i can't connect a printer to my wifi network

lojo787 wrote:

I'm trying to connect an older laser

jet printer to my Mac desktop. When I try to connect wirelessly it asks for a wpa2 password. I have a wpa3 password and it won't accept that. Is there a way to connect this printer? I cannot connect with a cable.

Options, from easiest to more difficult, roughly ordered:

• Replace the printer. Brother offers low-fuss laser/LED printers. Other vendors vary. You absolutely want AirPrint.
• downgrade your main Wi-Fi network and network name (SSID) to (probably) WPA2-WPA3 transitional mode. This might or might not work, because the printer might not connect to secure WPA2, and might need (insecure) WPA2 TKIP.
• In your Wi-Fi setup, add a second network and second network name (SSID) for the printer and configure that for (probably) WPA2 AES, or (maybe) WPA2-WPA3-transitional mode, and connect the two networks together in the Wi-Fi setup.
• add a wired network connection into the printer. (Difficulty depends on printer model, local wiring, etc.)

And two questions:

• Which printer vendor, and which model? HP?
• Which Wi-Fi vendor, and which model?

Related:

• Which Printer Should I Buy? - Apple Community

MrHoffman wrote:

• In your Wi-Fi setup, add a second network and second network name (SSID) for the printer and configure that for (probably) WPA2 AES, or (maybe) WPA2-WPA3-transitional mode, and connect the two networks together in the Wi-Fi setup.

careful adding a 2nd network, as by default it will be its own subnet, which will make it difficult to see the printer with your other devices on your WPA3 network.

You can do this, but you have to put the 2nd network into “Bridge” mode so it is the same subnet.

The best suggestion is to switch your WPA3 network to WPA2-WPA3.

Of course, a new AirPrint printer is always “Fun” 🥳

lubrom wrote:

I think the problem is the printer won't connect to the wireless router so my desktop can't send to or find the printer.

Could be the router is set for security past what this printer supports. That’d block access.

This printer needs the router to be “WPA2 PSK AES” (Wireless Protected Access 2nd Gen Pre-Shared Key with AES encryption) at most. This printer does not support WPA3. Which means the router needs to support “WPA2 PSK AES”, or maybe “WPA2-WPA3 transitional” here, but not WPA3. That’s all set up on the router, and depends on what the particular router supports.

If the printer is located near the router, an Ethernet patch cable might also work, but the router will need to support 100 MbE Fast Ethernet connections, or you’ll need to add a Fast Ethernet capable switch between the printer and the router. Routers that support connections faster than a gigabit Ethernet can sometimes lack support for Fast Ethernet.

lubrom wrote:

I'm sorry but I don't know what any of that means, it would help to just get a step-by-step of what I need to do. Thanks

Some of your available options:

• learn about operating and managing your gear
• hire somebody to set up your gear, either locally or through screen sharing (and possibly also with current or future questions)
• get a printer with AirPrint support.

Your ISP might be willing to help check and downgrade your Wi-Fi network security. (That may or may not resolve this. It is not certain any of this will get that printer going.)

I have a brother laser printer HL-3070CW. My mac Monterey was able to print until I changed my wireless router. Now it says it is offline, "toner low" without identifying which cartridge & continuously is looking for a printer. I called Brother & spent a couple hours wasting my time. They don't even have drivers for this OS (but I was running it just fine prior to the change. Please advise what I can do to connect the printer to the wirelss router. Thanks

lubrom wrote:

I have a brother laser printer HL-3070CW. My mac Monterey was able to print until I changed my wireless router. Now it says it is offline, "toner low" without identifying which cartridge & continuously is looking for a printer. I called Brother & spent a couple hours wasting my time. They don't even have drivers for this OS (but I was running it just fine prior to the change. Please advise what I can do to connect the printer to the wirelss router. Thanks

What did Brother have you do?

What did they tell you?

Mac print system reset?

Printer reset?

No AirPrint support, so IPP/IPPS and CUPS will be the path. (What I need to check here is whether 27.2 fixes the issue with CUPS. That’ll be some hours before I can check it, too. There are other recent discussions of the CUPS web interface bug.)

Primarily looked for directions on printer (not much) but took awhole lot of time for not much, said they don't support drivers for Monterey & had nothing to offer, no idea what you mean by printer reset. I don't understand IPP/IPPS or CUPS. I think the problem is the printer won't connect to the wireless router so my desktop can't send to or find the printer.

I'm sorry but I don't know what any of that means, it would help to just get a step-by-step of what I need to do. Thanks