Separate device kicked off network when printing

[AJG1978]

Good afternoon, 

I have an HP Envy 4524 printer that is connected to the house wifi. When one device prints to the printer, another two devices (phone and tablet belonging to the same person)  in the home are knocked off the wifi and connect directly to the printer. It then has to be manually changed back to the router wifi. 

There are four other devices that have no such issues. They never get knocked off the router wifi and can always print. It is just these two that switch from the router and connect directly to the printer, when someone else prints.

It is so strange and I have no idea why. 

Any help or advice would be very much appreciated. I have tried contacting HP, but found it impossible to find a way to contact them, so decided to try here.

Many thanks

Andrew

[Sneha_01]

Hi @AJG1978,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

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

The issue you're experiencing with the HP Envy 4524 printer and certain devices getting disconnected from your home Wi-Fi to connect directly to the printer when someone else prints seems to be related to the Wi-Fi Direct feature of your printer. Wi-Fi Direct allows devices to connect directly to the printer without being on the same local network. Here are some steps and considerations to help resolve the issue:

Wi-Fi Direct Settings on the Printer: 

• Check if Wi-Fi Direct is enabled on your printer and if it's set to automatically connect devices. If it is, the printer might be automatically connecting to the phone and tablet because they have been used to print directly before. You can try disabling Wi-Fi Direct or setting it to manual connection mode. This way, devices won't automatically connect to the printer unless specifically instructed.

Forget Printer Network on the Devices: 

• On the phone and tablet that keep getting disconnected from the home Wi-Fi, check the saved Wi-Fi networks and forget the printer's network. This prevents these devices from automatically switching to the printer’s network.

Printer Software/Driver Update:

•  Ensure that your printer's firmware is up to date. Sometimes, bugs in the firmware can cause erratic behavior with Wi-Fi connections. Visit the HP website, find your printer model, and check for any available updates. Click Here

Network Settings on Affected Devices: 

• On the phone and tablet, check the advanced Wi-Fi settings. Some devices have features intended to automatically switch to what they perceive as the best network. Ensure that these settings are not causing the devices to prefer the printer's direct network over your home Wi-Fi.

Reset Network Settings:

•  As a last resort, you might want to reset the network settings on the phone and tablet. This will erase all saved Wi-Fi networks and other network configurations, potentially resolving any incorrect settings causing this behavior. Note that you'll need to reconnect these devices to your home Wi-Fi network afterward.
• let's try a network reset:
• 1. Disconnect the power cord from the router.
• 2. Turn off the printer.
• 3. Turn off the mobile device/PC.
• 4. Reconnect the power cord to the router, then wait for the Internet activity light to display a normal connected status.
• 5. Turn on the printer.
• 6. Turn on the mobile device/PC.
• Once done,
  Could you please try these steps to connect the printer to the network (in case of dual-band routers, please use the 2.4 Ghz wireless connection for the printer):
• 1.) Remove HP Smart App from your mobile device (if already installed).
• 2.) Press the Wireless button and the Cancel button from the printer control panel at the same time, and then hold them for three seconds.
• 3.) Download and install HP Smart App on your mobile device from the app store.
• 4.) Open HP Smart App and follow the onscreen instructions on the screen to connect the printer to a wireless network.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

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Rachel571 

HP Support