How to Set up a Wireless Router Printer

Level of difficulty: Difficult

Wireless connections provide users with much freedom including being able to set up a printer in another room minus the long line of network cables slithering all over. A wireless printer may be set up in a central location making it easy for all users to access the output device. Running a WLAN or a Wireless Local Area Network requires a strong encryption like Wi-Fi Protected Access or WPA2.

Materials Needed:
- Wireless computer
- printer software
- USB cables
- wireless printer
Step 1
Once the user has already set up a wireless network with his or her existing access point or router, setting up the wireless router printer can be done with ease. Upon unpacking and assembling the wireless printer, proceed to the installation of the printer software on a computer on the wireless network. The software typically comes with the output device. When the utility Setup.EXE in the disc does not automatically launch, browse the CD and then double-click on it.
Step 2
In the Setup, click on 'Install' and then 'Next'. Some wireless printers require users to temporarily disable the anti-virus software during its installation. All other open programs should also be closed. Assemble the wireless printer and install it using an Ethernet cable connection wired to the router. The installation of the printer’s software would allow it to download and install automatically all the updates available online.
Step 3
Setting up a connection for wireless printing also entails having to connect the printer temporarily to the router with the Ethernet cable that came with it. After Setup has finished the installation of the rest of the software, click on 'Finish'. Lastly, click on 'Print Test Page'. When the printer manages to produce the test sheet, click on 'OK'.
Step 4
To render the printer wireless, employ your browser in entering the settings of your used router and finding your network’s name or the network’s SSID. This is required in order to tell the wireless printer which network it is supposed to join.
Step 5
Disconnect the cable of the Ethernet from the printer and then launch the Wireless Setup Wizard. Once the printer detects the wireless network, its SSID or Service Set Identifier or network name is displayed. The SSID or network name may be found in the settings of the wireless router. When the printer is unable to detect the WLAN, you would probably need to turn on the Broadcast feature of the SSID which is controlled by the router as well.
Step 6
Since your Internet Service Provider assigns a global IP address on the router that you are using, you need to enter the password and the username in order to access the settings of the router. The kind of encryption employed by your wireless network is located in the router’s settings together with the shared key or the passphrase.
Step 7
When the printer is unable to locate the wireless network even after having manually typed in the SSID, it may need to be moved nearer to the router or the printer’s IP address may need to be added to the Media Access Control or MAC address filtering list of the router.
Step 8
Once the printer has been successfully and wirelessly connected to the computer, try to print a test page again and then upon re-enabling the anti-virus software in the computer system, try printing another test page.