Monday, July 28, 2025

Network Printers Troublehsooting steps "fixed"

 











Printer Missing on Network? Let’s Fix That.

Whether you're in a small office or a home setup, a network printer that doesn’t show up can halt productivity. This issue is common in both wired and wireless environments. In this guide, we’ll walk through easy steps to make your printer visible again.

🔎 Common Causes:

  • Printer is not connected to the same network

  • Network discovery is disabled

  • Firewall blocking printer sharing

  • Printer not set to shared

  • IP address conflict or DHCP issue

✅ Step-by-Step Solutions

1. Make Sure Printer Is On and Connected

  • Power on the printer

  • Confirm it is connected to the same Wi-Fi or LAN as the PC

  • Print a Network Configuration Page from printer settings to check its IP address

2. Enable Network Discovery on PC

  1. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Advanced Network Settings

  2. Click More network adapter options

  3. Right-click your network > Properties

  4. Enable:

    • Network Discovery

    • File and Printer Sharing

🔁 Restart your PC afterward

3. Add the Printer Manually by IP

  1. Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers

  2. Click Add a printer > The printer that I want isn’t listed

  3. Choose:

    • Add a printer using a TCP/IP address or hostname

  4. Enter the IP address printed from the printer config page

📌 This often works when auto-discovery fails

4. Share Printer on the Host Computer (if USB Shared)

If the printer is plugged into another PC:

  1. On that PC, go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers

  2. Right-click the printer > Printer properties

  3. Go to Sharing tab > Check "Share this printer"

Then add the shared printer on other devices via:

\\ComputerName\PrinterName

5. Check Firewall and Antivirus Settings

  • Disable firewall temporarily and retry

  • Make sure ports like TCP 139, 445 and UDP 137, 138 are open

6. Assign a Static IP to Printer

If the IP changes regularly:

  • Login to your router

  • Reserve an IP for the printer under DHCP Settings

🔐 Prevents future disconnects

🧠 Extra Tips:

  • Make sure both IPv4 and SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing are enabled in Windows Features

  • Use the Printer Manufacturer’s App to auto-detect the device

  • Run “Printer Troubleshooter” from Settings > Troubleshoot