Why can’t I see my wireless printer on my network – that’s the big question, and we’re going to try and answer it properly today.

Why is the computer not finding my wireless printer?

Some of the common issues that may appear are an incorrect setting of the Wireless printer you might have overlooked, or Windows 10 does not have the feature Find devices and content switch. Here are some of the probable causes for this issue:

The PC and wireless printer are not connected to the same network – To identify the printer, your device must be connected to the same Wi-Fi hotspot. Firewall is blocking the printer – As happens with a lot of other network devices, an overzealous firewall may consider the communication with your printer a threat and block it. Incorrect sharing settings – If the printer is connected through another PC to the network, check the sharing settings for that printer on the respective PC. The printer is offline – That can mean a lot of things, including that the printer is not on, it’s not connected to the router properly, or even an empty toner.

Our readers also reported the following issues, which will most likely be solved using the same solutions provided below: some can’t find the printer on network, or the Wi-Fi printer is not showing up at all. As for the laptops that can’t find the wireless printer, the list includes Epson, Brother, HP models, and more as well as cases when the Canon printer is connected to Wi-Fi, but the computer can’t find it. Now that we know what are the possible reasons for this problem, let’s fix it using the solutions below.

How do I get my computer to recognize my wireless printer?

Before going to the actual troubleshooting solutions, let’s make some preliminary checks and apply some easy fixes:

Turn off your router, wait for at least 30 seconds and turn it back on. Wait for another 30 seconds for the router to reboot and check if the wireless printer is connected to the router. Make sure you have the latest firmware for the printer and the router. For that, it is recommended to connect the printer to a computer by a cable and install all the necessary software. Check if the printer and PC are connected to the same Wi-Fi hotspot. If the printer is shared through another PC, make sure that you connect to the same network as that PC. Make sure that the printer is turned on and connected to the router. Usually, you will have a green light indicator or an icon showing that on a screen (if the printer has one). Disable the antivirus and firewall temporarily. Move the printer closer to your router and make sure that there are no obstructions between them.

If you have cross-checked these simple measures, let’s try to fix this problem with the solutions provided below.

1. Add the printer using its IP address

If this solution was not comprehensive enough, we have a full guide on how to set up your printer using its IP address. SPONSORED

2. Run the printer troubleshooter

3. Disable and reenable the network adapter

4. Install the latest printer driver updates

Check on the Wireless Printer Manufacturer’s website to see if you have the latest drivers installed. This is usually one of the most common issues if your printer is not recognized on the network. Also, most printers come with their own administrative software that includes a driver update feature. However, if all else failed and if you are looking for a quicker and easier solution, using a specialized tool such as DriverFix is what you need. You can update any of your PC’s drivers by selecting the download and install options within the driver updater. If none of these solutions worked in your case, we recommend connecting the printer directly to the router or PC with a cable if possible. By connecting it to the router, you will bypass any issues related to its possible wireless problems. In case you have upgraded to the latest OS, here’s a comprehensive guide on how to add a wireless printer to Windows 11. If you do have any additional questions related to this article, let us know in the comments section below, and we will help you further.

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