Printer Security on Shared WiFi Network

[BettyKalf]

My apartment building shares a WiFi network, which is included in my lease. However, even with my printer hidden from the shared network, one of my neighbors continues to send all their print jobs to my printer. I have no way of knowing who is sending this and want to know if there is a way for me to protect my wireless printer, from within my printer's settings, so other tenants in my building who share this WiFi network cannot send print jobs to my printer? I am not overly tech-savvy when it comes to security and am looking for a step-by-step guide, if such an option is possible for my printer.

In case it helps, I have a Macbook Air running the latest operating system - Big Sur. Thanks in advance for any advice in helping me to resolve this headache!

[jakesalomon]

I just indicated that I have the same problem, only on an HP Inkjet 8610.  Thanks for having the same problem on the same day:  My neighbor just inadvertently printed some package return labels and was surely wondering where her printout vanished to.  This has happened before, with a different, unknown neighbor.

I went looking for some way to turn on MAC address filtering, similar to my router security.  All my search strings yield how to turn OFF the printer's MAC address filtering:

Click the "MAC Address Access Control" drop-down menu and select "Not Enabled". Click. Update. This will save the changes for your AirPort router, disabling MAC filtering.

Well, if I could find such a menu item I would surely click it and enable such filtering.  But this is nowhere to be found in any of the menus in the printer's web page.  I suspect the search actually found router configuration.  So I'm certainly open to ideas.

My proud geek of a son suggested this:  If I were to connect the printer's USB cable to USB port on the router, might that provide security?  Or would it just mess up everyone in the house and need a whole new configuration?

Jake (Concise is my middle name - NOT 😉  ) S.

[TEJ1602]

@BettyKalf, Welcome to HP Support Community!

When the printer is on the same network to which your neighbors have connected their PCs or mobile devices you cannot stop them from printing.

However, you can connect the printer directly to your computer using USB and disconnect from the network so others do not have access. Or, you can also use the WiFi Direct option to print from. Refer to the document HP Printers - Printing with Wi-Fi Direct for help.

Hope this helps! Keep me posted. 

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