Wireless printers require easy and convenient printing, especially if you own an HP printer. They are by far the best when it comes to wireless, and their versatility and reliability is what sets them apart on the market. Having one of these isn’t enough if you don’t know how to set up an HP wireless printer. If you install them the right way, you no longer have to go through the hassle of installing cables. What you get is increased efficiency and easy document printing.
HP Wireless Printer Setup Requirements
In addition to standard ink and toner cartridges, there are some requirements and guidelines to follow when connecting your HP printer to your computer:
Let’s first look at the requirements:
- To set up a wireless printer, you must have a system that supports wireless technology. Your computer must have a wireless network card to complete the setup.
- You will also need a router and make sure the network and router are acceptable.
- Make sure you have the software package that came with your router and printer, as it will be needed to complete setup.
How to connect HP printer to Wi-Fi?
When you are ready with all the requirements, the next step is to connect the HP printer to Wi-Fi.
But before that,
- Unpack the printer and follow the unpacking instructions.
- In the next step, connect the power cord and turn on the printer. Then install the cartridges and let the printer go through its startup routine before printing an alignment page.
You can now choose one of the following connection methods to complete the setup and start printing.
Method 1 HP Automatic Wireless Connection
It is another technology that allows you to connect your printer to a wireless network. There is no need to connect any cables or enter wireless network settings such as network name or password. Newer plugins from HP will offer this option during the software installation process. Your computer or network configurations may or may not be compatible with HP Auto Wireless Connect; however, in such cases, you will be provided with an alternative wireless setup method. These are the conditions that must be met to pass the compatibility test:
- The operating system must be Windows Vista (or later) and Mac OS X 10.5 (or later).
- Your computer connects to your network wirelessly, and the wireless adapter must be controlled by the operating system in order for the HP software to retrieve the computer’s current network settings.
- The computing device does not use a static IP address.
- The device is connected to the network via 2.4 GHz.
- The printing device must have HP Auto Wireless Connect mode. The printer will remain in this mode for two hours after it is turned on during setup before connecting to the network.
To use HP Auto Wireless Connect mode, install the driver for your HP printer and follow the instructions provided. After that, select the type of network and then select “Yes, send my wireless settings to the printer”.
If HP Auto Wireless Connect appears during printer setup, this is the recommended setup method. Otherwise, you can choose another wireless setup method.
Method 2 WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)
WPS offers two ways to connect devices over a wireless connection: push button and PIN. To use the WPS button method, the following requirements must be met:
- The printer and wireless router must support WPS button mode.
- The wireless router must have a physical WPS button.
- The network must be connected to WPA or WPA2 security.
To connect a wireless HP printer to a wireless router using WPS, follow these steps:
- Press the WPS button on your printer.
- After 2 minutes, press the WPS button on the router.
Method 3 HP Wireless Setup Assistant (show products)
The Wireless Setup Wizard can be used from the printer’s control panel.
- You need to know your network and password.
- Go to the printer’s control panel, open the Network menu, and then go to ‘Settings’. Select the Wireless Setup Wizard option. The wizard will display a list of wireless networks.
- Select the name of the wireless network from the list. If the name is not specified, you can enter it manually.
- Then enter the correct WEP key or WPA passcode and your printer should connect to your wireless network. If it does not connect, print a Wireless Test Report to diagnose the problem.
Method 4 USB wireless setup (non-display products)
Printers that do not have a touch screen can use the USB settings for wireless methods during printer software installation. To do this, you will need to temporarily use a USB cable to connect your computer to the printer. Connect or disconnect the cable only according to the instructions in the software that will guide you through the wireless connection of the printer. The software can also find the right wireless settings for you.
Method-5 Windows Settings
You can even set up your printer in Windows by following the steps below:
- Press the Windows key and ‘I’ together on your keyboard.
- Click ‘Devices’, turn on the printer and open the ‘Network’ menu.
- On your HP printer, select the wireless network name and enter the password as it will connect to your Wi-Fi.
- In the ‘Printers and Scanners’ tab, click the ‘Add’ (+) button.
- Select your printer from the results and click “Add Device”. You can go.
With any of the above methods, you can easily install an HP wireless printer based on the printer model you own.
Categories: How to
Source: HIS Education