Printer wifi connection

MaryLouM, your new router sends out it's WiFi signals at 2 different frequencies, these are 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz (GHz stands for GigaHertz). If you have new devices that meet new standards, they will be able to see and use either frequency. The difference is that 2.4 GHz is the old standard for WiFi and many older devices can only use it. 5 GHz is a new WiFi frequency and is less 'cluttered' and allows for faster data transfer.

You can usually tell if your WiFi printer meets the newer standards because you will be able to connect to either frequency when you add your WiFi password to your printer.

However, 5 GHz is faster and more efficient when passing data between your printer and router than 2.4 GHz but 5 GHz doesn't travel as far nor does it pass through walls/obstacles easily. If your router is tucked out of sight of your devices, it will not be as effective as the 2.4 GHz frequency and, in fact, your printer may simply not be able to see it or just not work as well.

I've had this problem too, and resorted to uninstalling the printer and re-installing it . (Actually got DS to do so the first time round). At about the fifth attempt it actually worked.

I do have WI fi on my printer, Its a canon MG 4250 it prints very well indeed but the ink is expensive.

It copies double sided and does have very good functions
However the printer only cost about £60 a year or so.
I think they make their money out of the ink. The printer would otherwise be more expensive.

Thanks, it might well help me MaryLou. I’ve bought a new printer! A cheap HP one which had good reviews. It was so cheap it only just cost more than the cartridges! But, I did a bit of printing yesterday to use up the old printer cartridges and the old printer worked perfectly! So the new one is still in it’s box.

I had the same issue when Virgin changed the router. Once I changed to Sky it worked perfectly again. I found out that new broadband sometimes has two lines a 2g and a 5g. The 2g line is the best for a printer. Not sure why, but hope this helps someone.

I’m now remembering why I came out of the shop without one last time I looked....I confused!!

I don’t think the monthly payment option would do for me as I can go weeks without using it and then run off reams of stuff. Most useful would be one which will print out from the iPad through WiFi. And be simple enough for DH to use with his really old laptop which would probably need to be plugged in.

I gave up on the alleged WiFi ness of my printer and just bought a connector to plug into the computer. Sorted.

Ink used to be a major expense but our current HP printer came with an automatic ink option. We pay £3.49 a month for 100 pages, usually more than enough these days. Any not used rollover up to an extra 100 pages, we currently have 200 we can use. There are lots of options according to need. The printer ‘talks’ to the HP site and cartridges turn up well before they are needed. It works for us even if the printer can be temperamental. In our last home the router was upstairs and the printer downstairs in my office. It worked very well, in fact far better than being next to it. No sense in that but I’ve given up trying to understand.

Nfk I think most printer manufacturers have software to block compatible inks these days - I know Epson does, and that's been my preferred brand of printer for years . But the chap in my local computer shop told me there is an Epson Eco Tank (I think that's what it's called) now with refillable ink cartridges, which works out a lot cheaper. When my one finally bites the dust I will probably investigate that a bit further. No doubt the printer itself will cost more than others, but going by the prices of branded inks I reckon the difference might be recouped pretty quickly.

And I’ll move my phone away from the router!

Thanks Marydoll. I’ve had two HP printers and they’ve lasted for ever. I gave my first to a friend who rarely uses it and I think it’s still chugging on! My present one is making weird noises and getting slower and slower and the inconvenience in having to transfer stuff from the iPad to laptop has made me think of looking for another. I’m glad you warned me about HP as I probably would have automatically gone for one. I’ll do a bit more homework.

This is just to illustrate how things can be affected. My phone kept making random loud noises and I discovered it was caused by my free train pass being stored in the phone cover.

NFK, nowadays, I think they are all much of a muchness.
If your router is far away, you can purchase a a WiFi extender. I have one, as my printer and PC are a fair distance away from the router.

When I used to purchase printers for my school, I always purchased HPs, as they were great workhorses, until they decided to update them.
We could previously use compatible cartridges without any problems. The newer models all had software to make this impossible, so we changed to Canons, the print quality was good, but the toner was extortionate.

After have HP printers for years, we have had nothing, but problems with the last two HP all in one printers we have at home. I'm forever uninstalling and reinstalling them.?
It's worthwhile researching first. As has been said before, manufacturers reel us in with low cost printers and make their profits on the expensive cartridges.
I use a Kodak printer, which is usually reliable, but once again, ink is expensive.
It's not an easy decision to make. Good luck.☺️

DH has been advised to remove his metal filing trays which are in between the router and the computers
Now - is this just blarney from the company or not?

My router is right next to the phone. I didn’t know this was bad. Should I move the phone?

My printer is too old to do WiFi and is going senile so I was thinking of getting a new one, but it’ll have to be kept upstairs in the spare room. Some distance from the router. Suggestions as to what printer to get would be appreciated -this thread has made me nervous!

Or sometimes I just want to throw it all out of the window, but I have never tried that in actual fact.

It could work.

But it does go off sometimes and we have found that we have to turn everything off at the mains and it seems to reset itself when turned on again.
Now I hadn't thought of trying that - turning everything off and on again. Might be a bit easier than setting up the wi-fi from scratch every time!

and my pc and printer are the same make!

Nowt so weird as technology Bathsheba

Even our very tech savvy friend had a problem connecting the printer to my pc wirelessly and to DH's too - however, eventually succeeded.
But it does go off sometimes and we have found that we have to turn everything off at the mains and it seems to reset itself when turned on again.

No Windows 10 in this house! We have Safari (iMac) and Windows 8 on the laptops.
As for buying a new printer, I'm trying to hold onto the current one for as long as possible because any new ones will very likely not accept compatible inks. Epson branded inks for my current printer cost in the region of £75 per set, whereas the compatibles (which work absolutely fine) are a fraction of that price - last time I paid £17.90 for 6 sets!
I have been steadfastly declining all invitations to update my printer software, because I know that the updates include a block on using anything other than genuine Epson ink . Printer manufacturers these days sell the printers at a loss and make their money on the consumables, and they do everything in their power to make sure you buy their consumables. But I'm not playing that game if I don't have to! If anyone knows how to get round their software block on compatible ink, I'd be very appreciative .

Bathsheba we have that problem sometimes and find that turning everything off at the mains then back on again will do the trick.
If you have Windows 10 then it has its own built-in virus protector (Defender) - if you install another virus protector then they may 'fight' each other and cause you problems with your computer and also with the anything else connected wirelessly.

It could even be that a near neighbour has made changes that are interfering. It's really tricky.

Could you do as Oopsadaisy53 suggests? Before buying my current WiFi printer, I had my old printer connected physically to my iMac, but used Apple's Airplay to send documents for printing to the iMac which then 'woke up' (Bonjour protocol) the printer and printed out documents. I even managed to get it working with my Windows laptop too. It may be worth a try. I know it's very frustrating.

Sorry meant to say if you can plug it direct into your computer and not use the WiFi then that might be your best option.

Sounds as though you need a new printer, usually cheaper than getting it looked at , unless it’s still under warranty?
They don’t last very long.

Not sure if we have a dual band router, I would have to check that....