If your computer suddenly can’t find your printer on the network — even though the printer is powered on, connected to Wi-Fi, and worked fine yesterday — you’re dealing with one of the most common home and office printer problems. The good news: this almost never means something is broken. It’s usually a connection handshake issue between your device and the printer, and it’s fixable in a few minutes without reinstalling anything.

Here’s how to fix it on both Windows and Mac.

Why Your Printer Disappears From the Network

A few things typically cause this:

• IP address changed — most routers assign printers a new local IP address periodically, and your computer is still trying to reach the old one
• Printer and computer are on different networks — common with dual-band routers (2.4GHz vs 5GHz) or if your computer switched to a guest Wi-Fi network
• Printer went to sleep and dropped its Wi-Fi connection to save power
• Router firmware update or restart reset local network settings
• Windows/Mac network discovery is turned off, so devices can’t “see” each other even though both are online
• Printer driver is pointing to a stale network path left over from a previous connection

None of these require a reinstall — just a reconnect.

How to Fix “Printer Not Found” on Windows

Step 1: Confirm the Printer Is Actually on the Network

On the printer’s own control panel (or through its menu), check the Wi-Fi/network status. Most printers show a small Wi-Fi icon or let you print a Network Configuration Report that displays the current IP address. If Wi-Fi shows disconnected, reconnect the printer to your network first — nothing else will work until it’s back online.

Step 2: Confirm the Same IP Address

Compare the printer’s current IP address (from the report above) to the one saved in Windows:

1. Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners
2. Select your printer > Printer properties > Ports
3. Check the IP address listed there

If it doesn’t match what the printer is currently showing, that mismatch is your problem.

Step 3: Run the Printer Troubleshooter

1. Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters
2. Run Printer
3. Let Windows detect and repair the connection automatically

Step 4: Turn On Network Discovery

1. Open Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change advanced sharing settings
2. Under your current network profile, enable Turn on network discovery and Turn on file and printer sharing

Step 5: Remove and Re-Add the Printer (No Driver Reinstall Needed)

This refreshes the connection without touching the driver files:

1. Settings > Printers & scanners > select the printer > Remove device
2. Click Add device and let Windows rediscover it on the network
3. Send a test print

How to Fix “Printer Not Found” on Mac

Step 1: Check the Network Match

Make sure your Mac and printer are on the same Wi-Fi network — not a guest network, and not a 5GHz band if the printer only supports 2.4GHz (many budget printer models are 2.4GHz-only).

Step 2: Remove and Re-Add the Printer

1. System Settings > Printers & Scanners
2. Select the printer, click the – button to remove it
3. Click +, wait for it to appear under Nearby Printers, and select it
4. macOS will reconnect using AirPrint or the correct driver automatically

Step 3: Reset Printing System (If Still Not Found)

If the printer still won’t show up:

1. Right-click in the printer list and choose Reset printing system
2. Re-add the printer using Step 2 above

Step 4: Check Bonjour/mDNS Isn’t Blocked

If you’re on a mesh router or managed network, some routers block Bonjour/mDNS, the protocol Macs use to discover printers. Check your router settings for AP Isolation or Client Isolation — if it’s on, turn it off.

Still Not Found? Check These Router-Side Issues

• Router restarted recently → printer may need a manual reconnect to Wi-Fi
• Too many devices on the network → some routers silently drop older connections
• Printer set to a static IP that no longer matches your router’s subnet → check the printer’s network settings menu

FAQ

Why does my printer disappear from the network every few days?
This is almost always a changing IP address. Setting a DHCP reservation for the printer in your router settings (so it always gets the same IP) permanently fixes recurring drop-outs.

Do I need to reinstall the printer driver to fix this?
No. “Not found on network” is a connection issue, not a driver issue. Removing and re-adding the printer refreshes the connection without touching the driver.

My printer works with USB but not Wi-Fi — what’s wrong?
This points to the printer’s Wi-Fi connection itself, not your computer. Reconnect the printer to Wi-Fi directly from its control panel and confirm it gets a valid IP address before troubleshooting further on the computer side.

Can a firewall block my printer from being found?
Yes — third-party antivirus/firewall software sometimes blocks local network discovery. Temporarily disabling it to test is a quick way to confirm whether that’s the cause.

If you’ve gone through these steps and your printer still won’t show up on the network, Printer Setup Guide offers one-on-one remote support for $150 a session — we connect to your PC or Mac, fix the network connection, and confirm a successful test print, no reinstall required.