Printer · Network & Internet

Connect your printer to your home or office Wi-Fi network

Most consumer printers made in the last decade support connecting directly to your wireless network, either through the printer's own touchscreen menu, a WPS button, or a manufacturer companion app like HP Smart, Canon PRINT, or Epson Smart Panel. Once connected, any device on the same network can print without a cable.

What you should know

  • Check the printer's control panel for a Wireless or Network Setup menu, select your Wi-Fi network from the list, and enter your Wi-Fi password using the on-screen keypad.
  • If your router has a WPS button, you can instead press the WPS button on the printer, then press the WPS button on the router within about two minutes to pair without typing a password.
  • Alternatively, install the manufacturer's app (HP Smart, Canon PRINT, Epson Smart Panel, or similar) on your phone or computer and use its guided Wi-Fi setup, which usually walks the printer through a temporary setup network.
  • Windows: Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners → Add device, and select the printer once it appears on the network. macOS: System Settings → Printers & Scanners → Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax.
  • Print a network configuration page from the printer's menu afterward to confirm it received an IP address and shows "Connected" next to Wi-Fi status.

Keep the printer within reasonable range of your router — printers with weak Wi-Fi antennas are especially prone to dropping off 5GHz networks, so connecting to a 2.4GHz network or band is often more reliable for printers even if your other devices use 5GHz.

Why it matters

A printer connected over Wi-Fi can be shared by every device on your network without anyone needing to plug in a cable, which is the main reason most households and small offices set printers up this way first. Getting the wireless connection right the first time avoids the most common source of "printer offline" errors down the road.

Best practices

  • Give the printer a static or reserved IP address in your router's settings so it doesn't change after a power outage or router reboot, which otherwise breaks saved printer connections on your computers.
  • Place the printer close enough to the router (or a Wi-Fi extender) that it shows at least two or three signal bars on its control panel display.
  • Re-run the Wi-Fi setup any time you change your Wi-Fi password or replace your router — the printer does not update its saved credentials automatically.

Common problems and fixes

Printer shows "Offline" even though it's powered on
Print a network configuration page to confirm it still has a valid IP address; if not, redo the wireless setup, and on the computer remove and re-add the printer in Printers & Scanners.
Printer won't find the Wi-Fi network at all
Confirm the network isn't hidden (broadcasting SSID) and isn't using a band or security type the printer doesn't support — many printer Wi-Fi radios only support 2.4GHz networks with WPA2, not WPA3-only or 5GHz-only networks.

Tips and tricks

  • If your router supports a separate 2.4GHz SSID name, connect the printer to that specific network name rather than a combined dual-band SSID — it removes any ambiguity about which band the printer joins.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need the manufacturer's app to print over Wi-Fi?

No — once the printer is on your network, both Windows and macOS can discover and add it natively. The manufacturer app just adds convenience features like ink level monitoring, mobile printing, and scanning.