HP Smart Advanced Settings doesn't connect from Mac, does from Windows 11

[MarkCallaghan]

Setup a new M234sdw multifunction printer today via my Mac running MacOS 15.6 (Sequoia) and there are some problems which don't repeat on a PC -- fortunately I had a PC. I don't need help at this point buy perhaps this will inspire HP to fix some bugs in HP Smart and/or help another person who tries to set this up with a Mac. 

I have HP Smart version 18.10.1
I also updated the printers firmware after figuring out a workaround but the problems still occur after doing that.
Please, do some QA on this or stop claiming it works with a Mac. Had I not been in a rush I would have returned this device and purchased something from Brother.

Problem 1) When I click on "Advanced Settings" via HP Smart I get a "site cannot be reached error" because the URL it uses is garbled -- "http://npi3929b4.local./"

Problem 2) I pressed the Information button to print out the printer settings and with the IP address listed there I get unreachable errors when using Chrome or Firefox on a Mac. With Safari I get a warning that the printers certificate is invalid, but once clicking through that I can reach the "Advanced Settings" section via the embedded web server, login, and change the settings I need to change.

Problem 3) I tried to connect via "Direct WiFi" but that did not work. From Google searches I found an HP support web page that suggests using 192.168.223.1, but that failed.

Problem 4) I can't scan from HP Smart without creating an account and signing in. This is obnoxious, and also wastes more time because everyone who wants to scan on that device (not just me) must now waste time logging in and I have to make sure they know the username and password. Fortunately, the workaround here is to download the HP Scan app.

[Max3Aj]

@MarkCallaghan, Welcome to HP Support Community. 

Thanks for sharing your detailed feedback.

I understand how frustrating this experience must have been, especially when things work on Windows but not on macOS. Let me address each of your concerns and offer some workarounds and explanations that may help others facing similar issues.

Problem 1: HP Smart "Advanced Settings" URL is garbled on Mac

This is a known issue where HP Smart on macOS sometimes generates malformed .local URLs (e.g., http://npi3929b4.local./) due to how macOS handles Bonjour/mDNS resolution.

Workaround:

1. Print the Network Configuration Page from the printer (press the Information button).
2. Note the IPv4 address (e.g., 192.168.x.x).
3. Open Safari (not Chrome/Firefox) and go to:
   https://<printer-ip>
   Example: https://192.168.1.105
4. If you get a certificate warning, click "Show Details" > "Visit this website" to proceed.

This gives you full access to the Embedded Web Server (EWS) where you can configure advanced settings.

Problem 2: IP address unreachable in Chrome/Firefox

This is due to self-signed SSL certificates on the printer, which Chrome and Firefox block more aggressively than Safari.

Solution: Use Safari for accessing the printer’s web interface on macOS. You can also add a security exception in Firefox, but Safari is the most reliable option here.

Problem 3: Direct Wi-Fi and 192.168.223.1 not working

HP printers in Wi-Fi Direct mode typically use 192.168.223.1 as the default gateway. If this fails:

Steps to troubleshoot:

1. On your Mac, go to Wi-Fi settings and connect to the printer’s Wi-Fi Direct SSID (e.g., DIRECT-xx-HP M234sdw).
2. Once connected, manually enter http://192.168.223.1 in Safari.
3. If it still fails, try resetting the printer’s network settings and re-enable Wi-Fi Direct:
   • Press and hold the Wireless and Cancel buttons for 5 seconds.

HP printer setup (Wi-Fi Direct) | HP® Support

Problem 4: HP Smart requires sign-in for scanning

HP Smart now requires an HP account to use certain features like scanning. This is part of HP’s cloud integration strategy, but it can be inconvenient in shared environments.

Workaround:

• Use the HP Easy Scan or HP Scan app instead. These apps do not require sign-in and support local scanning.
• Download from the Mac App Store

Firmware & Software Updates

You mentioned updating the firmware, great step! Also ensure:

• macOS is fully updated.
• HP Smart is the latest version: HP Smart

Your feedback is valuable to us and I will share it with the relevant team internally. 

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Select "Yes" on the bottom left to say “Thanks” for helping! 

Max3Aj

HP Support