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I have a Canon MF4880dw network printer connected to my Netgear AC1750 Model R6400 router via an Ethernet cable. Network printing works fine over Ethernet wired connections, but I have not been able to print over WiFi. How do I get my laptop to "find" the printer to install it so I can print over WiFi? Using the "find printer" functions in Windows 10 or with the Canon software hasn't worked.
Re: Printing over WiFi to an Ethernet network printer
Apologies to those who tried to help. I'm afraid that I wasted your time. I did NOT have my printer connected via Ethernet, so of course, wireless devices couldn't find it over the network.
When I bought the printer in 2014 I originally connected it with an Ethernet cable to my router that I had at the time, but sometime after I bouught the Netgear R6400 router in 2015 I changed to a USB cable to the new router (due to a shortage of Ethernet ports) and used the Netgear printer server software to print over the wired network. Forgot that. I left the Ethernet cable plugged into the printer, but didn't check to see if the OTHER end was still plugged in to the router. Duh.
I have switched back to an Ethernet cable connection to the router and all is well now.
Thanks for your help and support. Sorry to have taken your time.
Thanks for your reply. I think that my question was unclear. I'm not asking for help with connecting my printer to the Netgear router via WiFi. It is already connected by an Ethernet cable, and that kind of connection is fine with me. What I need help with is printing on that Ethernet network printer from a laptop (or other device) that is connected to the router via WiFi.
Is there some setting in the router (firewall, etc?) that blocks/allows Ethernet network printing via WiFi? What am I missing?
Re: Printing over WiFi to an Ethernet network printer
Disconnect cable, set up the printer from printer wireless set up wizard. You do it from printer control panel. No manuals? Go to Canon site and check FAQ there.
Wireless connection is not a plug and play. If you are not sure try Youtube showing how to set up wireless printer.
Re: Printing over WiFi to an Ethernet network printer
Thanks guys:
Let's try a hypothetical situation. Suppose that I owned a network computer that did NOT offer a WiFi connection and the only connection available was a wired Ethernet connection to the router. Are either of you saying that in such a situation it would be IMPOSSIBLE for a computer connected to the Netgear router via WiFi to print on that wired Ethernet printer?
Michael Kinward is correct, I am happy with my wired LAN connection to my printer since I can print just fine from a wired Ethernet LAN computer. My problem is printing from a computer connected to the router by WiFi.
Michael, I can share my printer over the network just fine if the computer is ALSO connected by an Ethernet cable to the router. I didn't read every word of the Canon Knowledge Base article that you linked, but I did not see instructions on how to set the printer up so that it can not only communicate with printers that are connected to the router by Ethernet, but also with computers that are connected to the router by WiFi. How would a setting in the printer allow the printer to differentiate whether a computer is connected to the Netgear router by wired Ethernet or WiFi?
Sorry if I seem dense. My question is: If I have a wired Ethernet LAN printer connected to the Netgear R6400 router, can I get a laptop (tablet, etc) that is connected to the router via WiFi to recongize that printer and print to that printer. If so, how?
Re: Printing over WiFi to an Ethernet network printer
Apologies to those who tried to help. I'm afraid that I wasted your time. I did NOT have my printer connected via Ethernet, so of course, wireless devices couldn't find it over the network.
When I bought the printer in 2014 I originally connected it with an Ethernet cable to my router that I had at the time, but sometime after I bouught the Netgear R6400 router in 2015 I changed to a USB cable to the new router (due to a shortage of Ethernet ports) and used the Netgear printer server software to print over the wired network. Forgot that. I left the Ethernet cable plugged into the printer, but didn't check to see if the OTHER end was still plugged in to the router. Duh.
I have switched back to an Ethernet cable connection to the router and all is well now.
Thanks for your help and support. Sorry to have taken your time.
Apologies to those who tried to help. I'm afraid that I wasted your time. I did NOT have my printer connected via Ethernet, so of course, wireless devices couldn't find it over the network.
Odd. My printer does not do Ethernet. But it does print over wifi. So Ethernet is not a prerequisite for wifi printing. I guess it depends on the model.
Playing around lately, I have found that setting up a wifi printer is not the easiest thing I have done lately.
And Canon's documentation and support apps are clunky to say the least.
In my case, the printer works with a wifi connection to the modem/router. I can then print to the printer with a wifi link to the router.
Glad it worked out. It just shows that not two printers, or networks, are the same.
