Connect HP photosmart 6520 to Tmobile 5G gateway

[Terrigemma]

Just spent 6 hrs on the phone trying to connect my HP Photosmart 6520 printer to the 5G gateway router. The printer sees that the T-Mobile network is there and after putting in the Wi-Fi password, it’s searching for connectivity and will not connect.
Help!

[Sneha_01]

Hi @Terrigemma 

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

It sounds like you're having trouble connecting your HP Photosmart 6520 printer to your T-Mobile 5G gateway router. This is a common issue, but there are a few potential solutions to try that could help resolve the connection problem.

Here are some troubleshooting steps that can help you get your printer connected to your 5G Wi-Fi network:

1. Check Compatibility with 5GHz Wi-Fi Network

Your HP Photosmart 6520 printer is likely designed to work with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi networks and may have issues connecting to a 5GHz network. Many older devices, including printers, only support 2.4GHz and not 5GHz Wi-Fi bands.

How to Check and Fix:

• Access your T-Mobile 5G gateway's settings via the web interface or mobile app. You can usually access this by typing the gateway’s IP address into a web browser (typically 192.168.12.1 or 192.168.1.1).
• Separate the 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks if your router is currently broadcasting both on the same network name (SSID). This will make it easier to identify the 2.4GHz network when setting up the printer.
  • Look for an option in your gateway settings like "Band Steering" or "Dual-band" and disable it.
  • After disabling, the gateway will broadcast two distinct networks: one for 2.4GHz and one for 5GHz (e.g., T-Mobile-2.4GHz and T-Mobile-5GHz).

Connect Printer to 2.4GHz:

• On your HP Photosmart 6520, go to Wi-Fi setup and look for your 2.4GHz network name (SSID) in the list of available networks.
• Select the 2.4GHz network and enter your Wi-Fi password to connect.

2. Ensure Printer is within Range of the Router

If the printer is far from your router, it might not be able to establish a stable connection, especially if the Wi-Fi signal strength is weak. Ensure your printer is within range of the router, preferably in the same room or close by.

3. Reset the Printer’s Network Settings

If your printer has attempted to connect several times unsuccessfully, it may have some saved network settings that could be causing issues.

To Reset the Printer’s Network Settings:

1. Turn on the printer and go to the control panel.
2. Press the Wi-Fi button (or look for the "Wireless" icon).
3. Select "Restore Network Settings" (this will reset the printer’s connection settings to factory defaults).
4. Now, try connecting the printer to the Wi-Fi again by going through the Wi-Fi setup wizard.

4. Use HP Smart App or HP Wireless Setup Wizard

HP provides an app called the HP Smart app (for smartphones or computers), which makes it easier to set up Wi-Fi connections for printers.

Steps for HP Smart App:

1. Download the HP Smart app from the App Store (for iOS) or Google Play Store (for Android), or the Windows Store (for PC).
2. Open the app and follow the on-screen instructions to set up your printer on your network.
3. The app should automatically detect your printer and guide you through the connection process, which can sometimes work better than using the printer’s own menu.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

Rachel571

HP Support