P1102W not connecting wirelessly

[hplovejet]

I have similar issues which I'm trying to make sense of here:

http://web-tart.co.uk/hp-laserjet-p1102w-wifi-setup-fail/

[Fidrus]

I had the very greatest difficulty in making this printer work wirelessly, but I have at last worked it out.

The major issue is that there is no means of configuring the printer till it is connected, and no means of connecting it until it's configured ... Catch 22!

The answer to this issue is to connect any way you can in the first instance, then use the connection to configure the beast to your liking.

If you print out the Self Test / Device Configuration page (hold down the key maked with an X until it prints), you can see what the existing configuration is. In the case of my printer, it said:

Status = Enabled

Communication Mode = Ad Hoc

Network Name (SSID) = HPC933AA

Authentication = None (Open)

Clearly, it wasn't going to connect to my home wireless networks with these settings!

Well, if the mountain won't come to Mohammed, them Mohammed had better go to the mountain.

So I established an "Ad Hoc" connection, directly from my notebook to the printer, telling it to connect to HPC933AA . I didn't set an IP address for either, but an IP got auto-assigned to my computer.

Once a connection was established, I then used the disk supplied to install the printer driver - the driver will look for the printer on the network and find its IP address for you. Do not connect via a USB cable - make the software find the printer for you on the network.

I was then able to look at the port allocated to the printer in Windows Printer Properties to find the printers's IP address.

With the IP address, you can use your browser to configure the printer to your liking. Tip - set up the wireless configuration first, save the setting, then get the printer working on the "proper" wireless connection before you start thinking about assigning an IP address to the printer (it's better to use a static IP on a printer). The reason for this is that you can't change both the wireless settings and the IP address at the same time.

Don't forget to go back into Windows Printer Properties to tell it that you have changed the IP address - I just set up a standard TCP/IP Raw port to the new address.

By the way, if you mess things up, you can always reset the printer to its default setting by starting it with both buttons pressed.

If you should at any time decied to change your wireless network in any way - security, SSID, whatever - you will need to tell the printer about it first through the browser-based configuration utility.

While the printer is now working well, I think the process I had to go through to get it operational was quite absurdly complex, and quite beyond the capabilities of the average non-computer-geek. There are many ways that HP could make life a little easier for the user - a display and front-panel such as are fitted to the company's office printers, or an ethernet port to by-pass the wireless connection for setup purposes.

I hope that this is useful for others encountering the same connection difficulties - and that this might also encourage HP to think about a better configuration method!

Regards from Steve

[jonno101]

My experience:

Mac OSX 10.6.5

I can get it to work wirelessly (infrastructure mode) on one Netgear Router DG384G absolutley fine.

Actually works like a charm v. well.

I have recently upgraded to a Netgear DGN3500 and for love nor money can't get it to print wirelessly in infrastructure mode.

BUT i can Ad hoc method, but not a very good solution!

I have set up both routers exactly the same, same channel, same security method. So my conclusion from my experience is some routers work better than others?? Perhaps some will not work at all.

All i need now is to get my DGN3500 to print Ad Hoc mode then all will be great in the world??!

jon

[TreeFrog]

If everything is the same (SSID, security, encryption, key...) the printer should just connect to the new router when the old one is turned off.

You might try changing the channel on the router to 11.  We have seen some circumstanced where that makes a difference.

Foster

[jonno101]

Thanks for the reply.

Unfortunately the DGN3500 netgear router has had a few problems of itself. Netgear's tech support has advised me to set it to channel 9. I have done this and resolved issues with router.

So if I set to channel 11 then chances are I will have problems with my router.

I think Im whats called " stuck between a rock and a hard place"!!

Thanks though.

jon

[CharlieToth]

Steve,

      I found your hint helpful, and when I realized where you were going changed the SSID on my router instead.  I knew my way around the router at 192.168.2.1

    Had two machines going with a half hour or 45 minutes after two hours of fooling around and getting nowhere. Others might find the SSID change at the router easier as well.

    Thanks for the clue.

Charlie

[IggyCo]

Had similar problems trying to connect 2 PCs (one wired and one wireless) and one MAC.

Started with wireless PC laptop first.  wrong idea.  After two hours of trying several things and reading forums, I did the following.

(1) Started working on the wired PC first.  Followed the HP directions using the USB and setting up for wireless.  No problems.  Have wireless connection to printer.

(2) Mac laptop (wireless)  Followed the HP directions using the USB and setting up for wireless.

      Problems:  Only could use USB connection to print.  Could not print wirelessly.

      Solution:  (a)  Delete the USB connection:

                                   (i) Apple>System Preference>Print & Fax.  Click on HP LaserJet . . .   and hit "-" to delete.

                                   (ii) Click "+" and then "default.  The Mac found the printer wirelessly and then click on add.

                 Now I'm able to print wirelessly from the MAC

Lastly, spend a couple of hours trying to connect the wireless PC laptop.  You know, doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.  I would receive either  freeze frame saying "Service: Print spool" or the instaill with stop at "adding network port."  

Also tried going through Control Panel > Printers & Faxes > Add Printer > add network printer.  Then discovered the following.  The instruction will tell you to Add Printer > Local Printers Attached to this computer.  Not the intuitive thing to do, not there are a few surprises when you click the button that allow for attaching to a networked printer.

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/print_add_tcpip_port....

This link will tell you how to add a printer though your Standard TCP/IP Port.

Some of the solutions were mentioned somewhere in this or other forums.  Anyway, I have received a lot of help reading others' solutions, so I wanted to return the favor.  Thanks

[joem1k]

Hi having similar issues connecting wirelessly. But mine was working for a few weeks then stopped working. I originally configured it with a static ip address. It is picking up the network SSID and WPA2, it pulls a DHCP (static address disappeared) but I can not connect to it via a browser or ping the printer. The router which supplied the DHCP address can not ping it either. I can print fine from a USB printer. I have tried resetting the configuration, connecting with USB and adding the network information back in but I still can not connect to or ping it.

Any ideas,

joe

[kaylee_mom]

I am having the same problems.  I had some trouble with the initial wireless setup, then it seemed to be working fine (and it is not clear what I did, as I was repeating the same steps over and over again).  Now intermittently I am having problems getting this to work.  I will work fine, then I attempt to print something and the printer will not connect.  I have not been changing settings on the router or the printer.  Then when I reset the printer and I get a solid blue light and print the settings page it shows as connected, but I still can not print.  After trouble shooting and reseting multiple times I got it working again.  I've always been happy with my HP printer products but I am getting frustrated with this wireless printer and the lack of reliability.  Any ideas to keep this from loosing the wireless connection again?

[TreeFrog]

Here is something to try. 

You might try changing your SSID.  If a neighbor has the same one the printer might try to connect to that one after a few minutes which will cause a loss of connection.