Wi-Fi Printer Offline After Replacing Your Router? Reconnect It Safely

You’ve installed a new router, the internet is up and running, and your laptop is connected – but when you go to print something, you find that the printer shows as “Offline.” It is quite common for a Wi-Fi printer to go offline after a router change – especially when a new router (like one from Jio Fiber or Airtel) is installed, resulting in a change to the network name (SSID) or password.

Most people immediately jump to uninstalling and reinstalling the printer drivers, which is often unnecessary. In fact, in 80% of cases, simply updating the IP address or reconnecting the printer to the new network is all that’s needed. Wi-Fi Printer Offline: In this guide, we’ll walk you through those steps – starting with the simplest solutions, and only resorting to a driver reinstallation if nothing else works.

Why does a Wi-Fi printer go offline when the router is changed?

Two things are required to connect a printer to a network: the Wi-Fi network name (SSID) and an IP address. When the router is changed, three things break simultaneously:

• The SSID and password change – the printer remembers the old network but is unaware of the new one.
• The IP address changes – the new router assigns a different IP address to the printer. For example, it might have been 192.168.1.105 previously, but after switching to Jio Fiber, it has become 192.168.29.108.
• The Windows printer port remains stuck on the old IP address – Windows still expects to find the printer at the old IP, which causes every print job to fail.

Any one of these reasons can cause the printer to appear offline. In this guide, we will address each of them individually.

Step 1 – First, restart everything.

It might sound silly, but this step often works, and you’ll know the result in 2 minutes:

• Turn off the printer completely – not just in sleep mode, but powered off.
• Unplug the router and leave it off for 30 seconds.
• Restart your PC or laptop.
• Turn on the router first, wait 1–2 minutes, then turn on the printer.

Sometimes, when a DHCP lease is refreshed, the printer receives the same old IP address, and Windows detects it automatically. If this does not happen, proceed to the next step.

Step 2 – Connect the printer to the new Wi-Fi (this is necessary after changing your router)

A Wi-Fi printer will go offline after a router change if the SSID (network name) or password has been updated. You will need to enter the new network details using the Wireless Setup Wizard. The procedure varies depending on the brand:

For HP printers:

• Go to the printer screen → Wireless or Network Setup → Wireless Setup Wizard
• Select the new SSID → Enter the new password → Done
• If there is no screen: Press and hold the Wireless button for 3 seconds (WPS mode) and also press the WPS button on your router – they will connect automatically.

For Canon printers:

• Home → Wi-Fi Setup → Easy Wireless Connect or Wireless LAN Setup
• You can also change the Wi-Fi settings on your PC using the Canon IJ Network Device Setup Utility (free).

For Epson printers:

• Press and hold the Wi-Fi icon on the printer panel → Enter setup mode.
• You can also provide Wi-Fi credentials directly via the Epson iPrint app (Android/iOS).

For Brother printers:

• Menu → Network → WLAN → Setup Wizard
• You can also view and manage the network using BRAdmin Light (a free Windows tool).

Step 3 – Find the printer’s new IP address

Once connected to a new router, the printer is assigned a new IP address. It is important to know this, as you will need to provide this IP address to Windows in the next step.

Method 1 – Print the Network Configuration Page from the printer:

• HP: Wireless button + Cancel together 3 seconds
• Canon: Setup → Device settings → LAN settings → Print LAN details
• Epson: Home → Wi-Fi Setup → Check Wi-Fi Setup
• Brother: Menu → Print Reports → Network Configuration

The IP address will be clearly displayed on this page, for example, 192.168.29.105.

Method 2 – Free Tool: Advanced IP Scanner

Advanced IP Scanner is a free, portable Windows tool that scans the entire network and displays the IP addresses of all connected devices. No installation is required.

• Click Download → Run → Scan
• Find the device labeled “HP”, “EPSON”, or “Canon” in the list
• Note down its IP address

Method 3 – Check the router’s Admin Panel:

• Jio Fiber: 192.168.29.1
• Airtel: 192.168.1.1
• TP-Link / D-Link: 192.168.0.1
• You can find the printer’s IP address in the ‘Connected Devices’ or ‘DHCP Client List’ section of the admin panel.

