Printers are one of the most common things that drop off a home network. Before you reinstall everything, try these steps in order.
Try these first
- Restart the printer. Turn it off, wait 30 seconds and turn it on again.
- Restart your router. Unplug it for 30 seconds, plug it back in and wait a couple of minutes.
- Check it is on the same network. Your computer and printer both need to be on the same WiFi. Some printers only work on the 2.4 GHz network, not 5 GHz.
- Look at the printer's display. Check it shows as connected, and that it has no error, paper jam or empty ink.
- Remove and re-add the printer on your computer or phone, using the manufacturer's app if there is one.
- Update the printer software. Old drivers cause a lot of strange problems.
When it is bigger than the printer
If other devices drop off too, or the printer works for a day and then disappears again, the cause is often the network itself, such as a weak signal where the printer sits, a router that needs attention, or settings that changed after an update.
That is where we can help. We trace the cause step by step, fix it and show you what was wrong. See our network troubleshooting service.