A printer that was working yesterday but now shows offline or cannot find your Wi-Fi is one of the most common tech problems in Australian homes. It usually happens after a modem change, a new internet plan, a Wi-Fi password update, or a router reset.
This guide walks through how to reconnect HP, Canon, Brother, and Epson printers to Wi-Fi, fix the offline printer error, and prevent the problem from happening again.
Printer still not working?
Geeks at Door can come to your home, reconnect your printer to Wi-Fi, reinstall drivers, and fix the offline error — across all major brands.
Printers store your Wi-Fi details internally. When anything about your network changes, the printer cannot reconnect automatically. The most common causes:
Try these steps first before running the full setup wizard:
Important: Do not factory reset your modem to fix a printer problem. A modem reset changes your Wi-Fi name and password and disconnects every device in your home — phones, TVs, computers, cameras, and smart home devices.
Tip: HP Smart app: download on your phone, connect your phone to the same Wi-Fi, open the app and select Add Printer. The app guides the full setup process.
Tip: Canon PIXMA printers: make sure your phone is connected to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi during setup — not 5GHz. The Canon printer app (Canon PRINT) can also guide you through connection.
Tip: Brother iPrint&Scan app: available on iOS and Android. Guides the full wireless setup and lets you print and scan from your phone.
Tip: Epson Connect: the Epson Smart Panel app can guide the wireless setup and also lets you scan directly to your phone.
Even when the printer is connected to Wi-Fi, your computer may still show it as offline. This is a driver or IP address problem, not a Wi-Fi problem.
If the printer keeps showing offline even after re-adding, the printer may be getting a new IP address each time it reconnects. Setting a static IP address in your router settings prevents this. Our technicians can do this during a home visit.
Getting a new modem — whether from Telstra, Optus, or your internet provider — usually means a new Wi-Fi name and password. Every device in your home including printers needs to be reconnected.
The safest approach after a modem change:
If you also need help reconnecting your internet, streaming apps, or other devices after a modem change, see our Wi-Fi troubleshooting service in Adelaide.
Almost all home printers connect to Wi-Fi on the 2.4GHz band only. They do not support 5GHz.
If your modem broadcasts both bands under one Wi-Fi name (band steering), your phone may be on 5GHz while the printer can only see 2.4GHz — causing the setup to fail.
How to fix this:
For more on managing Wi-Fi bands on your modem, see our guide on 2.4GHz vs 5GHz Wi-Fi.
If your printer still will not connect after trying the steps above, our technicians can come to your home and sort it out.
We can help with:
For printer-specific help, see our printer and scanner help in Adelaide. For internet and Wi-Fi issues, see our Wi-Fi troubleshooting service in Adelaide. We also offer online remote help if you prefer not to wait for a home visit.
Printer still not connecting?
Geeks at Door can come to your home and fix your printer Wi-Fi connection, offline error, or driver issue — across HP, Canon, Brother, Epson, and other brands.
Pricing starts from
$160
Final pricing depends on the task and is confirmed in advance.
The most common reasons are: the Wi-Fi password changed, the modem or router was replaced, the printer is trying to connect to the wrong Wi-Fi network, the 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks have the same name, the printer IP address has changed, or the printer's wireless settings need to be reset. Most printers store the old Wi-Fi details and need to be set up again after any network change.
On most HP printers, press the Wireless button on the printer, then use the printer's touchscreen or menu to select Wireless Setup Wizard. Choose your Wi-Fi network name and enter the password. On HP OfficeJet and HP LaserJet models, you can also use the HP Smart app on your phone to guide the connection. Make sure your phone is on the same Wi-Fi network during setup.
On Canon PIXMA printers, press and hold the Wi-Fi button until the lamp flashes. Then press the WPS button on your router within 2 minutes. Alternatively, use the printer menu: go to LAN Settings > Wireless LAN > Wireless LAN Setup > Standard Setup and follow the wizard to select your network and enter the password.
On Brother printers, go to Menu > Network > WLAN > Setup Wizard. Select your Wi-Fi network and enter the password. You can also use the Brother iPrint&Scan app to set up the wireless connection. If the printer is showing a connection error, try pressing and holding the Wi-Fi button for a few seconds to reset the wireless settings first.
On Epson printers, press the Wi-Fi button on the printer, then press the WPS button on your router within 2 minutes. If your router does not have a WPS button, go to the printer menu and select Wi-Fi Setup > Wi-Fi Setup Wizard, choose your network and enter the password. The Epson Connect app can also guide the setup.
When you get a new modem or router, the Wi-Fi network name (SSID) and password usually change. Your printer still has the old settings stored and cannot find the new network. You need to run the printer's wireless setup again using the new Wi-Fi name and password.
This usually happens when the printer's IP address has changed. Printers sometimes get assigned a different IP address by the router, which confuses the computer's printer driver. The fix is usually to remove and re-add the printer on your computer, or to assign the printer a fixed (static) IP address in your router settings.
Yes. Our technicians can come to your home and help connect your printer to your Wi-Fi network, reinstall printer drivers, fix the offline printer error, and make sure your printer works from all your computers and phones.