// PRINTER WI-FI HELP
Your printer won’t connect to the new Wi-Fi after moving house
You’ve moved in, the broadband’s working, but the printer stubbornly won’t join the new Wi-Fi. It’s still remembering your old home’s network. Here’s exactly how to reconnect it — whatever the brand — and how we can do the whole lot for you remotely. Rated 4.9 on Google.
- ● Remote fix, UK-wide
- ● No-fix-no-fee
- ● Rated 4.9 on Google
/01 — THE QUICK ANSWER
The quick answer: tell the printer about the new network
If your printer won’t connect to the new Wi-Fi after moving house, the reason is almost always the same: the printer is still holding onto your old home’s network name and password, while your new router uses different ones. The fix is to re-run the wireless setup on the printer itself — not on your computer — so it forgets the old network and joins the new one.
In short, you need to:
- Open the Network or Wi-Fi menu on the printer’s own screen or buttons.
- Run the wireless setup wizard and pick your new network name.
- Type the new Wi-Fi password (it’s case sensitive) and wait for the Wi-Fi light to go steady.
The exact steps differ by make, and a new router can throw in a band-related snag — both of which we cover below. If your trouble is really about a specific router rather than the move, we have dedicated guides for the BT Smart Hub, Sky routers and the EE Smart Hub, plus a fix for when a printer disappears after a Windows update.
At a glance
| Most common cause | The printer still remembers your old home’s Wi-Fi name and password — nothing is broken. |
|---|---|
| DIY first step | Run the wireless setup wizard on the printer itself and pick your new network name. |
| Can it be fixed remotely? | Yes — it’s all settings, so we can nearly always fix it remotely, no-fix-no-fee. |
| How long does it take? | Usually one short remote session, most often the same day — many manage the DIY steps in ten minutes. |
| Will I lose settings? | No — reconnecting the Wi-Fi doesn’t wipe the printer, and you don’t need the original disc. |
| When to call us | If the wizard keeps failing or the printer won’t hold the connection, call 01202 775566. |
// NEED THIS FIXED RIGHT NOW?
Skip the DIY — call 01202 775566 and we can be looking at your screen within minutes. You watch everything we do, and most problems on this page are fixed in one short remote session. (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm.)
/02 — WHY IT HAPPENS
Why your printer won’t connect after a house move
A printer isn’t like your phone or laptop, which cheerfully offer to join whatever Wi-Fi is nearest. Once a printer has been set up on a network, it stores that exact name and password and keeps trying to reach it — forever, if you let it. When you move house, the old network is gone, but the printer doesn’t know that, so it sits there flashing, hunting for a router that’s now miles away.
Nothing is broken. There’s no fault to repair and you haven’t lost anything. The printer simply needs to be told about the new network, and that instruction has to happen on the printer itself — through its screen, its buttons, or the maker’s app on your Android phone. Changing the Wi-Fi on your computer does nothing for the printer; the two hold their own separate connections.
This is also why plugging in a USB cable or reinstalling drivers rarely helps on its own — the missing piece is the printer’s own Wi-Fi settings. Get those pointed at the new router and everything else usually falls into place. If your printer has a habit of dropping off even on a settled network, our guide on why printers keep disconnecting covers the longer-term fixes.
/03 — RECONNECT ON HP, EPSON, CANON & BROTHER
How to reconnect HP, Epson, Canon and Brother printers
Every make hides the same tool under a slightly different name. Take the printer to within a few metres of your new router, then on the printer’s own screen or buttons open its network menu and run the wireless wizard:
- HP — open Setup or Wireless, then Wireless Setup Wizard, pick your new network and enter the password. If HP won’t let go of the old network, choose Restore Network Settings first, then run the wizard.
- Epson — go to Wi-Fi Setup → Wi-Fi Setup Wizard, select your new name (or Other Networks if it’s hidden) and type the key. You can refresh the list if the new name doesn’t show.
- Canon PIXMA — press Setup, choose Wireless LAN setup (or Wi-Fi setup), select your network and enter the password. The Wi-Fi light glows steady once it’s in.
- Brother — Menu → Network → WLAN → Setup Wizard, say Yes to enable Wi-Fi, pick your SSID and enter the Network Key.
On a buttons-only printer with no screen, the easiest route is your router’s WPS button: hold the printer’s Wi-Fi button until it flashes, then press WPS on the router within two minutes. Passwords are case sensitive — mind the capitals and the difference between a zero and the letter O. Our step-by-step printer setup guide walks through it in more detail.
/04 — THE NEW-ROUTER BAND TRAP
The new-router trap: 2.4GHz, 5GHz and band steering
A new house usually means a new router — and modern routers have a habit printers hate. Most home printers, including nearly every Brother and many HP, Epson and Canon models, can only use the 2.4GHz band. Newer routers broadcast 2.4GHz and 5GHz under one name and quietly steer devices between them (often called ‘Smart Connect’ or band steering), which can leave the printer unable to grab the band it needs.
If the wizard sees your network but never finishes, or the printer connects then drops, try these:
- Make sure 2.4GHz is switched on in your router settings — occasionally it’s disabled by default.
- If your router allows it, give the 2.4GHz band its own separate name and point the printer at that.
- Set security to WPA2 rather than WPA3-only — many printers, Brother especially, won’t join WPA3 or older TKIP encryption.
