The most common reason your HP printer loses WiFi is that it has drifted out of range or the router restarted without the printer reconnecting automatically
HP printers disconnect from WiFi for a handful of predictable reasons, and most of them you can fix yourself in under ten minutes. The printer may have been too far from the router when you first set it up, the router may have restarted and the printer didn't follow, or the printer's WiFi radio may have straightforward turned off. Less often, the printer and router are using different WiFi bands — your router broadcasts both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, but your printer only understands 2.4 GHz. Start by checking the printer's display panel, because it usually tells you exactly what went wrong.
Before you do anything else, restart both the printer and the router. Turn off the printer, wait 30 seconds, and turn it back on. Then unplug the router, wait 30 seconds, and plug it back in. This solves the problem roughly half the time because it clears out temporary connection errors that accumulate over days or weeks. While the router is restarting, the printer will be ready to reconnect as soon as the WiFi comes back.
Key Takeaways
- Restart the printer and router together — unplug the router, wait 30 seconds, plug it back in, then restart the printer once the WiFi light comes back on.
- Check the printer's control panel or touchscreen for a WiFi icon or status message that tells you whether the printer sees the network at all.
- If the printer sees your network but won't connect, forget the network on the printer and reconnect using the WiFi Protected Setup button on your router.
- HP printers only connect to 2.4 GHz networks, not 5 GHz, so if your router broadcasts both, make sure you are connecting to the 2.4 GHz band.
- If the printer still will not connect after these steps, reset the printer's network settings to factory defaults and set up the connection again from the beginning.
Check what the printer's display is telling you
Most HP printers have a small screen or at least a row of indicator lights on the control panel. Look for a WiFi icon — it usually looks like curved lines radiating outward, similar to the WiFi symbol on your phone. If the icon is solid or lit up, the printer is connected. If it is grayed out, blinking, or missing entirely, the printer has lost the connection or never made one.
Some HP printers show a message on the touchscreen when WiFi is off. If you see "WiFi disabled" or "Wireless off", press the WiFi button on the printer itself — it is usually marked with the WiFi symbol and sits on the front panel or control panel. Hold it for three seconds. The printer should beep and the WiFi light should turn on. Wait 30 seconds for the printer to scan for networks and reconnect automatically.
If the WiFi icon is blinking or shows a connection error, the printer sees your network but cannot complete the handshake. This usually means the password is wrong, the printer is out of range, or the router has restarted. Move the printer closer to the router — within 15 feet is ideal for the first connection — and try again.
Reconnect using the WiFi Protected Setup button
The fastest way to reconnect is to use WiFi Protected Setup, a feature built into almost every modern router and printer. This method skips the password entirely and uses a physical button instead. Look on your router for a button labeled "WPS" or sometimes just a symbol that looks like two curved arrows. On your HP printer, open the Settings or Network menu on the control panel — the exact path depends on your model, but it is usually under Setup or Wireless.
Once you are in the Network or Wireless settings on the printer, look for an option called "WPS" or "Push Button Setup". Select it. You will see a message telling you to press the WPS button on the router within the next two minutes. Go to the router when ready and press the WPS button for three seconds. The router's light will blink, and within 30 seconds the printer should connect. You will see a confirmation message on the printer's screen.
If the printer does not connect after pressing WPS, it may be because the router's WPS feature is turned off — some people disable it for security reasons. In that case, you will need to enter the password manually instead. Go back to the printer's Network settings, select "Connect to Network" or "Add Network", find your WiFi network name in the list, and enter the password exactly as it appears on the router or in your router's setup paperwork. Passwords are case-sensitive, so capital letters matter.
Make sure the printer is connecting to 2.4 GHz, not 5 GHz
Modern routers broadcast two WiFi bands at the same time: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Your phone and laptop can use either one, but most HP printers only understand 2.4 GHz. If your router is set up to broadcast both bands under the same network name, the printer may try to connect to 5 GHz and fail silently.
Check your router's settings by opening a web browser on your computer and typing the router's IP address — usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 — into the address bar. Log in with your router's username and password, which are printed on a sticker on the router itself. Look for a Wireless or WiFi settings page. If you see two separate networks listed, one ending in "2.4G" and one ending in "5G", your router is broadcasting them separately and the printer should find the 2.4 GHz one automatically.
