WiFi connection issues - Orbi RBK53 and Epson P400 Printer

[LSU87Dan]

I followed the installation instructions that came with my Epson Photo Printer - the P400.  I could not find a button on the Orbi main base that said it was for the WiFi Enables Setup.  I pressed the Sync button, then held the button on the printer to initiate pairing.  It appears to work.  When you print out the printer's WiFi info page you see an IP address assigned.  WHen I open my Orbi app, I see the printer - even gets the brand and model correct.  When you go to print the test page - it sits, and sits, and sits.  The printer prints about one inch of the page after over 30 minutes of waiting.  I cancel the print job.  I tried a regular page - same problem.  It's "connected" but not connected all at the same time.

I cannot find anywhere in Orbi or Epson documentation about manually configuring the printer.  At no point in time was I aslked to provide the WiFi password,  A password shows in the setup page - but it is masked so I have no idea if it is correct.  I called Espon first.  They had me connect the printer via USB and it works wonderfully!  Printed test page and a document within seconds!!!  SO the problem is something in the Orbi not allowing free and clear communication to the printer from connected devices.

WHAT DO I DO?  I could connect it to Ethernet directly - but I wanted the mobility of relocating the printer to where I need it - several of us in the house will be using it and we work in different locations.  Just changing the satellite it is connected would not help - same walking distance from my office versus my wife's.  I really need the WiFi fixed.  Can someone please walk me through how to get this thing set up?!?!?  THANK YOU!!!

[FURRYe38]

Are you printing the test page from the printers control panel or from the printers driver settings window on your PC? 

If you connected via ethernet, you should loose features or mobility to print from places around the home. 

Be sure your print drivers are up to date and the devices are correctly configured for printing. 

Consult the printers mfrs support site for help and information for there printer. 

[CrimpOn]

---

@LSU87Dan wrote:

I followed the installation instructions that came with my Epson Photo Printer - the P400.  I could not find a button on the Orbi main base that said it was for the WiFi Enables Setup.  I pressed the Sync button, then held the button on the printer to initiate pairing.  It appears to work. 

---

You were correct to press the "Sync" button.  See page 19 in the Orbi User Manual: http://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/RBK50/Orbi_UM_EN.pdf 

---

@LSU87Dan wrote:

I When you go to print the test page - it sits, and sits, and sits.  The printer prints about one inch of the page after over 30 minutes of waiting.  I cancel the print job.  I tried a regular page - same problem.  It's "connected" but not connected all at the same time.

---

What type of computer is being used to print the test page?  I suspect the issue is not with the Orbi WiFi, but with the printer configuration in the computer.

[LSU87Dan]

I have tried sending it from the printer control panel AND from Windows properties panel.  Neither works.

I set the printer up to be WiFi - was never plugged in to ethernet.  It is an option - but want it to work on WiFi if possible.  WIth Epson, I would need to uninstall all the drivers and start from the beginning to set up on ethernet direct to router.

SOmeone suggested the "channel" might be worong?  What's that?

[FURRYe38]

If the test page from the printers control panel is not working, then there maybe something wrong with the printer itself. The internal test page sent from the printers control panel should work and is a first inidation that the printer is funcational for this page. if this page fails, I would contact the printers Mfr about this first. 

[Retired_Member]

is there a way to verify that the printers wifi is working?

[CrimpOn]

---

@Retired_Member wrote:

is there a way to verify that the printers wifi is working?

---

I think sending a test page from an app on the PC is the only method.  The Orbi Attached Devices page shows the printer connected and an IP address assigned.  I'm with @FURRYe38 on this one.  If the actual printer control panel will not print a test page, "something is wrong."  It seems goofy that it will work when connected with USB, but cannot print a test page when connected to WiFi.

Maybe power the printer off and back on and then use a regular application on the computer to send a page?

[LSU87Dan]

HP Envy - i7 chip  

Never been an issue with any other printer - ever.  Had this PC for years.  I love how the Printer people blame the router or modem, the router people want to blame the PC or the printer...

The printer is fine.  It works with a USB cable.  Like a charm, better than any previously owned dedicated photo printer.

My Orbi is fine - other than allowing things to print to my new printer.  This is not an issue that is not uncommon on the boards.  Its almost always a router problem when you knwo the printer works.

Can someone please tell me how to get to where I can tinker with the settings and make the printer and router talk to each other.  Because waiting for days for a test page to print one inch is not normal.

Maybe its the PC settings, but there is not much there to configure, actually.  I'm open to tinkering with the Windows settings.  Wondows cold be the stubling block.  I have no faith in Windows or Apple.  They both have issues.

Thanks!

[LSU87Dan]

Except that when I plug a USB cable tot he printer - EVERYTHING works like a charm.

Printer is fine - again, the configuration page prints from the buttons on front, and says it has a wifi connection....

[FURRYe38]

I recommend you contact the printers Mfr for help and information on there printer. They will be able to help you ensure the printer is working fully and is configured right. 

---

@LSU87Dan wrote:

HP Envy - i7 chip  

Never been an issue with any other printer - ever.  Had this PC for years.  I love how the Printer people blame the router or modem, the router people want to blame the PC or the printer...

The printer is fine.  It works with a USB cable.  Like a charm, better than any previously owned dedicated photo printer.