- Keep the printer near the router during setup; 2.4GHz reaches further, but band steering can still trip it up at distance.
Router menus differ wildly between BT, Sky, EE, Virgin, Plusnet and the rest, so if you’re not sure which setting is which, our home network setup help — or a quick remote session — will get it sorted without you touching a thing.
/05 — GET YOUR COMPUTER PRINTING AGAIN
Printer connected but the computer still won’t print
Sometimes the printer joins the new Wi-Fi perfectly but your computer still says it’s offline or can’t find it. That’s because your new router almost certainly handed the printer a different network address than it had in your old home, and Windows is still looking at the old one.
The fix is quick:
- Print a network configuration page from the printer to confirm it’s connected and see its new address.
- On your PC, go to Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners, remove the old printer entry, then choose Add device so Windows finds it fresh on the new network.
- If it still won’t appear, restart both the printer and the router (leave the router off for 30 seconds) to clear most gremlins.
This is the same ‘printer vanished’ symptom people hit after a Windows update — the printer is fine, the computer has simply lost track of where it lives. We’re Windows and Android specialists, so if the re-add won’t take, we can jump on remotely and reconnect it for you.
/06 — WHEN TO CALL US
When to call us — and how we fix it remotely
Plenty of people crack this in ten minutes with the steps above. But if the printer won’t hold the connection, the wizard keeps failing, or you simply don’t fancy poking around menus after the stress of a house move, that’s exactly what we’re here for.
Because it’s all about settings, we can almost always fix it remotely — you don’t need to unplug anything or bring the printer anywhere. We connect to your computer with your permission, reconnect the printer to your new broadband, re-add it in Windows and print a test page while you watch. Most jobs are done in one short remote session, usually the same day, and it’s no-fix-no-fee — if we can’t sort it, you don’t pay.
We can just as easily reconnect the rest of your moving-house tech in the same sitting — email on your phone, the family laptops, smart TVs and so on. And if it turns out the printer’s Wi-Fi hardware has actually failed, we’ll tell you honestly and, if you’re local, arrange a look in person. We’re a family-run team in Kinson, helping homes across Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and Dorset — and remotely right across the UK. Call 01202 775566 or see our printer support page.
FAMILY-RUN SINCE 1995 · ★ 4.9 ON GOOGLE · 200+ COMPUTERS UNDER OUR CARE · NO FIX, NO FEE · SAME-DAY REMOTE SUPPORT
// GOOD QUESTIONS
Frequently asked
Why won’t my printer connect to the new Wi-Fi after I’ve moved?
Because it’s still saved to your old home’s network. A printer stores one Wi-Fi name and password and keeps trying to reach it, even though that router is now miles away. Nothing is broken — you just need to run the wireless setup on the printer itself and point it at your new router’s network.
Do I need to factory-reset the printer?
Usually not. In most cases you can simply re-run the wireless setup wizard and pick the new network. Only if the printer stubbornly clings to the old details would you use ‘Restore Network Settings’ on HP or ‘Reset LAN settings’ on Canon first — that clears the Wi-Fi only, not your other settings. A full factory reset is rarely needed.
My printer only has buttons, no screen — how do I change the Wi-Fi?
Use the WPS shortcut. Hold the printer’s Wi-Fi button until its light flashes, then press the WPS button on your new router within two minutes; they’ll pair automatically. If your printer or router has no WPS button, the maker’s app on an Android phone — HP Smart, Epson Smart Panel, Canon or Brother — can push the new network to the printer instead.
The new router uses one Wi-Fi name for both bands — is that the problem?
It can be. Most home printers only use the 2.4GHz band, and newer routers that broadcast 2.4GHz and 5GHz under a single name can steer the printer to a band it can’t use. Make sure 2.4GHz is enabled, and if your router allows it, give that band its own separate name for the printer to join.
The printer connected but my computer still can’t print — why?
Your new router gave the printer a different network address than it had before, so Windows is looking in the wrong place. Remove the old printer under Settings → Printers & scanners and add it again. It’s the same fix as when a printer disappears after a Windows update — the printer’s fine, the PC has just lost track of it.
Can you just do this for me?
Yes, gladly. Because it’s all settings, we can nearly always fix it remotely — you don’t unplug a thing. We reconnect the printer to your new broadband, re-add it in Windows and print a test page while you watch, usually the same day. It’s no-fix-no-fee, so if we can’t sort it you don’t pay. Call 01202 775566 to book.
Is there anything you can’t sort out remotely?
Occasionally. If the printer’s Wi-Fi hardware has genuinely failed, or it needs a physical button press we can’t reach, remote help has its limits — and we’ll tell you honestly rather than string it out. If you’re in Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch or Dorset we can arrange collection or a home visit. We’re Windows and Android specialists, so we don’t cover Apple devices.
Will I lose my printer’s settings or need the original disc?
No. Reconnecting the Wi-Fi doesn’t wipe your printer, and you don’t need the CD that came with it — those are long obsolete. Everything is done through the printer’s menu or the maker’s free app. If you’d like a hand getting the family’s tech back online after a move, our friendly one-to-one help is ideal for less confident users.
Moved house and nothing will print?
We reconnect printers to new broadband remotely, usually the same day — and it’s no-fix-no-fee. Call 01202 775566 or drop us a line.
01202 775566 · help@365techies.co.uk · MON–FRI 9AM–5PM