How to Connect Your Printer to Wi-Fi: Epson, Canon, HP, and Brother

If you own a Wi-Fi printer, you may have experienced the frustration of struggling to connect it to your home Wi-Fi network. In this guide, we look at why this happens and how to reconnect your Epson, Canon, HP, or Brother printer to your Wi-Fi.

Why Won’t My Printer Connect to Wi-Fi?

There are several possible reasons why your printer might not be connecting to your Wi-Fi network.

Wrong Credentials

If your Wi-Fi password has changed recently, this may be the culprit. You can disconnect the Wi-Fi network from the printer and reconnect it.

A Problem With Your Router

If your Wi-Fi router has issues, this can also affect your connection.

Wrong Network Band

Network bands use different speeds.

Most Wi-Fi routers use a 2.4GHz or 5GHz connection.

Many printers, however, use only the 2.4GHz frequency, which is slower and longer range. As modern Wi-Fi routers combine these two connection speeds, they often try to force a device to use the 5GHz speed, which doesn’t work as well at the longer range and through walls.

Physical Interference with the Signal

If your Wi-Fi router has physical barriers in the way of the printer and Wi-Fi router, or the signal is otherwise weak, you can experience interruptions.

As with the above point, if your Wi-Fi router is trying to force your printer onto a faster 5GHz network, the walls of your house may interfere with the signal.

How Do I Reconnect My Printer?

For many models, a simple fix you can try is restarting your device. You can also check your network band and reset your network settings if needed.

How to Connect an Epson Printer to Wi-Fi

Epson Printer With LCD Display

If your model has an LCD screen, you can instead follow this process:

1. Make sure that your printer is in range of your router.
2. Find the Wi-Fi set-up section. This might be directly on the home screen or in the settings menu.
3. You should be able to select your SSID (your Wi-Fi network’s name).
4. Enter your password for the Wi-Fi network when the option comes up.

Epson Printer Without LCD Display

To connect your Epson printer to your Wi-Fi if it doesn’t have a screen, you can do the following:

1. Turn your printer on, and then hold down the Wi-Fi (WPS) button until the light blinks.

This option may also be available on your printer, even if it has an LCD screen. You should be able to go into the menu and select this feature, then follow the instructions.

Epson Smart Panel

If you have the Epson Smart Panel app, you can add your printer and follow the set up steps. As part of the setup, the app will ask you to confirm which printer you want to use.

Ensure that your smart phone is connected to the same Wi-Fi network that you want to use to connect to your printer.

How to Connect a Canon Printer to Wi-Fi

Canon Printer With LCD Display

If your Canon model isn’t connected to Wi-Fi and has a screen, you can follow these steps:

1. Ensure that your router and printer are in range of each other.
2. Press the settings button to bring up the menu. This should have an icon of either a wrench and screwdriver or a gear.
3. You can hold down the WPS button on the router to connect, or follow the instructions on screen to manually connect the printer to your Wi-Fi network. Ensure that the machine is printing the right network and then input your password when prompted.

Canon Printer Without LCD Display

On the other hand, if your model doesn’t have a built-in screen, you can do this instead:

1. Turn the printer on and hold the Wi-Fi button until the light starts to blink.
2. Press the WPS button on your router.

Canon PRINT App

To use the Canon PRINT App, download the app from your app store and follow the instructions on screen to connect your printer step-by-step.

How to Connect an HP Printer to Wi-Fi

HP Printer With LCD Display

To set up your machine manually, connect your HP printer using the following steps:

1. Select the Wi-Fi or wireless icon on the screen.
2. Go to settings, followed by wireless set up wizard.
3. Select your Wi-Fi network and enter the password.
4. Wait for the connection to be confirmed.

HP Printer Without LCD Display

If your model doesn’t have a screen, you can do the following:

1. Turn on your printer and hold the Wi-Fi button until the light starts to blink.
2. Press down and hold the WPS button on your Wi-Fi router.

HP App (Formerly HP Smart App)

To connect your HP printer with the app, start by downloading it from the Google Play or Apple store. Open the app, tap the ‘+’ button, or the words ‘Set Up a New Printer’.

Then, follow the prompts on screen to connect your printer.

How to Connect a Brother Printer to Wi-Fi

Brother Printer With LCD Display

For a Brother printer that has a screen, you can follow these steps:

1. Ensure that your printer is within the range of the network’s Wi-Fi router.
2. Open up the wireless menu, select ‘Network, and scroll down until you reach the ‘WLAN’ option and then ‘WPS/A0SS’.
3. Press the WPS button on your router.

Alternatively, you can input the password for the network manually:

1. Press the ‘Menu’ button and scroll down to the ‘Network’ option.
2. Select WLAN.
3. Select the Setup Wizard.
4. The screen will display whichever SSIDs it has found. Scroll down through these and select your network.
5. Type in the Network Key (your password) when asked.

Brother Printer Without LCD Display

If your printer doesn’t have a touchscreen, you can connect as follows:

1. Ensure that your Wi-Fi router is in range.
2. Press and hold the WPS button on the router.
3. Turn on printer on and hold down the Wi-Fi button, until the light starts to blink.

Brother Mobile Connect

In order to use the Brother Mobile Connect app, make sure that your phone connected to the Wi-Fi network you want to use.

Download the app from your device’s app store and then tap ‘Add Machine’. When asked if the machine is currently connected, select ‘Not Connected’. Enter the model number of your printer and the hold in the Wi-Fi button on your Brother printer.

Follow the remaining on-screen steps, which should prompt you to enter your home Wi-Fi network’s password.

Exact steps may vary by printer model. If you are unsure of how to connect your specific Brother printer model to Wi-Fi, you can consult the manual that came with your printer, or find a digital version on Brother’s website.

Which Connection Method Should I Use?

Keep in mind that the manual method of typing in a password can be quite burdensome, as printers often don’t have letter and other character keys. If the screen isn’t a touchscreen, you may have to select each letter or special by toggling through them with arrows. This can be quite frustrating with a long password.

What are the Best Wi-Fi Printers For Home Use?

Many popular modern all-in-one home printers are Wi-Fi enabled, allowing you to print documents from your laptop, smart phone, or tablet. In 2026, it’s largely the industry standard.

Compact, entry-level printers such as the Epson XP-2205 can be connected to Wi-Fi. Keep in mind that these models often don’t have a screen, in order to reduce physical space and cost.