I think I figured out why my printer won't connect to the 2.4 WIFI. Hope this helps

[jonathan737ng]

First of all, I'm not for computer savvy. 

Yesterday we had to replace our router/modem because it was older and overheating.   We replaced it with a new one that has 2.4 and 5 GHZ.   After some time we had all of our home devices connected to the network again except for our printer.   Our printer was able to connect to the 2.4 WIFI extender but not the 2.4 GHZ WIFI.   I tried different things from restarting the printer, factory reset, updating drives, removing the extender, cursing, etc.   Nothing worked.  

I did some more digging and I think I solved this and I hope this helps people with a similar issue.   Newer modems or routers have different security enhancements such as WPA3 built into them.  These options can often be changed in the APP settings or security settings for the modem/router.  Printers like the HP Laserjet use WPA or WPA2.   My router had a higher level of security or encryption and in simple terms, it couldn't log onto the new 2.4 network even though it was the same name and passowrd and still 2.4 GHZ.   What changed was the WPA settings.  

So I tried to change the WPA3 to WPA 2 and it worked.  I haven't fully decided what I'm going to do, but I think I might leave the higher level of encryption on our network and let the printer go through the extender.  In any case- if you can't connect to the 2.4 GHZ wifi and the only thing that you changed was your router/modem device- in all likelihood this is the culprit.  

[Max3Aj · Accepted solution]

@jonathan737ng, Welcome to HP Support Community. 

 
Thank you for sharing your experience, this is incredibly helpful for others who might be facing similar connectivity issues with older HP printers after upgrading to newer routers.
 

You're absolutely right: many older HP printers, including the LaserJet Pro 200 MFP M276nw, support only WPA or WPA2 security protocols. Newer routers often default to WPA3, which is not compatible with these printers. This mismatch can prevent the printer from connecting to the Wi-Fi network even if the SSID and password are correct.

Here's how to resolve this issue:

Option 1: Change Router Security Settings

1. Log in to your router's admin interface (usually via a browser at 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1).
2. Navigate to Wireless Settings > Security Settings.
3. Locate the 2.4 GHz band and change the security mode from WPA3 to WPA2 (or WPA2/WPA).
4. Save the changes and restart your router.
5. On your printer, go to Setup > Network Setup > Wireless Setup Wizard and reconnect to the 2.4 GHz network.

Note: If your router supports mixed mode (WPA2/WPA3), try that first. It allows newer devices to use WPA3 while older ones like your printer can still connect via WPA2.

Option 2: Use a Wi-Fi Extender or Guest Network

If you prefer to keep WPA3 enabled on your main network:

• Continue using the Wi-Fi extender with WPA2 for the printer.
• Alternatively, create a Guest Network on your router with WPA2 security and connect the printer to that.

This document may be handy - HP printers - Wi-Fi connection is lost after router or network settings change | HP® Support
 

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Cheers,

Max3Aj

HP Support