Trying to connect a new Macbook air to Laserjet p1102w

[LisaS60]

I'm trying to help an older person connect her new Macbook Air (Apple M2, Sequoia 15.6.1) to her old HP Laserjet p1102w, and everything I've tried sends me in circles.  It seems the difficulty could be gotten around if I could connect the printer to her wi-fi, but it has to be connected to a computer to make that connection, since it has no attached screen.  I did connect with a USB cable, and I can get the Mac to see that it's there, but it will not print.  A search on the HP site for a driver shows me nothing for Mac, only Windows or Linux. 

My only thought now would be to connect the printer to a Windows computer and get it connected to wi-fi, and then see if the Macbook can see it then?

Thoughts or steps that will make it work would be greatly appreciated.

[zoey7886]

@LisaS60, Welcome to the HP Support Community!  

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding HP LaserJet P1102w to Wi-Fi! 

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.  

Download the HP App: Ensure you have the HP app or the official HP printer software installed on the MacBook Air. You can download it from the Apple App Store or HP's official website.

Connect via USB: Since the printer has been connected via USB, open the HP Smart app or the HP Utility if installed.

Configure Wireless Settings:

• Open the HP Utility app, which manages your printer settings.
• Find the option titled "Wireless Setup Wizard" or something similar. Use this to connect the printer to the desired Wi-Fi network.
• Follow any prompts to enter the Wi-Fi network name and password. This will configure the printer to join the network.

Confirm Connection: After configuring the wireless settings, you may need to unplug the USB cable, restart the printer, and try printing a test page.

Check Network Printer Connection:

• On your MacBook Air, go to 'System Preferences' > 'Printers & Scanners'.
• Ensure the HP LaserJet P1102w appears as a network printer, not just a USB printer.
• If needed, add the printer using the '+' button and select the network printer version.

Test Printing: Try printing a test page from the MacBook Air wirelessly to verify the setup.

These steps should help you connect the HP LaserJet P1102w to a wireless network and enable printing from a MacBook Air.  

Hope this helps! 

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!  

Regards, 

[LisaS60]

I had already tried all of that.  The Mac operating system never came up as an option for installation.  

I did finally connect the printer via usb to a regular laptop to get it connected to the wi-fi. From there, the Macbook was able to connect and we got it working correctly.

[zoey7886]

@LisaS60, Thanks a ton for coming back with an update — glad to hear you finally got the printer talking to the Wi-Fi and the Mac is printing now! 🎉

You’re absolutely right — the LaserJet P1102w is an older model, so the latest macOS doesn’t always play nicely when trying to set it up directly via USB. That’s why your workaround with a Windows laptop to push the Wi-Fi settings across was the perfect move.

For anyone else running into the same roadblock, here are a couple of things worth trying:

HP App: Sometimes the HP app (from the App Store) will auto-detect older printers once they’re on Wi-Fi, even if no Mac-specific driver shows up.

AirPrint: Once the P1102w is connected to Wi-Fi, macOS usually treats it as an AirPrint device — no extra driver needed. Just add it under System Settings > Printers & Scanners with the “Use: AirPrint” option.

Firmware Update: If possible, check for a firmware update from HP (via a Windows machine) to smooth out network connectivity.

Hope this helps! 

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!  

Regards,