UNJAMMED

Printer Won't Connect After a New Router? The Reconnection Playbook

You upgraded your router or changed your Wi-Fi password, and now your printer is unreachable. Here's why that always happens, the brand-by-brand fix, and the two IP gotchas that keep the problem alive even after you "fix" it.

Why the printer can't just find the new network

A printer doesn't "roam" like a phone. It stores your old network name (SSID) and password and keeps trying to join that network — which no longer exists. No amount of restarting fixes this. The fix is always the same: re-run the printer's own Wi-Fi setup wizard with the new credentials. The steps just differ by brand.

Reconnection steps by brand

HP Restore Wi-Fi setup mode, then re-run setup from the app

  1. Restore Wi-Fi setup mode (verified per family):
    • Most touchscreen printers: Wireless or Setup menu > Network setup or Settings > Restore Network Settings. Setup mode then lasts about two hours, during which the printer is discoverable.
    • Most inkjets without a touchscreen: press and hold the Wireless and Cancel buttons together for 5 seconds until the Power button flashes, then wait for the Wireless light to flash.
    • DeskJet 2700–2900 / 4100–4300 / Ultra 4800 / 4900: press Cancel first, then hold Wireless + Cancel together for 5 seconds until the Power light blinks.
    • ENVY 6000 / 6000e / 6400e, DeskJet Plus IA 6000/6400, Tango: press and hold the Wireless button on the back for 5 seconds until the status light flashes blue or purple.
  2. Open the HP Smart app, tap Set Up a New Printer / Add Printer, select the printer (often broadcasting as "HP-Setup-…"), choose the new Wi-Fi network, and enter its password.
  3. The phone or PC running setup must be on the same network — use Wi-Fi, not Ethernet, during setup — and have Bluetooth + location permission enabled so HP Smart can discover the printer.

Most HP consumer inkjets only join 2.4 GHz. If your new router merges 2.4/5 GHz under one name and setup fails, temporarily enable a 2.4-GHz-only network for the setup.

EPSON Re-run the Wi-Fi Setup Wizard on the printer

  1. On the printer's home screen, open the Wi-Fi/network icon and choose Wi-Fi Setup Wizard.
  2. Select the new network name from the list — or Enter Manually if your network name is hidden.
  3. Enter the new Wi-Fi password (it's case-sensitive). Confirm, and wait. A solid blue Wi-Fi icon means it worked.
  4. Print a network status sheet (Settings > Network Settings) to confirm the printer got an IP address.

If you'd rather not type: choose Push Button Setup (WPS) on the printer, then press the WPS button on the router within 2 minutes. And if the printer stubbornly keeps trying the old network, reset its network settings first: Home > Setup > Restore Default Settings > Wi-Fi/Network Settings, then run the wizard again. Watch out for 5 GHz-only new networks (most Epsons are 2.4 GHz only) and older models that struggle on WPA3-only routers.

BROTHER WLAN Setup Wizard (or "Find Network")

  1. Press Menu or Settings > Network > WLAN > Setup Wizard. (On some models it's labeled "Find Network"; on touchscreens: Settings > All Settings > Network > WLAN(Wi-Fi) > Find Wi-Fi Network or Setup Wizard.)
  2. If "WLAN Enable?" / "Enable WLAN?" appears, choose On. Select the new network name from the list (or <New SSID> to type a hidden one), enter the Network Key/password, press OK, confirm Yes when prompted, and wait for "Connected".

Alternative: download the Full Driver & Software Package from support.brother.com (or start at setup.brother.com), choose Wireless Network Connection (Wi-Fi), and let the installer push the network details to the printer — it may ask you to connect a USB cable temporarily.

CANON Wireless LAN setup on the printer (or WPS)

  1. MG/MX-era panels: Menu > Setup > Device Settings > LAN Settings > Wireless LAN Setup. If prompted for WPS, press STOP and choose Standard Setup. Select the new network name, enter the password (case-sensitive), confirm, and wait for "Connected to the access point".
  2. Newer touchscreen panels: Setup > Wireless LAN setup, then choose the new network and enter the password.
  3. WPS shortcut: if the router supports WPS, press and hold the WPS button on the router, then press and hold the Wi-Fi button on the printer until the wireless indicator blinks — the printer pairs without you typing a password.

Or drive it from a computer: download your model's software from Canon's support site, choose "Wireless LAN Connection" > "Connect via wireless router (recommended)", and the installer pushes the Wi-Fi details to the printer.

The two gotchas that keep it broken after you "fix" it

Gotcha 1: The computer's printer port still points at the old IP

After a router swap, the printer usually gets a new IP address via DHCP — but your computer's printer port still points at the old one. The printer is on the network; your computer is just knocking on the wrong door. Fix it: Printer properties > Ports tab > Configure Port and update the IP — or just remove and re-add the printer on the computer.

Gotcha 2: It'll happen again next time unless you reserve the IP

To stop the stale-port problem recurring, set a DHCP reservation (a.k.a. IP reservation) for the printer in your router's settings so the printer always gets the same address. This is better than typing a static IP into the printer itself, which can collide with the router's DHCP pool. Then point a manually created Standard TCP/IP port at that reserved IP for the most stable Windows setup.

Phone can't find the printer either? On iPhones, AirPrint requires the phone and printer to be on the same network and the same band — a merged 2.4/5 GHz network can strand them apart. On Android, make sure Mopria Print Service is installed and updated, plus your brand's app.

Still won't reconnect?

The free Unjammed diagnostic walks you through your exact printer model and setup method in order — including the steps that only apply to your model — and tells you honestly if something deeper is wrong.

Run the free diagnostic

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