on the network or on the connection you are using. Once the window showing the sharing options is open, it is essential that the "Enable network discovery" and "Enable file and printer sharing " items are selected. These settings are essential for the PC to be able to locate and use the networked printer.

Advanced options

At this point, if the printer is still offline, you need to become a little more technical to identify the problem. Before finally deciding to uninstall and reinstall the printer to reset the settings, there is one last check that needs to be done. It checks the spooler printing, the printer of a network connection management. This is configured automatically when the printer is installed. But it can happen that things go out of place, especially after other interventions on the PC. So this is a step to be verified in case the printer connection problem has not been solved so far.

To start we must type "services" in the search bar in the "Windows Start" menu. Then clicking on the corresponding search result, we will access the panel where all the computer's service functions are present. Here we scroll to find the "Print Spooler" item and then click to open the dialog box. At this point, check that the print spooler is set to "Automatic" and that the "Start" key is pressed. Sometimes it may happen that these settings get stuck, so you can proceed to unlock by clicking on "Stop" and then again on "Start".

Finally, the last step we can take independently if we have not obtained a positive result again is to uninstall the printer to install it again. In this case, we can choose to make the first attempt by uninstalling the printer, but not its drivers. But probably at this point, it is better to opt for a more radical operation, which also sees the removal of the drivers, which will be installed again later. To be sure to perform the new installation in the correct way, it may be useful to take a look at the advice we have already collected in our article Configuring the printer: how to do it quickly and easily.

Here, proceeding step by step, we have thus focused on the problem of the offline printer and without having to become specialized technicians we could see where to quickly put your hands to solve all the main drawbacks that may arise.

And for UAE Technician  it is always a pleasure to see how everything that revolves around printing moves smoothly, allowing us to focus on our work and our creativity. Keep following us to learn about the best tips for the office world!