My Orbi is fine - other than allowing things to print to my new printer.  This is not an issue that is not uncommon on the boards.  Its almost always a router problem when you knwo the printer works.

Can someone please tell me how to get to where I can tinker with the settings and make the printer and router talk to each other.  Because waiting for days for a test page to print one inch is not normal.

Maybe its the PC settings, but there is not much there to configure, actually.  I'm open to tinkering with the Windows settings.  Wondows cold be the stubling block.  I have no faith in Windows or Apple.  They both have issues.

Thanks!

---

[LSU87Dan]

The Epson guy said if it is working via USB, the problem is likely a SETTING in the router.  He suggested changing channels?

The POST for the printer shows the lights blinking back and forth from searching for WiFi and searching for Ethernet cable.  It settles on WiFi and then goes to ready mode after only about 30 seconds.

I have no clue how to change any settings or manually configure the darned thing Like I used to have to do on older stuff.  

Ah - the printer setup page says it is using Channel 4.  For a 2.4 connection, is that the standard channel for WiFi printers?

[CrimpOn]

---

@LSU87Dan wrote:

Ah - the printer setup page says it is using Channel 4.  For a 2.4 connection, is that the standard channel for WiFi printers?

---

In the US, WiFi channels in the 2.4G band are 1 through 11.  The printer will connect at whichever channel the Orbi is broadcasting on at the time.  Once they have been connected using the WPS protocol (sync buttons), if the Orbi changes channels, the printer will change channels as well.

I seem to have misunderstood the situation with regard to the printer control panel printing a test page.  Is it correct that this does print a test page correctly when connected via WiFi?

[CrimpOn]

On page 19 of the P400 User Guide, it talks about printing a network status page?

https://files.support.epson.com/docid/cpd4/cpd43301.pdf 

And, also mentions using a web browser to change settings?

[FURRYe38]

Try setting manual channel 1, 6 or 11 on 2.4Ghz are primary channels to use. Other channels are used by the wifi system it self. 

Just for testing, disable the WPA security on the RBR temporarily. Connect the printer. Does test pages work here? 

Try setting WPA1 and TPIK on the RBR then re-connect the printer. 

Then try WPA2 and AES only. 

[CrimpOn]

---

@FURRYe38 wrote:

Try setting manual channel 1, 6 or 11 on 2.4Ghz are primary channels to use. Other channels are used by the wifi system it self. 

Just for testing, disable the WPA security on the RBR temporarily. Connect the printer. Does test pages work here? 

Try setting WPA1 and TPIK on the RBR then re-connect the printer. 

Then try WPA2 and AES only. 

---

This seems like a non-productive direction.  When an organization has total control over the WiFi space, it is very common to map out WiFi access points so that adjacent AP's are on channels that have "zero overlap", i.e. 1, 6, and 11.  In a residential environment where there are dozens of WiFi systems with no coordination, the access points periodically scan the channels to find the channel that causes the least interference, which may change over time.  The Orbi selected channel 4 and the printer successfully connected on channel 4.

Likewise, using WiFi Protected Setup renders the choice of connection security moot.  The printer did connect.  The Orbi says so on the Attached Devices page.

[FURRYe38]

Its a troubleshooting step to see if the printer connects to the wifi and can print with out security then with it. Just checking to ensure that the printer can connect fully to a open connection and print. If it does, then graduate the security. I've seen many issues with printers and security and wifi problems. Some printers don't have the best wifi radios. 

The 3 channels are primary channels used and usable and selectable by users. The other channels are sub channels which are used by the wifi system for it's connections and over lap conditions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WLAN_channels

Most of the time Auto should be used however when troubleshooting, trying different channels is a good troubleshooting step. 

[LSU87Dan]

SPent an hour or more with Netgear tech support.  We tried amending the secondary DNS servers, and forcing the channel used.  Nothing worked.  I uninstalled the printer and re-installed, hoping that changing the 2.4 connection setting to 11 instead of auto for the channel assigned would help.  After installing last time it said it was assigned channel 4 -- but the printer during setup said that channel was not supported by the printer.  So I thought retrying with the router set to assign channel 11 it might work.  I got the same error - channel not supported.  And so we are back to square one.

Netgear tech said ask Epson what channel and port it is supposed to be set on, and we could try portforwarding tothat port in the Orbi setup.  

Any other thoughts for when I have tech support back online....?

Thanks!

[CrimpOn]

Can you post a screen shot of this "channel not supported" message? This is just plain wrong.

[FURRYe38]

Connect the printer via ethernet cable to the RBR. Point your devices to the IP address it gets there...

---

@LSU87Dan wrote:

SPent an hour or more with Netgear tech support.  We tried amending the secondary DNS servers, and forcing the channel used.  Nothing worked.  I uninstalled the printer and re-installed, hoping that changing the 2.4 connection setting to 11 instead of auto for the channel assigned would help.  After installing last time it said it was assigned channel 4 -- but the printer during setup said that channel was not supported by the printer.  So I thought retrying with the router set to assign channel 11 it might work.  I got the same error - channel not supported.  And so we are back to square one.

Netgear tech said ask Epson what channel and port it is supposed to be set on, and we could try portforwarding tothat port in the Orbi setup.  

Any other thoughts for when I have tech support back online....?

Thanks!

---