You select Add device or Add Printer, the computer searches, and the list stays empty or shows everything except your printer. Detection depends on both devices sharing a network and on the printer's announcements reaching your computer. A Public network profile, a VPN, a guest network or a printer that never joined Wi-Fi can each block it. This guide confirms the printer is reachable, fixes the settings that hide it, and shows how to add it by IP address instead.
What you might be seeing
- The add-printer search finishes without listing your printer
- Other network devices appear, but not the printer
- A phone can see the printer while the computer cannot
- The printer was found once during setup and never again
Common causes
- Different or guest network
- A guest network, a second router or a VPN keeps the computer away from devices on the main network.
- Public network profile
- Windows treats Public networks as untrusted and hides other devices on them.
- Printer not on the network
- The printer never finished joining Wi-Fi or has lost its connection.
- Discovery turned off
- Network discovery is disabled in the computer's sharing settings.
- Third-party security software
- A security suite may block the announcements printers broadcast.
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.
Only mark a network as Private or trusted when it is your own. Leave public Wi-Fi set to Public so other people's devices can't see your computer.
Confirm the printer is on the network
On the printer's control panel, print a network configuration report from the wireless or network menu. Look for a connected status, the network name (SSID) and an IP address such as 192.168.1.40. An address starting with 169.254, or no network at all, means the printer hasn't joined yet and must be connected through its own setup menu first.
Check that both devices share one network
Compare the network name on the report with your computer's. Select the network icon on the Windows taskbar, or open System Settings › Wi-Fi on a Mac. Watch for guest networks, extender names with an added suffix, and second routers that create their own network. Disconnect any VPN during setup, because it can route local traffic away from your home network.
Make the network Private and turn on discovery
Windows hides other devices on Public networks. In Windows 11, open Settings › Network & internet, select Wi-Fi or Ethernet, open your network's properties and choose Private network. Then open Advanced network settings › Advanced sharing settings on the same page and turn on Network discovery under Private networks. In Windows 10, select the connected network under Settings › Network & Internet › Wi-Fi and choose Private; discovery is in Control Panel › Network and Sharing Center › Change advanced sharing settings.
Ping the printer from your computer
In Windows, open Command Prompt and type
ping, a space and the printer's address, for exampleping 192.168.1.40. On a Mac, useping -c 4and the address in Terminal. Replies mean the computer can reach the printer and only discovery is failing, so adding it by address will work. Timeouts mean the two still aren't on the same network.Add the printer by IP address in Windows
In Printers & scanners, start a search with Add device (Windows 11) or Add a printer or scanner (Windows 10). When The printer that I want isn't listed appears, select Add manually beside it, or the link itself in Windows 10. Choose Add a printer using an IP address or hostname, leave Device type on Autodetect, enter the address and select Next.
Add the printer by IP address on a Mac
Open System Settings › Printers & Scanners and select Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax. Choose the IP tab, marked with a globe icon. Enter the printer's address and set Protocol to AirPrint, or to Internet Printing Protocol - IPP if the printer lacks AirPrint. When the name and driver fields fill in, select Add. AirPrint printers need no extra driver download.
Review third-party security software
If the printer answers a ping but still won't appear, check any security suite installed on top of the protection built into Windows or macOS. In its firewall section, mark your home network as trusted rather than public, and remove the printer from any blocked-devices list. Adjusting the trust setting is enough; don't uninstall or permanently disable the software.
How to keep it from happening again
- Keep the computer and printer on the main network, not guest Wi-Fi
- Disconnect a VPN, or enable its local network option, when printing
- Reserve the printer's address in the router once it's found
- Give extenders the same network name as the main router where possible
Common questions
Why can my phone find the printer but my laptop can't?
Phones use AirPrint or Mopria discovery, which works even when a laptop's own settings block discovery. The laptop may be on a Public network profile, routed through a VPN or joined to a guest network. Check the laptop's profile and connection first, because the printer itself is clearly working.
Does the printer need to be on the same Wi-Fi band as my computer?
No. A computer on 5 GHz can print to a printer on 2.4 GHz when both bands come from the same router and belong to one network. Trouble starts only when the two network names belong to different routers, or when one of them is a guest network that keeps devices apart.
Is adding a printer by IP address as good as automatic detection?
It is often more reliable, because the computer talks to the printer directly instead of waiting for it to announce itself. The address must stay the same, though, so reserve it in your router afterward; otherwise a router restart may move the printer and break the connection.
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.