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Forum Discussion

nmcant's avatar
nmcant
Guide
Aug 06, 2020

MK62 - Unable to connect wifi printer using 802.11b/g

Last night, I try to connect my old HP wifi printer to the home network established by MK62. The SSID can be found using the printer but unable to connect to the home network.   My old HP printer s...
Christian_R's avatar
Christian_R
NETGEAR Employee Retired
Aug 12, 2020

Hello nmcant, 

 

Thanks for sharing your feedback. I recommend continuing to work with our support team regarding your issue. 

 

Christian 

nmcant's avatar
nmcant
Guide
Aug 14, 2020

Christian_R 

Hi Christian,

 

Thanks for your reply. I received the reply from your colleague in supporting team today. He requested me to seek for technical support from HP on the setting to mesh router network if needed. I am so angry that how come a technical support can provide a substandard reply like this.

 

First, from my understanding, "Compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac" means old devices with old wifi standard can be used with MK62. My HP printer can work properly with my old ASUS and Linksys routers using 802.11b/g. If problem in connection with old wifi standard exists, I believe it has been raised out and resolved. But now the problem arised obviously was due to compatibility problem with MK62, how come he requested me to seek for technical support from HP??? Second, my HP printer bought 7 years ago. Will HP still provide technical support to me? Similarly do Netgear technical support still work on a 7 year-old model? I don't think so!!! Third, my HP printer is a obsolete product with at least 7 years old. Do you think mesh router network exists at that moment? What a big joke!!!

 

I understand my case is now handled by supporting team but it deemed not willing to resolve. So would you please try to help? Thank you.

 

Regards,

Anthony

  • schumaku's avatar
    schumaku
    Guru - Experienced User
    Aug 16, 2020
    nmcant wrote:

    First, from my understanding, "Compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac" means old devices with old wifi standard can be used with MK62. My HP printer can work properly with my old ASUS and Linksys routers using 802.11b/g. If problem in connection with old wifi standard exists, I believe it has been raised out and resolved. But now the problem arised obviously was due to compatibility problem with MK62, how come he requested me to seek for technical support from HP?

    Anthony,

     

    There can be wireless clients struggling to connect when a wireless station like a router/access point is showing AX (Wi-Fi 6) on-air. Popular example were for example many different Intel chip based wireless adapters which refused to connect to Wi-Fi 6 systems. Typical short term workaround was to disable the AX (Wi-Fi 6) capability, long term solution was and is updating the wireless drivers (typically including firmware for the wireless adapter embedded system) on the base OS.

     

    Not much Netgear or other Wi-Fi 6 vendors were able to do....

     

    -Kurt

    • nmcant's avatar
      nmcant
      Guide
      Aug 22, 2020

      schumaku 

       

      Hi Kurt,

       

      If I simply just disable AX that my printer can connect to the router, it's fine and I will wait for Netgear Team to resolve the compatibility problem. But now the situation is the printer was still unable to connect to the network, even I disabled the AX. That is why I'm so disappointed with Netgear and their support is still instructing me to try those meaningless method.

       

      Regards,

      Anthony

      • schumaku's avatar
        schumaku
        Guru - Experienced User
        Aug 22, 2020
        nmcant wrote:

        If I simply just disable AX that my printer can connect to the router, it's fine and I will wait for Netgear Team to resolve the compatibility problem.

        This method often helped as a workaround for incompatible Wi-Fi clients.

         

        nmcant wrote:

        But now the situation is the printer was still unable to connect to the network, even I disabled the AX. That is why I'm so disappointed with Netgear and their support is still instructing me to try those meaningless method.

        In either case, it might be a problem with the Wi-Fi client, not absolutely with the Nighthawk Mesh system.

         

        Jus an idea: If you have your old Wi-Fi router still around, temporarily shutdown the Nighthawk Mesh system, re-configure the old router Wi-Fi to the same SSID/network name and passphrase/security key, and add the printer to that network. The printer will retain SSID and security key once shutdown the old router and bringing the Mesh system up again. 

         

         

  • nmcant's avatar
    nmcant
    Guide
    Sep 07, 2020

    Christian_R 

    Hi Christian,

     

    My complimentary support expired today. However, the problem still exists and no response from the support representative since 21 Aug 2020. Would you help to look into my case and resolve the problem?

     

    Thanks and regards,

    Anthony

    • schumaku's avatar
      schumaku
      Guru - Experienced User
      Sep 09, 2020
      Anthony,
      Not convinced this is something Netgear resp. the WiFi radio module embedded software makes can fix. There are wireless devices in the field which require device updates because their embedded radios fail to recognize the access point or fail to associate because if the additional information in the wireless beacons, being AX related bits, being neighborhood information.

      Do also open support requests of your printer maker or file in their community

      Regards,
      -Kurt