Why Wireless Printers Lose Their Wi-Fi Connection

Understanding the cause makes it much easier to choose the right fix. Here are the most common reasons wireless printers lose their connection.

• Changing IP address: Every time your router restarts, it may assign your printer a different IP address. Your computer stored the old address and can no longer find the printer at the new one.
• Router restart or power outage: Printers do not always automatically reconnect to Wi-Fi after a router restart the way phones and computers do.
• Wi-Fi signal too weak: If the printer is far from the router or separated by thick walls, the signal may be too weak for a reliable connection.
• Wrong Wi-Fi band: Most printers only support the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band. If your router broadcasts separate 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks with different names, the printer must be connected to the 2.4 GHz one.
• Wi-Fi password changed: If you changed your Wi-Fi password, the printer still has the old one stored and cannot reconnect.
• Router firmware update: Router updates sometimes change network settings in ways that affect printer connections.

The Permanent Fix: Assign a Static IP Address

The most common and most fixable cause of recurring printer Wi-Fi problems is a changing IP address. The permanent solution is to assign your printer a static (fixed) IP address that never changes. There are two ways to do this.

• Through your router (recommended): Log into your router's settings page (usually by typing 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 into your browser). Find the DHCP reservation or static IP section. Add a reservation for your printer's MAC address (printed on the printer's network configuration page) and assign it a fixed IP address. This tells the router to always give the printer the same address.
• Through the printer itself: Many printers allow you to set a static IP address directly in the printer's network settings menu. This works but is less reliable than the router method because the printer and router may occasionally disagree.

Quick Fix: Reconnect the Printer to Wi-Fi

If the printer has lost its Wi-Fi connection entirely — the Wi-Fi light is off or blinking — you need to reconnect it to your network.

1. 1On the printer, navigate to Settings or the Network menu
2. 2Select Wireless Setup or Wireless LAN Setup
3. 3Choose your Wi-Fi network name from the list
4. 4Enter your Wi-Fi password
5. 5Wait for the Wi-Fi light to become solid, confirming a successful connection
6. 6On your computer, remove the printer from Printers and Scanners and add it again to update the stored IP address

Improving Wi-Fi Signal Strength for Your Printer

If the printer's Wi-Fi connection is unreliable because of a weak signal, improving the signal is the right fix.

• Move the printer closer to the router if possible — even a few feet can make a significant difference
• Remove obstacles between the printer and router — large metal objects, thick walls, and appliances all weaken the signal
• Make sure the printer is not inside a cabinet or enclosed space — this significantly reduces Wi-Fi reception
• Consider a Wi-Fi extender or mesh node placed near the printer if moving the printer is not practical
• Check the printer's signal strength by printing a network configuration page — most printers report signal strength in the network status information

Printer on the Wrong Wi-Fi Band

Many modern routers broadcast two separate Wi-Fi networks: one on the 2.4 GHz band and one on the 5 GHz band. They often have different names (for example, HomeNetwork and HomeNetwork_5G). Most printers only support 2.4 GHz.

1. 1Check the printer's network settings or print a network configuration page to see which network it is connected to
2. 2If it shows a 5 GHz network name, reconnect the printer to the 2.4 GHz network using the wireless setup wizard
3. 3On your computer, make sure you are also connected to the same network as the printer when you print

After a Wi-Fi Password Change

If you changed your Wi-Fi password, your printer still has the old password stored and cannot reconnect automatically. You need to reconnect it manually.

1. 1On the printer, go to Network Settings and reset the wireless settings (this clears the old password)
2. 2Run the Wireless Setup Wizard to reconnect to your network with the new password
3. 3On your computer, remove the printer and add it again after it reconnects