Step 4 – Update the Windows Printer Port (the most important step)

This is the step that most people miss. Windows retains the old IP address and keeps sending print jobs to that same address.

1. Start → Control Panel → Devices and Printers
2. Right-click on your printer → Printer Properties
3. Open the Ports tab
4. Click “Configure Port” for the port that is currently checked
5. Enter the new IP address (obtained in Step 3) into the “Printer Name or IP Address” field → OK → Apply

Important: Keep the port number as 9100 – only change the IP address.

Now, try printing a test page. If it prints out, you’re all set – no driver is needed.

Step 5 – Rediscover the Printer from Windows

If the port update doesn’t work, let Windows discover the printer again:

1. Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners
2. Click “Add a printer or scanner”
3. Windows will scan – if the printer appears, add it
4. If it does not appear, click “The printer that I want isn’t listed”
5. Select “Add a printer using a TCP/IP address or hostname”
6. Enter the IP address → Next → Windows will use an existing driver; no new installation is required

Step 6 – Connect via Brand Apps

Nowadays, all major brands have apps that make Wi-Fi reconnection extremely easy:

• HP Smart (Windows/Android/iOS) – After changing your router, open the app, remove the printer, and then add it again. The app automatically detects the new IP address and updates the settings for Windows as well.
• Canon IJ Network Device Setup Utility (free, Windows) – Used to search for and configure Canon printers on a network. Download it from in.canon/en/support.
• Epson iPrint (Android/iOS) – For Wi-Fi setup and searching for network-connected Epson printers.
• Brother BRAdmin Light (free, Windows) – Allows you to manage the network settings of Brother devices directly.

Step 7 – Set a static IP to prevent this issue from recurring.

With DHCP, the IP address can change each time. Once a static IP is set, this problem is resolved permanently.

Option A – Via the printer settings:

• Printer panel → Network Settings → TCP/IP → Manual/Static
• IP: 192.168.29.150 (an IP address outside the DHCP range)
• Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
• Default Gateway: Router’s IP (e.g., 192.168.29.1)

Option B – DHCP Reservation from the router:

• Router admin panel → DHCP Reservation or Address Binding
• Add the printer’s MAC address → assign a fixed IP
• On Jio Fiber (192.168.29.1), this can be found under Advanced Settings

When you actually need to reinstall the driver

If none of the above steps work, then a driver reinstallation is necessary. Identify this by looking for these signs:

• Every print job ends in an “Error” state, and the queue does not clear.
• A “Driver unavailable” error is displayed.
• The printer has completely disappeared from “Devices & Printers” in Windows.

Official driver download links:

• HP: support.hp.com → Model number → Drivers & Software
• Canon: in.canon/en/support → Model → Software
• Epson: epson.co.in
• Brother: support.brother.com

After installing the driver, connect to the new network using the Wireless Setup Wizard.

Free tools that will help with this task

HP Print and Scan Doctor is especially useful for HP users. It automatically diagnoses Wi-Fi connection issues and provides step-by-step guided fixes. It is completely free.

For more practical guides related to printing on Windows and Android, be sure to check out fixtech.in – you will find solutions there for similar real-world problems.

Quick Checklist – Wi-Fi Printer offline after changing the router

If you are in a hurry, follow this sequence:

• Restart the printer and router.
• Connect to the new Wi-Fi using the Wireless Setup Wizard.
• Identify the new IP address using Advanced IP Scanner.
• In Windows, go to Printer Properties → Ports → Configure Port → enter the new IP address.
• Print a test page.
• If that doesn’t work, add the printer using TCP/IP.
• Set a static IP for future use.

FAQs – About Wi-Fi printer offline after changing the router

Conclusion

A Wi-Fi printer going offline after a router change is not a major issue – it just requires a bit of know-how. Simply connect the printer to the new network using the Wireless Setup Wizard, identify its new IP address with an Advanced IP Scanner, and update the port settings in Windows. In 90% of cases, there is no need to reinstall the drivers. You can avoid this hassle entirely by setting a static IP, ensuring that the printer doesn’t go offline the next time you change your router.