Wondering why is the WiFi light blinking on my HP printer? Well, let’s explore together!
The WiFi or “wireless” light on your HP printer only indicates that the device is currently trying to connect to the network.
This is why it’s recommended to wait for a few minutes to determine if the printer will get connected or if something went wrong, where the light will blink indefinitely.
When an HP printer won’t connect to WiFi and the wireless light is blinking, begin with a simple power cycle by disconnecting the printer from the power.
In case that doesn’t help, test alternative methods to connect to the WiFi or factory reset the HP printer.
Let’s continue to explore!
6 Reasons Why HP Printer WiFi Light Blinking?
Well, the HP printer won’t connect to the WiFi when there is an issue with the device or with the WiFi network.
The best way to identify the culprit would be to check all possibilities at once:
- The HP printer wireless setup is incorrect.
- There is a temporary fault in the network.
- The router’s WiFi is unstable and inconsistent.
- The provided WiFi password is incorrect.
- A fault with the HP printer firmware or OS.
- Power-related insufficiency or AC fluctuations.
How to Fix the Blinking WiFi Light on HP Printer Easily?
Now that we know why is the WiFi light blinking on my HP printer, it’s time to troubleshoot!
1. Set up HP Printer WiFi Correctly!
Connecting the HP printer to the WiFi is only possible after performing the initial setup, which is required after turning on the machine for the first time.
Then the WiFi light would be blinking as an indication that the HP printer is ready to be connected to the wireless network.
| How to Initialize the WiFi Setup on HP Printer? | ||
| Touchscreen Printers | No Touchscreen Printers | LaserJet (No Touchscreen) |
| On the display tap the Setup icon⚙️and then select the WiFi icon ᯤ. Next, enter the Network Setup, and choose “Restore Network Settings”. | Press and hold the wireless ᯤ symbol and the X (cancel) button for 5 seconds. | Again, hold the ᯤ + X buttons but wait until the attention light blinks. |
| How to Connect HP Printer to the WiFi? | ||
| Touch and No Touch Printers | WiFi-Protected (WPS) | Use the HP Smart App |
| Go into the Setup ⚙️and then select the WiFi ᯤ. Next, enter the Wireless SetupWizzard. Then, select the SSID and enter the correct password. | Press and hold the WPS button on the HP printer for 10 seconds. Within 2 minutes, press the WPS button on the router. | Download the HP smart app, set up the printer in the app, and connect to the WiFi. More about the HP app later in the guide. |
Info: In case the WiFi light on your HP printer is blinking regardless of how you’re connecting, then the issue is likely to be Wi-Fi-related.
2. Optimize Your WiFi Connection!
Sometimes the reason why HP printers won’t connect to the WiFi is due to inconsistency in the WiFi from the router/modem or access point.
There are several requirements in regard to the distance between both instances, as well as whether the WiFi is currently intact and working!
There are a few ways to optimize the WiFi and help your HP printer connect:
- Close the proximity between HP printer and access point.
- Disconnect other (unused) devices from the router’s WiFi.
- Power cycle the router by unplugging it from the wall outlet.
- Test the router’s WiFi by connecting through your smartphone.
When you’re ready and confident that your wireless network is working well, test whether the HP printer will not connect.
In case the WiFi light is still blinking indefinitely, well, the reason is most likely to be related to something else.
Let’s continue exploring the possibilities!
3. Exit “Sleep Mode” on HP Printer
Well, the sleep mode automatically puts the device into a lower power state after a preset time of inactivity.
The mode ultimately limits the printer’s functionality, which typically also disables the WiFi connectivity, as if the HP printer is fully turned off.
This is why after exiting the “Sleep Mode” by pressing the Power button once, the WiFi light will be blinking until the device connects.
How to Change Sleep Mode Timer?
In case your HP printer frequently enters Sleep Mode, which causes the WiFi light to blink quite often, you need to connect the printer to a computer via USB.
This is the only way to change the sleep timer settings, considering that you cannot connect to WiFi or the internet to do otherwise.
