Unable to connect to the wireless printer.
Unable to connect to the wireless printer.
We have a printer in our living room linked to a Deco mesh Wi-Fi network. It has a working IP address, and the network recognizes it as active. The main issue is that we can't ping the printer or send print jobs to it. Laptops nearby connected to the same network can't see it either. The problem began after we added the Deco AP. IP and MAC addresses match on both devices, but the Deco doesn’t detect any data going to or from the printer. Someone has a good idea about what’s happening and possible fixes. I’ve tried restarting the printer and laptops, but nothing resolves it. Eric the Grey
Other options are available at the provided link: https://community.tp-link.com/en/home/fo...pic/208550
Thanks for the update. I noticed that discussion when I first looked, but the situation was different (appeared then disappeared). It did offer some guidance that helped me find a partial fix. The laptops in the living room were connecting to the office AP instead of the Decoy, which resolved the printing issue from those devices. However, I still can't reach the printer from my office desktop—they're all on the same network, so it should be possible. Eric the Grey
So, I've got a thread over on the TP-Link forum as well. Working both threads at the same time. I think I may have hit upon the problem of cross-communication between them I wonder about the two different devices (our main wireless router, and the Deco) providing differing IP addresses. My desktop, for example, has a 169.168.0.x IP, while devices connected tot he Deco all have 192.168.68.xx IP addresses. Could that be the problem? If so, I'll have to wait for an answer from the Deco folks on how to change the device's IP offering. I don't see any way to change it. More than likely, I've just missed it, given that there appears no way to access the device from my desktop, only my phone. Eric the Grey
Is it certain the address begins with 169.x.y.z? It resembles an APIPA configuration. That makes sense. You're dealing with two separate networks that can't communicate based on their network segments. I believe the decoding devices are operating in their standard mesh setting. Try switching them to bridge or AP mode—they should connect to the same LAN as the main router, helping clients reach the printer more easily.
Smacking head! Not 169—it's 192.168.x.x. I should've typed it right. The Deco forum recommends switching to AP mode too. I thought mesh was best, but maybe I wasn't using all their tools. Checking the setup for AP now makes sense. Eric the Grey
The issue was resolved by switching the Deco to AP mode. A small issue arose during the reboot process—when switching modes it needs a full restart. My device didn’t come back automatically. I had to unplug and power cycle it before it functioned again. The fix worked, and I appreciate the help from others. Eric the Grey