Verizon changed my router; printer recognizes new ID & password, but won't print

[Carol-in-MD]

Hi!

This should have been a simple issue, but it's been hours of time wasted. Verizon gave me a new router, yesterday, and though the computer "sees"  the printer,  and the printer shows the correct router ID and password (and a "strong" wireless signal), it will not print wirelessly. I have done all of the recommended HP troubleshooting steps, including rebooting both machines, power drain, cache clearing, unplugging/replugging, verifying that both machines show the correct connections, and so on. The computer and printer are otherwise functional ; all other peripherals (Ring, Alexa, etc. )are working properly--but the HP still won't print!

[BeemerBiker]

Watch the reset video or perform the steps. After resetting, you generally have 2 hours to complete the setup. Decide if you want to connect the printer to the router or to print directly to the printer and bypass the router.

Many HP and other OEM printers have problems with the router when the router has two bands and both bands have the same name (SSID). Log into the modem and rename one of the bands. Alternately, contact your ISP and have them rename a band.

Or simply use Wi-Fi direct (but read note below about Instant Ink).

If English is not your native language or if you wish to get additional information not covered below, then use the HP and Microsoft support assistants. The latest HPSA supports 36 languages and can be downloaded here. Microsoft's AI assistant is in the latest Windows 10 and 11 releases and there are instructions here on how to enable the AI. Microsoft's AI assistant (Copilot) has a microphone button and supports natural language processing.

Do not call any phone numbers shown in any of the videos or revealed by a Bing or Google search unless it is an HP site or video.

You may need to reset the printer: video here

Wi-Fi setup to router: video here

For Wi-Fi direct setup see page 93 click here.
This is useful if you do not have access to the router or you want to bypass the router and print directly to the printer.

Full feature software 6968 pro May 2022

Printer Reference 6968 pro 6978

Let me know if you have a flex system (Wi-Fi boosters or repeaters) as the setup is much more complicated for routers.

[Carol-in-MD]

Thanks, but I managed to resolve the issue myself before I saw any responses to my question here.

[BeemerBiker]

If you think your solution may help someone else then describe how it was fixed and mark your post as a solution. 😃

[Carol-in-MD · Accepted solution]

I really can't say whether this was (specifically) the solution, since so many attempted resolutions were made before it, BUT . . .  download the HP Print and Scan Doctor. One of the error messages I received said something about a driver issue: it appeared intermittently (interspersed with other error messages) about three times. I checked Microsoft for driver updates; it said all my drivers were fine (but the message still popped up). When I ran the wizard for diagnostics, it (unbeknownst to me--it doesn't alert you that it's doing so) created a second ID for the same printer. My printer ID was still dysfunctional--but when I switched to that version, ->X<- voila! ->X<- everything worked! I made the new ID the default, and removed the legacy version. No problems since.

[BeemerBiker]

Having 2 or more printer IDs is quite useful and there is nothing strange about it.

I suspect the "printer ID" that did not work had an old IP address and that was no longer the IP address of the printer.

Hopefully, when you ran the print and scan doctor, it used the hostname of the printer instead of the IP address.

Unlike the IP address which is created by the router, the printer's hostname never changes.

nslookup 192.168.1.120

The hostname NPI40CB07.attlocal.net can be used to access the printer even if the IP address of the printer changes.

Your printers hostname should be in the printer port IP address instead of an IP4 address.

If the problem shows up again, let me know.

[Carol-in-MD]

Thanks. I don't think that was the issue: the printer accepted the new router, and I gave it the new IP address. It "recognized" both (in that the correct information was cited on the Printer page). Didn't help: even HP's techs were stumped--after escalation. I think the wizard installed new software including the missing 5G driver--other peripherals had issues with 5G, too.  (The legacy router allowed me to alternate between 2g and 5g, if I needed to--and 2g was far more often reliable, so it was my default--but the "new and improved" one doesn't.) I am ITd out, at this point--something so theoretically simple should not be a 4-day horror show!