Mesh systems and range extenders spread Wi-Fi around the home, but printers don't always cope with them. You may have a printer that drops off when the mesh rebalances, can't be found from one end of the house, or connects only to an extender with a different name. Printers have small antennas and can be slow to move between access points, and some extenders don't pass the discovery traffic printers rely on. This guide covers placement, settings and ways to make the connection solid.
What you might be seeing
- The printer works near the main router but not near a satellite
- Computers in one part of the home can't find the printer
- The printer drops off when the mesh system updates or restarts
- The printer shows up on an extender's network but not the main one
Common causes
- Weak or distant node
- The printer holds onto a far or weak node instead of the nearest one.
- Separate extender network
- Basic extenders often create their own network name.
- Band steering
- The mesh moves dual-band devices between bands, which printers handle poorly.
- Double routing
- A mesh system in router mode behind another router creates two networks.
- Discovery traffic dropped
- Some extenders and mesh settings don't forward the multicast traffic AirPrint and Mopria use to find printers.
How to fix it, step by step
Work through these in order and test a print after each one. Most people are done within the first few steps.
See which node the printer is using
Open the mesh system's app and find the printer in the connected devices list. Most apps show which node it's attached to and its signal quality, and a distant node or poor signal explains the drops. With a range extender, check the network name on the printer's configuration report; a name with an extender suffix shows it joined the extender rather than the main router.
Plug the printer into a node by Ethernet
Many mesh nodes have spare Ethernet ports. If your printer has a network port, cable it to the nearest node. The printer then rides the mesh without relying on its own small antenna, which is often the single most effective fix. Print a configuration report to confirm a wired connection with an address from your main network.
Reposition the printer or a node
If a cable isn't practical, move the printer closer to a node, or move a node so the printer sits within a room of it with few walls between. Restart the printer after moving it, so it connects to the nearest node instead of clinging to the old one, then check its signal rating in the mesh app.
Join the main network, not the extender's
If your extender broadcasts its own network name, connect the printer and computers to the main router's network where the signal allows, or use the extender's option to copy the main network's name if it has one. Devices split between the two names may not see each other. An extender's Ethernet port can also serve as a wired connection point for a nearby printer.
Keep the printer on one band
Some mesh apps let you exclude a device from band steering, mark it as a smart home device, or offer a separate 2.4 GHz network for such devices. Any of these keeps the printer on 2.4 GHz instead of being shuffled between bands. If your system has none of them, the printer usually settles on 2.4 GHz anyway, and reserving its address matters more.
Make the mesh the only router
If the mesh plugs into a provider's router, check the mesh app's network mode. In router mode, it builds its own network behind the provider's, so anything on the provider's Wi-Fi can't easily reach the printer. Switch the mesh to bridge mode, or turn off the provider router's Wi-Fi so every device joins the mesh. Restart the printer afterward to get a fresh address.
Reserve the address and add the printer by IP
In the mesh app, find the printer and use its reserve IP or fixed address option. Then add the printer on each computer by that address: Add manually in Windows, or the IP tab under Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax on a Mac. Adding by address avoids relying on discovery traffic, which some extenders and mesh settings don't pass reliably between nodes.
How to keep it from happening again
- Cable stationary printers to a mesh node when possible
- Keep the printer within one room of a node or the router
- Run the mesh in bridge mode behind a provider router
- Keep mesh firmware on automatic updates
Common questions
Is a mesh system better than an extender for printers?
Generally, yes. Mesh systems keep one network name and address range across the home and are designed to pass traffic between nodes. Basic extenders often create a separate network, cut speed and may block discovery traffic. If you already have an extender, cabling the printer to it usually avoids its weak points.
Why can my phone print but my laptop can't, on the same mesh?
They may be attached to different nodes, and discovery between nodes isn't always perfect. The laptop may also be on another network name, such as the provider's Wi-Fi, while the phone is on the mesh. Check both devices' networks and addresses. Adding the printer to the laptop by IP address bypasses discovery.
Should I give the printer its own access point?
Rarely. If the printer is near a mesh node, an Ethernet cable to that node gives the same benefit with no extra hardware. A dedicated access point makes sense only in large homes or offices where the printer is far from every node and a cable to the main router isn't possible.
This guide is general information written for common home and office printers. Menus and button names vary between models, so check your printer’s manual where a step differs. Printer Problems Solved is independent and not affiliated with any printer manufacturer. See our disclaimer.