Asking “why is the WiFi light blinking on my HP printer”? Fear not, because you’ve just discovered the ultimate guide to an HP printer WiFi functionality where you’ll learn everything you need to know and successfully establish a connection.
If the WiFi light on your HP printer is blinking, then this means that either your Printer is trying to connect to the WiFi or the WIFi is too weak. To fix the light, you must make sure that your printer is close enough to your router and troubleshoot your network.
Let’s first learn more about what could cause the WiFi light on your HP printer to flash or blink constantly.
Why Is The WiFi Light Blinking On My HP Printer?
First of all, it is good to ensure that your network’s WiFi is active. If your printer’s LED just started doing this, there is most likely to be an issue with your network.
Sometimes a possible outage or maintenance by the ISP could cause the WiFi light on your printer to blink because it simply cannot connect.
Let’s stop guessing any further and take a look at ALL possibilities:
1. Too Slow WiFi
If your network WiFi is unbearably slow, your printer won’t be able to connect in the first place and the light will blink.
2. Too Far Away
A large distance between your printer and router will weaken the signal once it has reached, thus, your printer’s LED will blink.
3. Network Issue
A potential issue with the network itself, might cause the LED on your HP printer to blink because it’s trying to reconnect.
4. Outdated Firmware
Out of date firmware of your HP printer might prevent your HP printer from connecting.
5. Faulty Data
Like every other device, your printer has its own operating system which if impacted with corrupted files, might prevent the WiFi connection.
Having that said, let’s proceed with the best solutions we’ve managed to extract from users that have been dealing with the same problem as you do!
How To Fix HP Printer WiFi Light Blinking?
Printers are usually hard to deal with when it comes to connecting them to WiFi.
Any change in WiFi password, router or simply a power outage might disconnect your printer which in most cases will NOT re-connect on its own.
In that regard, our solutions are designed to tackle each possibility until the issue is solved.
Solution #1 Hard Reset Your Printer
It is meaningless to proceed any further without rebooting your printer first. This is why our first solution is going to teach you how to discharge your printer, via the hard reset process.
To apply a hard reset to your HP printer, follow these steps:
- Unplug your printer’s power adapter from the source.
- Wait for at least 5 minutes in order for the printer to discharge.
- Plug the power adapter back into the source and turn ON your printer.
Wait until the printer is fully running and if the WiFi light is still blinking, proceed with the next solution.
Solution #2 Reconnect Your Printer With The WiFi
If you’re still wondering why is the WiFi light flashing on my HP printer maybe it’s simply not connected yet. Generally, HP printers have two ways of connecting with WiFi.
They will either have a WPS button that will directly work with your router or will have a control panel with an in-built WiFi scanner.
Depending on whether your router has a WPS button or not, check out the steps below to reconnect your printer with the WiFi.
Reconnect Using The WPS Button
If both your HP printer and router have a WPS button, follow the steps below to reconnect your printer:
- Press the WPS button on your HP printer once until it starts blinking at a slow pace.
- On your router and press the WPS button located on the panel.
- Once the WPS button on your printer is fully lit up, press it once to confirm the connection.
Reconnect Using The Built-In Panel
If your HP printer doesn’t have a WPS button but instead is equipped with a built-in control panel, follow these steps to reconnect with the Wi-Fi:
- Press the display of your printer to activate it.
- Click on the menu and head to the WiFi settings.
- Wait for several seconds for it to scan for WiFi networks.
- Once detected, click on your network and enter the security key.
- Press the confirm button at the bottom.
If your printer still does not want to connect to the WiFi and the light is still blinking, then you should target your network next.
Solution #3 Troubleshoot Network
If your printer is unable to reconnect with the WiFi, perhaps the issue is with your network.
Often, when maintenance is going on, this issue could occur, but under every other circumstance, there are simple approaches to troubleshooting your network.
Pro Tip: Take your smartphone and test if it will connect to the WiFi. If not, proceed with the network solutions below:
Hard Reset Your Router
Unplug the router’s power adapter for 5 minutes. Once the router feels cold on touch, replug the power adapter and turn it on.
Reconnect ALL Cables
In your router’s configuration, reconnect all Ethernet connections, the internet supplying cable, and the power adapter. Make sure to plug the cables tightly.
Remove Interference
Remove any solid objects that are obstructing the antennas or any RF transmitters that are in close proximity to your router. Place the router at the highest point possible in the room.
Solution #4 Relocate The Printer
If the fault wasn’t found with the network, then we suggest choosing a different place for your printer.
Often, based on your WiFi frequency, you must place your devices accordingly in order for them to receive a good signal.
Here is a brief explanation of the WiFi frequencies:
2.4GHz
This type of signal will travel through more solid objects and walls due to its lightweight. However, its strength is greatly decreased compared to other frequencies.
5GHz
This type of signal is well-known for being the strongest signal, but will not travel well through walls.
If your printer and router are one wall away from each other, with a 5GHz network, you may not be getting good WiFi on your printer.
How Do I Create Different WiFi Frequencies?
To create a WiFi frequency, go to 192.168.1.1 in your browser and use “admin” and “password” for login credentials.
Once in the router settings, go to the Network tab and click on “Add WiFi’‘. Follow the on-screen steps and set a frequency by your willing.
According to your type of network, place your printer in the correct spot in order to greatly increase the WiFi signal it will be getting.
Solution #5 Reset The HP Printer
Lastly, if the issue is still there, we recommend factory resetting your printer. This will solve any unidentified WiFi receiver issues and hopefully help your printer connect.
Here is how to perform a factory reset on your HP printer easily:
- On your printer screen, go to “Setup”.
- Click on “Tools”.
- Tap “Restore Defaults”.
- Confirm and wait.
Your printer will restart and once it is done, you will be able to re-apply the settings you were using before. Connect to the WiFi and check if the issue is still there.
Tip: Share a hotspot from your smartphone to check if the problem is with the printer or your WiFi.
To fix an HP printer’s WiFi light, first hard reset the printer and troubleshoot the network. Next, try connecting the printer to WiFi again and if it does not work, perform a factory reset.
Read Next: Can A Wifi Router Get a Virus?
Bottom Line:
Now that you know why is the WiFi light blinking on my HP printer, we hope that you will be able to troubleshoot the issue with our easy solutions.
Even if you find it challenging at some point, don’t hesitate to contact HP and get the case enveloped even further.
Kevin has over five years of experience working in various Tech startups and providing Technical solutions. He has contributed to many Tech publications and websites.
