Printers are timeless, you cannot ignore them even when the technology has upgraded to a new level. HP is one such brand that is known for producing high-quality printers embedded with the latest technology. Normally, printers get installed automatically to work with computers. But sometimes it might be tricky to share a printer to a network or set up a wireless printer. If you are looking for answers to ‘How to connect printer to Wi-Fi?’ or ‘How to install network printer’, you are at the right place.
Go through the guide provided here to get complete information about HP printer setup covered through the following topics:
Setting up HP Wireless Printer
HP Wi-Fi printers can be simply connected to the computer through the Wi-Fi network you have.
Here are the steps you need to apply to set up your wireless HP printer:
- Unbox your printer and follow the instructions to remove packaging.
- Next, attach the power cord, switch on the printer and install the cartridges. Let the printer perform its start-up routine and print the alignment page.
- Now, you can choose one of the connection methods that have been explained below.
HP Auto Wireless Connect
It is a technology that lets your printer connect to the network automatically and there is no need to connect any cables or enter the wireless network settings. Most of the new HP printers perform this function during the software installation process. Follow the instructions after installing the software for your printer, select the ‘Network connection’ type and click ‘Yes, send my wireless settings to the printer’.
To use the HP Auto Wireless Connect method, the following requirements must be met:
- Windows Vista (and newer) and Mac OS X 10.5 (and newer).
- The system is connected to a wireless connection and the operating system is in control of the wireless adapter.
- The system is connected to the network over 2.4GHz.
- The system does not use a static IP address.
- The printing device must be in HP Auto Wireless Connect mode.
WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)
There are two modes offered by WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) methods to connect devices together over a wireless connection. First is ‘pushbutton’ and the other is ‘PIN’. To start the WPS method, you can go through the printer’s manual and make sure the following conditions are fulfilled in order to use WPS pushbutton mode:
- Both the printer and wireless router must support WPS pushbutton mode.
- The wireless router needs to have a WPS pushbutton.
- The network must be secure through WPA or WPA2. Most of the WPS wireless routers will not connect under the WPS method if no WEP or security has been used.
- The wireless routers will not connect using the WPS method if you are using the manufacturer’s default for the network name.
To connect your wireless printer to your wireless router using WPS, start the WPS pushbutton mode on your printer and within 2 minutes, press the WPS button on your router.
HP Wireless Setup Wizard for Printers with Touch Display
This setup wizard works from your printer’s control panel and to use it, you can apply the steps given below:
- You must know your network name and the security password.
- Go to the printer’s control panel, open the Network menu or touch the wireless icon to launch settings. Select Wireless Setup Wizard and it will display a list of wireless networks.
- Next, select your wireless network’s name and if you don’t see your wireless network, enter your network name manually.
- Enter your WEP key or WPA password correctly, and after that, your printer must connect to the wireless network. If it does not connect, print a Wireless Network Test report that will show where the problem is.
USB Setup of Wireless Printers without Touch Display
This method is mainly for the printers without a touch display and can be applied while installing the software for the printer. First, you need to connect a USB cable between the printer and the computer. Connect and detach the cable only when prompted by the software, and you will be automatically guided through the configuration process of your printer’s wireless connection.
Setting up HP Printers for A USB Cable Connection
Step 1: Preparation for the printer setup
Before setting up the printer, check the requirements and remove all the previously installed printer from Windows to make it ready for the USB connection and driver installation.
- Make sure you meet the following requirements:
- The printer must be on and ready to work.
- You must have a USB cable less than 3 metres in length.
- There should be an accessible USB port on your computer. If you are connecting through a USB hub or docking station, there will not be enough power provided to the printer.
If you have connected the USB cable to the computer before installing the HP driver, apply the following steps to remove the printer.
- Detach the USB cable of the printer from your computer and don’t reattach it until instructed during the driver installation.
- Next, search Windows for ‘devices’, and select the Devices and Printers control panel from the results.
- Right-click on your printer’s icon, and click on ‘Remove’ device. If there are multiple icons for the printer, remove all of them.
- Exit the ‘Devices and Printers’ window, and proceed to the next step.
Step 2: Installation of the Driver and Setting up the Connection
Next, you have to start the HP printer driver download and install it for your printer to complete the USB connection.
- Go to 123.hp.com, enter your printer model, and follow the instructions to download the driver. It depends on your printer model that the HP Easy Start might download.
- If the driver or HP Easy Start starts downloading, follow the instructions to open the downloaded file and doing that will start the setup. When you are asked to select the connection type, go for USB.
- In case the download fails or your printer is not there on 123.hp.com, follow the next steps.
- Visit the HP Customer Support – Software and Driver Downloads page and enter details of your printer and operating system.
- If you see a ‘Let’s identify your product’ page, select Printer, enter your printer model number, and click Submit.
- The results page will show the operating system selected and if you need to change it, click Change, select your version, and then again click Change.
- Below the Driver heading, click on the Download option for the full software package, or click Basic Drivers to see other driver options.
- When instructed by the installer to select a printer connection, select USB to complete the setup.
- Now, you can try to print, scan, or fax, depending on your printer features.
Setting up HP Printers with Wired Network Printer Setup
If you own a Mac device and need help regarding wired network HP printer set up, here is what you need to do.
Step 1: Prepare For Installing Driver
The first step is to prepare your device for the installation of the HP printer driver as follows:
- First, confirm that you have a working network router and an Ethernet cable before you proceed to install the driver.
- Next, verify if you have a network router with accessible Ethernet ports.
- Check if your computer is connected to the router or connect if not already connected.
- Make sure you are using an Ethernet cable and not a telephone cable.
Step 2: Connecting the Printer to the Network
- Join the Ethernet cable to the printer and to the router, switch, or hub so that the printer is found during installation.
- Turn on the printer and detach any protective cover from the Ethernet port on the rear of the printer.
- Attach the Ethernet cable to the printer and to a port on the router.
Step 3: Installing the software
Next, you have to install the correct HP printer software as the last step of the network printer setup.
- Go to 123.hp.com, enter your printer model name or number and then click on ‘Search’. As per your operating system version, the HP Easy Start app will start downloading, or you will be redirected to the HP Software and Driver Downloads page.
- If the HP Easy Start has downloaded, follow the instructions to start the setup. For the connection type, choose ‘Wired Network’. If the set up gets complete, no need to go to the next step.
- If the first step doesn’t work for you, go to HP Customer Support – Software and Driver Downloads, enter your printer model name or number and verify the operating system version.
- The results page will show the operating system selected and if you need to change it, click Change, select your version, and then again click Change.
- Below the Driver heading, click on the HP printer software download option or click Basic Drivers to see other driver options.
- When instructed by the installer to select a printer connection, select Wired Network to complete the setup.
- After this, you can try to print, scan, or fax, depending on your printer features.