Wifi printer can't connect with Powerline Wifi

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Wifi printer can't connect with Powerline Wifi

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26 Reply
Re:Wifi printer can't connect with Powerline Wifi
2016-02-03 23:03:53
Are you by any chance setting wireless to N-only? According to http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c01996606, page 23, 802.11b/g wireless networking


No, I have the WPA422 set to mixed (bgn) mode. It actually configured itself that way during cloning.

One update: I reset the Wireless Key Update Period to 3600 from 86400 (the setting from cloning) to match the setting on my router and my printer has remained connected and accessible for almost 5 days. Before I made that change, it never stayed connected for more than a bit over 2 days. I continue to have my fingers crossed.

Edit to add: Never mind. After 5 days, the printer is no longer visible to my laptop. Back to the drawing board.
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#12
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Re:Wifi printer can't connect with Powerline Wifi
2016-02-05 06:30:51
Ok. So the printer does see and pair with router or AP, but does not stay paired.
Have you tried static IP's?
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#13
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Re:Wifi printer can't connect with Powerline Wifi
2016-02-05 07:14:48

Almaretto wrote

Ok. So the printer does see and pair with router or AP, but does not stay paired.
Have you tried static IP's?


No, not yet. I'm in contact with TP-Link support, and they advise changing the wireless encryption from "Automatic" to "AES". I did that last night, and I kept the key update period to 3600 (default is 86400). Support says that if changing to AES doesn't work, I need to send it back for another one. That's a hassle; I've tossed the packaging, etc.

Regarding IP address of printer, I've always allowed this to be set by the DHCP server in the router (the WPA4220 does not assign IP addresses), but the address is always the same: 192.168.1.111. Most of my devices end up getting the same IP address over and over. I will try to set a static address outside the DHCP range next if the support fix doesn't work and before I send it back.

I've looked around for other options that extend wifi through powerline, and they all seem to come as kits, including the equivalent of a PA4010. I know these things are supposed to interoperate, but I wonder if that's really true. When I send this one back (or toss it in the garbage), I'll get another brand.

By the way, this problem only affects my printer. All other devices connect and work just fine. I have a house guest right now and she has 3 wifi devices, all of which connected flawlessly with the WPA4220. I'm not understanding what could be different about the printer. Moreover the printer worked just fine when I used a Hawkings range extender awhile back. I quit using that when it quit working.

Thanks for the suggestion.
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#14
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Re:Wifi printer can't connect with Powerline Wifi
2016-02-05 16:21:45
I just asked about static ip because two common issues to cause things not to work are ip conflicts as well as one or the other device (AP/connected device) to have some kind of power saver function. There are some threads on here about turning off power-save function. The fact that your device worked throughout the lease period and then did not is very suggestive.

I do not tend to like using "automatic" settings, whether is it security or channel. I agree with support that specifically setting to supported protocols is best.

I agree it is strange that the printer is the only device that is having issues. One of my printers is an HP, but I have it hardwired, through a network extender feeding through a router. When I had it set to wifi, sometimes I could access the internal print server but it would not scan or print.

Hopefully the new settings work for you. The other thing you could try is hard wiring printer; you can still print wirelessly to "networked" printer.

As far as interoperativity, as long as you buy something that is HomePlug AV, it works. For example, Zyxel, Trendnet, and TP-link are HomePlug AV products. Netgear is not.
Some studies do show that if you mix HomePlug AV and HomePlug AV2, the HomePlug AV devices can slow the network down.
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#15
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Re:Wifi printer can't connect with Powerline Wifi
2016-02-05 23:23:14
The fact that your device worked throughout the lease period and then did not is very suggestive.


This is the part I don't get. When the lease period is set at 86400 (1 day), the printer stays accessible to my wirelessly connected PC for just over 2 days. When I change the lease period to 3600 to match the router, it stays connected for 5 days.

By the way, the printer is always visible in the WPA4220's web interface as if it's connected to it, but it ceases to be visible to my wirelessly connected PC after a period. It's always visible to ethernet connected PCs.

One of my printers is an HP, but I have it hardwired, through a network extender feeding through a router.


Unfortunately, my printer doesn't have an ethernet port or I would hardwire it. I'd rather not connect it via USB to a nearby PC and "share" it through Windows.

So, in summary, the problem is that the wirelessly connected printer is not visible to wirelessly connected devices after a period, the length of which seems (to me) to have nothing to do with the lease period. Everything I've tried so far impacts all connected devices, not just the printer. This leads me to think that it must be something associated with the printer that needs to be changed -- something that's different between the way the old Hawking used to connect to it versus the WPA4220. Maybe switching to a static IP will do it. That will be my next move.

I appreciate you sticking with me on this. I'm running out of ideas .

Edit to add: After 1 day, printer is not visible to my wirelessly connected PC, so the change to AES from Automatic had a negative effect. I've now changed the printer to a static IP address and reset the wireless encryption back to Automatic. I've left the lease period on both the router and the WPA4220 at 3600. I'll report back any findings.
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#16
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Re:Wifi printer can't connect with Powerline Wifi
2016-02-06 16:24:13

FrogFan wrote


Edit to add: After 1 day, printer is not visible to my wirelessly connected PC, so the change to WEP from Automatic had a negative effect. I've now changed the printer to a static IP address and reset the wireless encryption back to Automatic. I've left the lease period on both the router and the WPA4220 at 3600. I'll report back any findings.


AES or WEP? I would stick to WPA2-Personal/ AES.
That is unfortunate you cannot hardwire. That is the trouble with multi-device user manuals. I saw ethernet connection as option but guess it is not all models covered.
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#17
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Re:Wifi printer can't connect with Powerline Wifi
2016-02-06 23:17:01
AES or WEP? I would stick to WPA2-Personal/ AES.


Sorry, AES. Too many acronyms! (I also corrected my previous post.)

I set it back to WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK with encryption set to "Automatic". With a static printer IP address outside the router's DHCP range, it's been connected and visible for almost 1 day.
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#18
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Re:Wifi printer can't connect with Powerline Wifi
2016-02-07 15:38:26

FrogFan wrote

Sorry, AES. Too many acronyms! (I also corrected my previous post.)

I set it back to WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK with encryption set to "Automatic". With a static printer IP address outside the router's DHCP range, it's been connected and visible for almost 1 day.


Okay. Hopefully it maintains.
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#19
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Re:Wifi printer can't connect with Powerline Wifi
2016-02-11 08:05:16
Well, after 5 days, I can no longer ping the printer from a wireless device, so switching to a static IP address had no impact. I'm now going to change the lease period to zero from 3600 and try again. There has been no further contact with TP-Link support. Apparently they've lost interest.

At some point, I'm going to try some other brand. I'm growing tired of this.
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#20
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Re:Wifi printer can't connect with Powerline Wifi
2016-02-11 15:18:22

FrogFan wrote

Well, after 5 days


Do you have to power cycle devices or completely re-setup network to get it working again?
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#21
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