When the HP printer is connected to a Windows-operated computer:
- Go into the Control Panel from the Start Menu.
- Then select the Devices & Printers from the list.
- Next, choose the HP printer with the WiFi light.
- Click on Printer Properties, to locate Sleep Mode.
- Tip: It’s recommended to completely stop the mode.
Note: Test whether you’ll encounter the HP printer blinking WiFi light issue again!
4. Connect to a Different WiFi
Sometimes the HP printer’s WiFi light would blink indefinitely when you’ve recently made changes to your WiFi SSID, password, or frequency.
For example, if your printer only supports 2.4 GHz, any changes in the frequency to 5 GHz will result in a permanent blinking WiFi light.
The quickest way to determine whether the culprit is from your WiFi or from the HP printer would be to test connecting to a different WiFi.
If you have a smartphone with a personal hotspot, it’s easy to share a WiFi that you should attempt to connect your HP printer to.
These are the only two possible outcomes:
✅ If your HP printer connects to other WiFis, troubleshoot the access point.
✅ If your HP printer won’t connect to any WiFi, proceed with the next step!
5. Factory Reset the HP Printer!
Well, in case nothing helped, and the WiFi light on your HP printer is blinking indefinitely, one of the most-powerful solutions would be to perform a factory reset.
With the different HP printer models, the reset process is different so find the respective steps as per your printer model.
Alert: The factory reset process, erases all HP printer settings and configurations!
How to Factory Reset TouchScreen HP Printer?
- From the HP Printer control panel, tap the Setup ⚙️.
- Next, locate and tap on “Printer Maintenance”.
- Then, touch the “Restore” option from the menu list.
- Finally, select “Restore Factory Defaults” to begin.
- The HP printer will then start the factory restoration.
How to Factory Reset Non-TouchScreen HP Printer?
- Simply open the cartridge access door of your printer.
- Press and hold the Power + Wireless buttons.
- Hold both buttons together for about 10 seconds.
- Remain patient for about 1 minute until the printer resets.
How to Reset LaserJet Pro (CP1025 – CP 1025nw)?
- First, press the Power button to turn off the HP printer.
- Then, disconnect the power adapter from the outlet.
- Keep the printer disconnected for about 30 seconds.
- Plug the cable back into a proven electrical outlet.
- Press the Power + Resume buttons for 15 seconds.
- Wait for the “Attention” light with the “!” icon to light up.
- The Attention and Ready lights will cycle for a while.
Note: Once the HP printer is reset to factory defaults, you would need to carry out the initial setup from scratch.
6. Connect to WiFi via *HP Smart*
HP Smart is the official application for HP printer, which is available for Android and iOS devices.
The app allows connecting the HP printer to the WiFi by using Bluetooth in order to discover the printer and manually connect the device to the WiFi from the app.
In case you’ve never set up an HP printer with the HP smart app, follow the steps:
- Restore the printer network settings (follow the table at the start)
- Download and sign into the HP Smart app on your mobile!
- Connect your smartphone to the WiFi that will be used.
- Enable the Bluetooth as well as the Location Permission.
- In the HP Smart app, tap on “Add Printer” to start discovering.
- When your HP printer appears, select the device from the list.
- From the three options (WiFi, USB, or Network) select “WiFi”.
- Select a preferable 2.4 GHz WiFi by tapping on the SSID.
- Insert the password for the selected WiFi to connect the printer.
Note: In case none of the solutions helped, seek additional support at HP Customer Service!
Quick Recap:
Now that we’ve learned why is the WiFi light blinking on my HP printer, we know that this happens because the printer cannot connect to the WiFi.
The solution requires checking the WiFi connection as well as the HP printer for any power, settings, or functionality issues.
For more HP printer guides and solutions, follow our blog!
Read Next: Why Is My HP Printer Connected but Not Printing?
Finn Wheatley holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UCL, London. He helped small data science consultancy firms, helping large corporations to grow their data capabilities, deploy advanced machine learning-based analytics and troubleshoot tech-related issues. Check out more about him here.