How to Connect a Printer to Wi-Fi: HP, Canon, Epson and Brother Setup Guide

Quick answer: almost every printer sold in the last decade connects to Wi-Fi in one of four ways — the WPS button on your router, the printer's own control panel, the manufacturer's phone app, or a temporary USB cable. Which one you use depends on whether your printer has a screen. If setup keeps failing, the cause is almost always the same single thing: your router's 5 GHz band. Skip to the 2.4 GHz problem if you are already stuck.

This guide covers the whole job end to end — getting the printer onto the network, then getting Windows, macOS, a Chromebook, an iPhone or an Android phone to actually see it. There are brand-by-brand walkthroughs for HP, Canon, Epson and Brother further down, plus what to do when you change your router and everything stops working.

Before you start: three things to have ready

• Your Wi-Fi network name and password. Not your internet provider's account password — the wireless password, the one you'd give a house guest. It is usually printed on a sticker on the router.
• The printer within reach of the router. Move it close for setup if you can. You can move it back afterwards; it only needs a strong signal while it joins.
• Ten minutes and no interruptions. Most failed setups are half-finished setups.

One thing you do not need: the CD that came in the box, or a driver download from a random site. Every method below either uses the printer itself or the manufacturer's own app.

Method 1: the WPS button (fastest, if your router has one)

WPS — Wi-Fi Protected Setup — lets two devices pair without typing a password. It is the quickest route and it works on printers with no screen at all.

1. Find the WPS button on your router. It is a small physical button, sometimes marked with two curved arrows. Most Netgear, TP-Link, Linksys and ISP-supplied routers have one.
2. On the printer, press and hold the Wi-Fi button (a radio-wave icon) for about 3–5 seconds, until the Wi-Fi light starts blinking.
3. Within two minutes, press the WPS button on the router.
4. Wait. The printer's Wi-Fi light stops blinking and goes solid when it has joined. This usually takes 30–90 seconds.

If the light goes back to blinking or turns off, the pairing window expired — start again and move faster between steps 2 and 3.

A caveat worth knowing: some newer routers, and most mesh systems like Eero, Google Nest Wifi and Deco, have quietly dropped WPS because of a known security weakness in the PIN version of the protocol. If you cannot find a WPS button, that is why, and you should use Method 2 or 3 instead.

Method 2: the printer's control panel

If your printer has a touchscreen or an LCD with arrow keys, this is the most reliable method because nothing else has to cooperate.

1. On the printer, open Setup, Settings or the wrench/gear icon.
2. Choose Network or Wireless.
3. Choose Wireless Setup Wizard (HP, Epson) or Setup Wizard (Brother) or Wireless LAN setup (Canon).
4. Pick your network name from the list.
5. Type the Wi-Fi password on the printer's keypad or on-screen keyboard. Watch for case — Wi-Fi passwords are case-sensitive and printer keyboards make it easy to leave caps lock on.
6. Confirm. The printer reports "Connected" and the Wi-Fi icon goes solid.

Print a network configuration page afterwards if the option is offered. It gives you the printer's IP address, which is worth writing down — it makes everything later easier.

Method 3: the manufacturer's app

Every major brand now ships a setup app, and for a screenless printer it is usually the easiest path. Install the app on your phone while your phone is on the same Wi-Fi network you want the printer to join.

The pattern is the same across all four: the printer broadcasts its own temporary network (usually named something like DIRECT-xx-HP-ENVY), your phone joins it briefly, the app passes over your real Wi-Fi password, and the printer switches across. If the app cannot find the printer, put the printer back into setup mode first — on most models that means holding the Wi-Fi button until the light blinks, or choosing "Restore network settings" from the menu.

Method 4: temporary USB setup

Useful when the printer has no screen and the app refuses to cooperate. You connect the printer to a computer with a USB cable, run the manufacturer's setup software, hand over the Wi-Fi details through the computer, then unplug the cable. The printer stays on Wi-Fi.

Download the setup software from the manufacturer's own support site — hp.com/support, canon.com/ijsetup, epson.com/support or support.brother.com. Search by your exact model number, which is printed on the front of the printer or on a label inside the cartridge door.

Method 5: Wi-Fi Direct (no router involved)

Wi-Fi Direct lets a device print straight to the printer without either of them being on a network. It is genuinely useful in three situations: a guest needs to print once, your router is down, or you are in a rental with a captive-portal Wi-Fi that printers cannot join.

