Toggling between USB and Ethernet for OfficePro Printer

[ALinSD1]

OfficeJet Pro 6970 Printer 

Is there a simple way to toggle between USB cable and Wi_Fi Ethernet printing? 

Typically I want USB but occasionally would like to print from remote location.

Any help appreciated - not sure what steps or options are available to not overload the printer 

thank you 

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @ALinSD1 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

Thank you for your question. It's completely reasonable to want the flexibility of printing over both USB and network (Wi‑Fi or Ethernet), and your HP OfficeJet Pro 6970 can support that—without overloading or confusing the printer. 

Below are clean steps to help you set it up and toggle between connections smoothly.

Goal: Use Both USB and Ethernet/Wi‑Fi Printing on One Printer

Yes, you can set up both connections simultaneously. The key is managing how your computer(s) recognize the printer, not switching cables or printer settings manually.

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Set Up Both USB and Wireless/Ethernet

If not already done:

USB: Connect the printer directly to your PC with the USB cable. It should auto-install or you can get drivers from https://support.hp.com/in-en/drivers

Wi‑Fi/Ethernet:

Use the printer control panel:
Go to Setup > Network Setup > Wireless Settings (or Ethernet)
Choose your network and enter the password.

Print a Network Configuration Page to verify connection:
From the printer screen: Setup > Reports > Network Configuration

Once both connections are working, you’re ready to toggle between them.

How to Toggle Between USB and Wi‑Fi/Ethernet (on your PC)

On Windows:

Open Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners

You'll see two versions of your printer:

One with USB in the name

One with Network (IP address or Wi‑Fi/Ethernet)

When printing, select the version you want from the Printer dropdown menu in the print dialog.

You can rename each printer to something like:

HP 6970 - USB

HP 6970 - WiFi
(Right-click > Printer Properties > Change Name)

This gives you full control every time you print—no need to unplug cables or reconfigure anything.

Optional: Set USB as Default

If you mostly use USB:

In Printers & Scanners, click on the USB version, then choose:
Set as default

When remote, just manually select the network version from the print dialog when needed.

Notes

The printer handles both interfaces simultaneously—no overload risk.

You do not need to switch anything on the printer itself once both interfaces are set up.

The HP Smart app can also manage both connections if installed on a mobile device or PC.

Let me know if you’d like help identifying which printer entry is which on your system or renaming them for easy toggling.

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Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye