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Laptop Windows 11 not seeing wi fi printers

Anonymous
2024-02-23T15:05:10+00:00

I just purchased a new windows 11 laptop and now none of my wi fi printers can be seen, they can be seen on my desktop which is windows 10 but not the new laptop. I can see my neighbors printers that are DIRECT connection, but not my two. I restarted the spooler, turned the printers on and off, reset the router and still not being seen (they are being seen on my desktop just not my laptop). Both mine are served via wifi, on same network as my desktop and laptop. Printers are both connected by and wireless to the same router. The laptop is in the same room as the desktop and router. I can see them on my old lap top just not the new one. It is an Epson ET3850 Series printer and the other one is a Brother MFC-L2705DW. I tried updating drivers, downloading drivers from the manufacturer, still not seeing the printers. I am not tech savvy so any help would be appreciated.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Devices and drivers

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-03-27T02:56:24+00:00

    EUREKA! I found the solution to the problem of my computer not seeing the printer even though they were connected to the same network.

    Some system update must have changed the File and Printer Sharing setting. I did not initially think to check this, as I certainly did not change it myself. However, I found that it had been turned off, so I turned it back on and was able to reinstall the printer.

    BUT (there's always a 'but'), I do not know if my first problem, the intermittent loss of connection to the printer, will continue to occur. It will take time to determine that.

    2 people found this answer helpful.
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  2. Anonymous
    2025-03-26T14:59:07+00:00

    I still haven't found a solution, but I have more info on the problem.

    Logged into the router, I can see that the printer is connected at 2.4GHz, whereas our computers and our phones are connected via 5GHz. However, being on different Wi-Fi bands cannot be the problem because my computer can successfully ping the printer's IP. Also, I can print from my Android phone, and my wife can print from her iPhone.

    Because, as part of my effort to resolve this, I uninstalled the printer from my computer, I am now unable to use Windows Settings to add the printer or the Brother installation package. Both fail because Windows cannot see/find the printer.

    Therefore it must be a Windows 11 issue, but what???

    2 people found this answer helpful.
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  3. Anonymous
    2024-02-23T23:56:44+00:00

    I change the network to public and this will be my 4th attempt to get the computer to find the printer. I downloaded the driver and software from the Epson website. I get to the wi fi auto connect printer set up and then it gets almost to the end and says it failed. I have an excellent signal strength and am in the same room as the printer and the router.

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-02-23T16:17:32+00:00

    i tried that and it still did not work

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  5. Anonymous
    2024-02-23T16:07:00+00:00

    Check that your network profile is set to Private and not Public. (Settings / Network and Internet).

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