Having trouble connecting your HP printer to your WiFi network? You’re not alone. This is a common issue that many users face, but thankfully, it’s often solvable with a few straightforward steps. This guide will walk you through practical troubleshooting methods to get your HP printer back online and printing wirelessly.
Power Cycle Your HP Printer: The First Step
Sometimes, the simplest solution is the most effective. A power reset can resolve temporary glitches that might be preventing your printer from connecting to WiFi. Here’s how to do it:
- Turn off your printer: Ensure your HP printer is completely powered down.
- Disconnect the power cord: Reach around to the back of your printer and unplug the power cord.
- Unplug from the wall: Go to your wall outlet and unplug the other end of the power cord.
- Wait for 60 seconds: This waiting period is crucial to fully reset the printer’s hardware.
- Plug back into the wall: Reconnect the power cord to the wall outlet first. HP recommends plugging directly into a wall outlet to avoid any power fluctuations from surge protectors or extension cords during troubleshooting.
- Reconnect to the printer: Plug the power cord back into the rear of your HP printer.
- Turn the printer on: Press the power button to turn your printer back on.
After the power cycle, attempt to reconnect your printer to your WiFi network. If the issue persists, proceed to the next troubleshooting steps.
Manually Reconnect Your HP Printer to Your WiFi Network
If a simple restart doesn’t work, you might need to manually reconnect your printer to your wireless network. This involves using the printer’s control panel and your computer or phone to establish a direct connection temporarily and then configure the WiFi settings.
- Enable Wi-Fi Direct on your printer: Locate the Wireless button and the Resume button on your printer’s control panel. Press and hold both buttons simultaneously for about three seconds. If Wi-Fi Direct is activated, the Wi-Fi Direct icon on the printer’s display should light up and remain on.
- Connect to your printer’s Wi-Fi Direct network: On your computer or smartphone, open the Wi-Fi settings. Look for a network name that starts with “DIRECT” followed by your HP printer model (e.g., DIRECT-74-HP Deskjet 2600). Select this Wi-Fi Direct network to connect.
- Enter the Wi-Fi Direct password: If prompted for a password, enter 12345678. This is the default password for HP Wi-Fi Direct connections.
- Access the Printer’s Embedded Web Server (EWS): Open a web browser on your connected device and type
192.168.223.1in the address bar. Press Enter. This will take you to your printer’s EWS page, a configuration interface accessible through your browser. - Navigate to Network Settings: On the EWS page, find and click on the Network or Networking settings.
- Start the Wireless Setup Wizard: Within the network settings, look for a Wireless or Wireless Setup Wizard option and select it.
- Choose your WiFi network: The wizard will display a list of available WiFi networks. Select your home or office WiFi network from the list.
- Enter your WiFi password: Carefully type in your WiFi network password when prompted.
- Check the printer’s wireless light: After entering the password, the wireless light on your printer should turn solid blue, indicating a successful connection to your WiFi network.
- Reconnect your computer/phone to your regular WiFi: Go back to your device’s Wi-Fi settings and reconnect to your usual WiFi network.
Your printer should now be connected to your WiFi and ready for wireless printing. If you are still experiencing issues, proceed to the next step.
Uninstall and Reinstall the HP Printer Software and Drivers
Sometimes, corrupted or outdated printer software can be the root cause of WiFi connectivity problems. Completely uninstalling and then reinstalling the latest drivers and software can often resolve these issues.
- Uninstall Printer Software (Windows):
- Open Programs and Features: In Windows search bar, type “Programs and Features” and open it.
- Select your HP Printer software from the list and click Uninstall. Follow the on-screen instructions to remove the software.
- Remove Printer Device (Windows):
- Open Devices and Printers: In Windows search bar, type “Devices and Printers” and open it.
- Locate your HP printer in the list of devices. If you find it, right-click on it and select Remove device or Delete.
- Remove Printer Drivers using Print Server Properties:
- Open the Run command: Press the Windows Key + R keys simultaneously.
- Type
printui.exe /sand click OK. - Go to the Drivers tab in the Print Server Properties window.
- Find your HP Printer driver in the list. Select it and click Remove at the bottom.
- Click OK to confirm the driver removal.
- Click Apply and then OK on the Print Server Properties window to close it.
- Close the Devices and Printers window.
- Reinstall the Latest Drivers and Software:
- Go to the official HP support website: Navigate to HP Support.
- Enter your printer model name (e.g., Deskjet 2600) in the search bar.
- Go to the Software and drivers page for your printer model.
- Download the Full Feature Software and Drivers package, which is recommended for complete printer functionality.
- Run the downloaded installer and follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall your printer software. Ensure you select the Wireless connection type during the installation process when prompted.
After reinstalling the software and drivers, try connecting your printer to your WiFi network again. In most cases, these steps should resolve the “Hp Printer Not Connecting To Wifi” issue.
By following these troubleshooting steps, you should be able to diagnose and fix the WiFi connectivity issue with your HP printer. Remember to go through each step methodically, and hopefully, you’ll be back to wireless printing in no time!