If both bands are broadcast under a single network name, you have two options. The simpler one is to forget the network on the printer and reconnect using WPS, which will force the printer to use 2.4 GHz. The more permanent solution is to split the bands in your router settings so they have different names — for example, "MyNetwork-2.4G" and "MyNetwork-5G" — then connect the printer to the 2.4G version. This also makes it easier to manage which devices use which band.
Forget the network and reconnect from scratch
If the printer is stuck trying to connect with an old or incorrect password, you need to erase the network from the printer's memory and start over. On the printer's control panel, go to Settings, then Network or Wireless, then look for an option called "Forget Network", "Remove Network", or "Forget This Network". Select your WiFi network name from the list and choose Forget. The printer will remove the saved password and connection details.
Once the network is forgotten, the printer will no longer try to connect to it automatically. Now reconnect using WPS if your router has it, or manually enter the password again. This time, the printer will accept the new credentials without any conflict from the old ones. If you are not sure what your WiFi password is, check the sticker on the router or log into your router's settings page on a computer and look for the WiFi password under Wireless or Security settings.
Reset the printer's network settings if nothing else works
If the printer still will not connect after trying WPS, manually entering the password, and checking the 2.4 GHz band, the printer's network settings may be corrupted. A factory reset of just the network settings will clear out any stuck configuration without erasing your printer's other settings like saved paper size or print quality defaults.
Go to Settings on the printer's control panel, then look for Restore, Reset, or Tools. Find an option for "Reset Network Settings" or "Restore Network Defaults" — the exact wording varies by model. Select it and confirm. The printer will restart and forget all saved WiFi networks. Once it boots back up, the WiFi will be off. Press the WiFi button to turn it back on, then reconnect using WPS or by manually entering your password.
If a network reset does not work, you can perform a full factory reset, which erases everything including print jobs and settings. This is a last resort and should only be done if the printer is completely unusable. Look for a "Factory Reset" or "Restore Factory Settings" option in the same menu. Be aware that after a full reset, you will need to set up the printer from the beginning, including WiFi, paper size, and any saved presets.
Move the printer closer to the router
WiFi range depends on obstacles and interference. A printer that works fine 20 feet away in one location may not work 20 feet away in another if there are walls, metal objects, or microwave ovens in between. For the initial setup, place the printer within 15 feet of the router with as few walls as possible between them. Once the connection is established and stable, you can move the printer to its permanent location and see if it stays connected.
If the printer loses connection after you move it, the new location is straightforward too far away or too obstructed. Move it closer, or consider moving the router to a more central location in your home. If moving is not practical, a WiFi range extender or a second router set up as an access point can extend the network to reach the printer's location.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my printer keep disconnecting from WiFi even after I reconnect it?
The printer is likely too far from the router or there is interference from walls or other devices. Try moving the printer closer to the router. If it stays connected at a closer distance, the original location is out of range. You can also check if the printer's WiFi radio is turning off automatically to save power — look in Settings for a power-saving or sleep mode option and disable it.
Can I use my HP printer on a 5 GHz WiFi network?
Most HP printers only support 2.4 GHz. If your router broadcasts both bands under the same network name, the printer may fail to connect. Split the bands in your router settings so they have separate names, then connect the printer to the 2.4 GHz version. Check your printer's manual or HP's website to confirm whether your specific model supports 5 GHz.
What if I forgot my WiFi password?
Check the sticker on the bottom or back of your router — the default password is usually printed there. If you changed the password and forgot it, log into your router's settings page on a computer by typing the router's IP address (usually 192.168.1.1) into a web browser. You can view or reset the password from there using the router's admin username and password, also on the sticker.
Do I need to unplug the printer to reset it?
For a soft restart, just turn the printer off using the power button, wait 30 seconds, and turn it back on. This clears temporary errors without erasing any settings. If you need to perform a factory reset, use the Settings menu on the printer itself rather than unplugging it — this ensures the reset completes properly and does not corrupt the printer's firmware.
Why does the printer connect but then say it cannot print?
The printer is connected to WiFi but your computer or phone is not sending print jobs to it correctly. Make sure your device is on the same WiFi network as the printer. On Windows, go to Settings, Devices, Printers and Scanners, and check that the HP printer is listed and set as default. On Mac, go to System Preferences, Printers and Scanners, and add the printer if it is not already there.