Why do you think I cannot find the printer on my computer again?
15/08/19 Filed in: printers
Why do you think I cannot find the printer on my computer again?
___________
Several reasons this can happen.
Check to make sure the computer is on the correct wifi network. Sometimes our computers will join neighboring wifi networks that are close by if we've joined them in the past. This will prevent the computer from printing to the printer that is actually on the normal network.
There could have been a change issued by the router in terms of IP addresses that cause the printer to go offline. The computer and the printer have to be on the same network and thus the same IP address range. You can check to see what that range is by asking the printer (in settings) to print a network report. Then comparing that to the IP address of your computer. IP address is found in system preferences/Network.
Usually, the IP address is one of the following:
192.168.1.xx.
192.168.0.xx.
10.0.1.xx
If one of your devices reports back 169.254.xxx then something is wrong. 169.254.xx shows up when a device can't get an IP address from a router so it makes that one up.
Next thing to try is to simply delete the printer from your computer and re-add it. system preferences/printers. Find it on the list, hit the minus button then hit the plus button to bring it back again. I usually use "AirPrint" as the driver. Secure AirPrint and the original print manufacturer driver are also available but AirPrint works just fine on most jobs.
Maybe it's the printer's fault. You can go into network settings on the printer and rejoin your wifi network using the network "wizard" tool on your printer. Then go back through the process of re adding the printer on the computer once again.
This all sounds ridiculously complex but after you've spent about 10 minutes troubleshooting how printers connect with IP addresses it becomes very easy to troubleshoot on your own and it's a great skill to have since this issue arrises for people so often.
___________
Several reasons this can happen.
Check to make sure the computer is on the correct wifi network. Sometimes our computers will join neighboring wifi networks that are close by if we've joined them in the past. This will prevent the computer from printing to the printer that is actually on the normal network.
There could have been a change issued by the router in terms of IP addresses that cause the printer to go offline. The computer and the printer have to be on the same network and thus the same IP address range. You can check to see what that range is by asking the printer (in settings) to print a network report. Then comparing that to the IP address of your computer. IP address is found in system preferences/Network.
Usually, the IP address is one of the following:
192.168.1.xx.
192.168.0.xx.
10.0.1.xx
If one of your devices reports back 169.254.xxx then something is wrong. 169.254.xx shows up when a device can't get an IP address from a router so it makes that one up.
Next thing to try is to simply delete the printer from your computer and re-add it. system preferences/printers. Find it on the list, hit the minus button then hit the plus button to bring it back again. I usually use "AirPrint" as the driver. Secure AirPrint and the original print manufacturer driver are also available but AirPrint works just fine on most jobs.
Maybe it's the printer's fault. You can go into network settings on the printer and rejoin your wifi network using the network "wizard" tool on your printer. Then go back through the process of re adding the printer on the computer once again.
This all sounds ridiculously complex but after you've spent about 10 minutes troubleshooting how printers connect with IP addresses it becomes very easy to troubleshoot on your own and it's a great skill to have since this issue arrises for people so often.
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