Wi-Fi printer

[Bob_Vaughn]

I have a wifi printer that will work in my house but will not work in my camper. My lap top will print things with the printer in the house but when I try to use the printer in the camper it shows that the wifi is working. My wifi detector shows a wifi signal and my lap top shows it is connecting with the wifi router but when I send a document to the printer nothing happens....I do not want to buy another wi-fi router unless I absolutely have to....something is not connecting and I cannot figure out what it is....

[AsheGuy]

Bobbo wrote:
Thank you for re-wording EXACTLY what I had just said.

You are right, I read your first sentence and ignored the rest. My bad.

[Bobbo]

AsheGuy wrote:

Bobbo wrote:
If your printer can do WIFI DIRECT, that would be your easiest solution.

Without WIFI DIRECT, both the computer and the printer must be on the same WIFI. You have 2 routers in play, giving you 2 WIFIs (even if they have the same SSID and PSK), so you don't really know what is connected to what.

Could be a solution but most people have more than one device from which they want to access on their wi-fi connected printer.

Maybe the OP can clarify exactly what the objectives are. The fact that what network the laptop is connecting to is not clear suggests both routers have the same SSID. If so, that just aggravates the problem.

Thank you for re-wording EXACTLY what I had just said.

[Captain_Happy]

Get rid of the router and let the lap-tops wifi link directly with wifi of the printer.

[AsheGuy]

Bobbo wrote:
If your printer can do WIFI DIRECT, that would be your easiest solution.

Without WIFI DIRECT, both the computer and the printer must be on the same WIFI. You have 2 routers in play, giving you 2 WIFIs (even if they have the same SSID and PSK), so you don't really know what is connected to what.

Could be a solution but most people have more than one device from which they want to access on their wi-fi connected printer.

Maybe the OP can clarify exactly what the objectives are. The fact that what network the laptop is connecting to is not clear suggests both routers have the same SSID. If so, that just aggravates the problem.

[Bobbo]

If your printer can do WIFI DIRECT, that would be your easiest solution.

Without WIFI DIRECT, both the computer and the printer must be on the same WIFI. You have 2 routers in play, giving you 2 WIFIs (even if they have the same SSID and PSK), so you don't really know what is connected to what.

[AsheGuy]

Where is the Internet connection coming from for your two routers?

Printers with a wi-fi connection have to be configured for a specific wi-fi router including its SSID and the IP address that it was configured to have on that routers network. You printer is going to keep trying to connect with the wi-fi router that it was set up for.

Newer printers have setup capability to find a wi-fi connection and lead you through connecting to that network that results in the printer knowing the SSID and it's IP address on that network for connection.

In your case where your two routers seem to be in range of each other, they need different SSID names.

In other words, your printer would have to have the same capability that a laptop does, i.e. a menu to select the wi-fi router/network to connect to.

So unless you have a printer smarter than my Epson, you are not going to be able to automate this switch of routers. You probably will have to go through the wi-fi connection setup each time you want to swap from in the house and in the RV. There may be more upscale printers that are configurable to handle two different connections automatically, but I haven't spent enough money to have one.

[jcpainter]

Bob Vaughn wrote:

jcpainter wrote:
Did you confirm that both the printer AND the laptop are connecting to the same SSID (WiFi name)?

No I am not.....I am wondering if my lap top is connecting with my house wifi and the printer is connecting to the rv wifi

Is your laptop Windows or Apple?

[Bob_Vaughn]

jcpainter wrote:
Did you confirm that both the printer AND the laptop are connecting to the same SSID (WiFi name)?

No I am not.....I am wondering if my lap top is connecting with my house wifi and the printer is connecting to the rv wifi

[jcpainter]

Did you confirm that both the printer AND the laptop are connecting to the same SSID (WiFi name)?

[Bob_Vaughn]

coolmom42 wrote:
You have to enter the wifi password on the printer, for every different wifi connection. You may also have to choose the wifi connection from a list that shows on the printer. Some printers will automatically connect to the strongest wifi signal, but they still need the password.

That has been done....

[coolmom42]

You have to enter the wifi password on the printer, for every different wifi connection. You may also have to choose the wifi connection from a list that shows on the printer. Some printers will automatically connect to the strongest wifi signal, but they still need the password.

[Bob_Vaughn]

DutchmenSport wrote:
If I understand what you are trying to do... is this correct:

Scenario 1:
The printer is in the house connected to the wifi router in the house. Computer is in the trailer. Prints OK.

Scenario 2:
The printer is in the trailer connect to the wifi router in the house.
Computer is in the trailer. Does not print.

If #2, then most likely, the printer is out of range of the wifi signal. It might be in range, but the printer itself is too week. I had this problem with a smart television in the trailer. Ended up putting the television in the house and got a new one for the trailer so we could have internet over the television at home in the drive way. (But yet, our laptop computers worked just fine on the wifi from the house).

Scenario 3:
Wifi router is physically in the camper? Printer does not print? (no clue then).

When camping, we do not depend on campground wifi. We use our SmartPhones. We set up all our laptops to run off our phones wifi (both my wife and me) all laptops we have. When we got the wireless printer, we also set it up to run off the phone hotspot wifi. So when camping, if we take the printer with us, our phone's wifi hotspot runs the printer with no problems at all.

Edit:
Just saw you have an Apple. We have an Apple Ipad too, and run it through the Smartphone hotspot too. Prints just fine that way too.

I brought the printer into the house and used the wifi in the house worked fine.....
Took the printer out to the camper different wi-fi router lap top will not print.....

[zigzagrv]

There is/should be a small reset button on the router. With the printer on and within range of the router, push the reset button on the router for a couple seconds. This should allow the router and printer to communicate.

[DutchmenSport]

If I understand what you are trying to do... is this correct:

Scenario 1:
The printer is in the house connected to the wifi router in the house. Computer is in the trailer. Prints OK.

Scenario 2:
The printer is in the trailer connect to the wifi router in the house.
Computer is in the trailer. Does not print.

If #2, then most likely, the printer is out of range of the wifi signal. It might be in range, but the printer itself is too week. I had this problem with a smart television in the trailer. Ended up putting the television in the house and got a new one for the trailer so we could have internet over the television at home in the drive way. (But yet, our laptop computers worked just fine on the wifi from the house).

Scenario 3:
Wifi router is physically in the camper? Printer does not print? (no clue then).

When camping, we do not depend on campground wifi. We use our SmartPhones. We set up all our laptops to run off our phones wifi (both my wife and me) all laptops we have. When we got the wireless printer, we also set it up to run off the phone hotspot wifi. So when camping, if we take the printer with us, our phone's wifi hotspot runs the printer with no problems at all.

Edit:
Just saw you have an Apple. We have an Apple Ipad too, and run it through the Smartphone hotspot too. Prints just fine that way too.