1. Enable Wi-Fi Direct in the printer's network menu. It will show a network name and a password.
2. On your phone or laptop, open Wi-Fi settings and join that network.
3. Print as normal.

The trade-off: while you are on the printer's direct network, that device usually loses internet access. It is a temporary tool, not a setup.

The 2.4 GHz problem — why most setups fail

This is the single most common reason a printer will not join a network, and almost nothing tells you it is happening.

Nearly all consumer printers — including current models from every major brand — connect only on the 2.4 GHz band. Modern routers broadcast 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz (and increasingly 6 GHz), and many of them combine all bands under a single network name, a feature called band steering or Smart Connect. When your phone is sitting on 5 GHz and tells the printer to join "that network", the printer looks for a 2.4 GHz signal with that name, and depending on how the router is configured it may not find one.

Three ways to fix it:

• Temporarily split the bands. Log into your router's admin page and give the 2.4 GHz band its own name, such as MyNetwork-2G. Connect the printer to that, then re-merge if you like — the printer usually stays connected.
• Temporarily disable 5 GHz. Turn the 5 GHz radio off for five minutes, connect the printer, turn it back on. Crude, but fast.
• Put your phone on 2.4 GHz first if the bands are already separate, then run the app setup.

If you have a mesh system, also check whether it has a "device isolation" or "guest network" setting enabled — printers on an isolated network are invisible to the computers that need them.

Brand-by-brand walkthroughs

HP printers

With a touchscreen: Setup > Network Setup > Wireless Settings > Wireless Setup Wizard. Pick the network, enter the password.

Without a screen (DeskJet, ENVY, Tango): hold the Wi-Fi and Power buttons together for about five seconds until the Wi-Fi light flashes blue — that is Auto Wireless Connect mode. Then open HP Smart on a device already on the network and follow the prompts.

To reset HP network settings: hold Wi-Fi + Cancel (X) for five seconds, or on touchscreen models use Setup > Network Setup > Restore Network Defaults.

One HP-specific gotcha: HP+ enrolled printers require an ongoing internet connection to function at all, and they are locked to Original HP cartridges. If you bought an HP+ model and want to use third-party ink, that decision has to be unwound within the first year. We cover what changes and how in our guide to printers that don't lock you into OEM ink.

Canon PIXMA printers

With a screen: Setup (wrench) > Device settings > LAN settings > Wi-Fi > Settings > Wireless LAN setup > Manual connect. Choose the network, enter the password.

Without a screen (TS3xxx, TR4xxx, MG series): press and hold the Wi-Fi button until the ON lamp flashes, release, then press the Color button, then the Wi-Fi button again. The Wi-Fi lamp flashes and the ON lamp stays lit — the printer is in cableless setup mode. Now run Canon PRINT on your phone.

To reset: hold the Stop button until the alarm lamp flashes 21 times, then release (this varies by model — check the manual for the exact count).

Epson printers

With a screen: Home > Wi-Fi setup (or Settings > General Settings > Network Settings) > Wi-Fi Setup Wizard. Select the network and enter the password.

Without a screen (ET-2xxx, XP-2xxx, WF-2xxx): hold the Wi-Fi button for three seconds until the lights alternate, then run Epson Smart Panel, or press the router's WPS button.

To reset: hold Wi-Fi + Stop (or the network status button, depending on model) for about ten seconds until both lights flash.

Brother printers

With a screen: Menu > Network > WLAN > Setup Wizard > Yes to enable WLAN. Choose the network, enter the key.

Without a screen (HL-L2xxx, DCP-L2xxx): use the WPS method, or press the Wi-Fi button and run Brother Mobile Connect.

To reset: Menu > Network > Network Reset > Yes, then restart the printer.

Brother-specific note: on some colour laser models, firmware behaviour around third-party toner has been a live topic among owners. We keep track of that in our guide to which printers work best with compatible ink.

Now add the printer to your devices

Getting the printer onto Wi-Fi is only half the job. Each device still has to be told the printer exists.

Windows 11 and 10

Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Add device. Wait for the scan. If it does not appear, click Add manually > Add a printer using an IP address and enter the IP from the network configuration page. Choose TCP/IP Device as the type.

macOS

System Settings > Printers & Scanners > Add Printer. Most modern printers appear under the Default tab via Bonjour and use AirPrint, which needs no driver at all. If you need advanced features like duplex or tray selection, install the manufacturer's driver and re-add the printer.

