Advancing technology allows you to send documents wirelessly from your computer to your printer. But that convenience disappears when the wireless printer doesn’t work properly. Before you throw in the towel, try these troubleshooting steps to restore malfunctioning wireless printing.
Determining if Wi-Fi is the problem
Try simple tests first to diagnose the problem. Because an error on a previous print job may be stopping the outflow of all print commands sent since then, clear old print jobs in the wireless printer’s queue and try again. Also look for paper jam warnings and other issues flagged on the printer display.
If these tests don’t isolate the problem and you suspect your Wi-Fi is the issue, connect the wireless printer to your computer by cable and send a print job. If this works, Wi-Fi is the issue; if not, look for another source of the printing problem.
When in doubt, reboot
Restarting any computing device solves many processing problems. If your wireless printer was working just fine until recently, try restarting your computer. If that doesn’t work, unplug the printer for a few minutes and plug it back in. One last step would be to check the modem and router to see that they are still functioning and even to unplug them for a time, then plug them back in.
Check connectivity
If rebooting doesn’t work, try printing a wireless network test page through the control panel to see that the printer is connected to the Wi-Fi. The page will indicate it is connected with the word “pass” or show the IP address to which it is connected. If the printer is not connected or the IP address doesn’t match your network, you may need to reconnect your printer to your network.
If connectivity is a problem, consider the distance between the modem and router. If they’re relatively far apart, or if there are walls or lots of furniture between them, simply moving the printer to a more advantageous location could reconnect it.
Check new wireless printer software
Did the problem crop up after you installed new software on your computer, especially antivirus software? To test, temporarily disable the software and try again to print. If the new software seems to be the problem, see the software’s support for a solution.
Consult the manufacturer’s website
If these steps don’t work, look for a step-by-step troubleshooting guide on the website of your printer’s manufacturer. (If you’d like to talk to a person, the manufacturer should also have a telephone support line.) You may find there is new driver software available to correct a flaw in earlier versions.
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