Chromebook

Settings > Print and scan > Printers > Add printer. ChromeOS supports IPP Everywhere and Mopria, so most printers made after roughly 2018 work without a driver. Older models may need to be added by IP with the IPP protocol.

iPhone and iPad

Nothing to install. As long as the printer supports AirPrint and is on the same network, tap Share > Print in any app and the printer appears. If it doesn't, the printer is either on a different band, on a guest network, or asleep.

Android

Most Android phones include the Mopria Print Service. Open a document, tap the menu, choose Print, and select the printer. If nothing appears, install Mopria Print Service from the Play Store or the manufacturer's own plugin.

When you change your router or Wi-Fi password

This is the moment printers most often "break", and nothing is actually wrong with them. The printer is still trying to join a network that no longer exists under that name and password.

1. Reset the printer's network settings using the brand instructions above.
2. Run the setup wizard again with the new network name and password.
3. On each computer, remove the old printer entry and add it fresh — the stale entry usually points at an IP address that has since been reassigned.

If you keep a new router with the same network name and password as the old one, most printers reconnect on their own within a few minutes. That is the single easiest way to avoid this whole exercise.

Troubleshooting: what the symptom actually means

Make it stay connected: give the printer a fixed address

By default your router hands out IP addresses on a lease, and when a lease expires the printer can be given a different one. Every computer that was pointed at the old address then loses the printer. Fixing this permanently takes about three minutes.

The easy way (recommended): log into your router, find DHCP Reservation or Address Reservation, locate the printer in the client list, and reserve its current address. The router will always hand it the same one.

The printer-side way: in the printer's network menu, switch IPv4 configuration from Automatic to Manual and enter an address outside your router's DHCP pool — for example, if the router assigns .100 to .200, use .50. You will also need the subnet mask (usually 255.255.255.0) and the gateway (your router's address).

Do this once and the "my printer disappeared again" problem generally goes away for good.

A word on printer security

A networked printer is a computer with a hard drive, a web server and an internet connection. Two small habits are worth adopting:

• Set an admin password on the printer's built-in web page. Many ship with no password at all, and anyone on your network can then change its settings.
• Do not expose the printer to the internet. If you have ever set up port forwarding to print remotely, close it. Use the manufacturer's cloud print service instead.

Firmware updates matter here too — though they cut both ways, because some updates also change how the printer treats third-party cartridges. That is a longer story, and we have written it up separately in printer firmware updates and third-party ink.

FAQ

How do I connect a printer to Wi-Fi without a computer?

Use the WPS button on your router, the printer's own control panel, or the manufacturer's phone app. None of the three requires a computer.

Why won't my printer connect to my Wi-Fi?

In order of likelihood: the printer is looking for 2.4 GHz and your network name only resolves to 5 GHz; the password was mistyped; the printer is on a guest or isolated network; or the setup mode timed out before pairing completed.

Can I connect a printer to Wi-Fi without the WPS button?

Yes. WPS is only one of five methods. The control panel wizard and the manufacturer's app both work without it, and many modern routers no longer offer WPS at all.

How do I find my printer's IP address?

Print a network configuration or network status page from the printer's menu — the address is listed there. On Windows you can also open Printer Properties > Ports, and on macOS check Printers & Scanners > Options & Supplies.

Does connecting a printer to Wi-Fi use more ink?

No, but staying powered on does. Networked printers wake periodically and some run automatic maintenance cycles that consume a small amount of ink. If your printer sits idle for long stretches, that maintenance is also what keeps the printhead from clogging — see do printer ink cartridges dry out.

My printer connected but nothing prints. What now?

The network side is done; the problem is on the computer. Remove the printer and re-add it, then check the print queue. If jobs pile up and never move, restart the print spooler.

Ink and toner for the printer you just connected

A printer on the network is a printer you will actually use, and the thing it runs out of is ink. Castle Ink stocks compatible and remanufactured cartridges and toner for every brand covered in this guide, each backed by a one-year guarantee:

• HP ink cartridges and HP toner cartridges
• Canon ink cartridges
• Epson ink cartridges — including EcoTank bottles such as the 502 four-pack and 522 four-pack
• Brother ink cartridges and Brother toner, plus drum units like the DR830

Once you're printing again

A printer you can actually reach is a printer you will actually use — which means cartridges. Castle Ink stocks compatible and remanufactured ink and toner for virtually every model mentioned in this guide, at a fraction of OEM prices. Find yours on the Find Ink by Printer page, or check what your machine really costs to run with our printer ink cost calculator.

Shopping for a new one instead? Our monthly CastleScore rankings score every printer on owner sentiment, expert consensus and true cost per page.