Wifi Network Dropped my Printer

[BobH]

I must start this post with apologies for having been so needy of late. I think I've posted more questions in the last week or 10 days than in many prior months combined.

I have a wifi network run off a T-Mobile service access point device. I had the printer installed on the network and functioning. Today, it appears in Settings but is shown as not connected. Try as I might, I can find no way to connect it. Of course, I can try to delete it then add it back to the network, but I thought there might be things I need to know before doing so.

I searched and found several youtube videos purporting to tell one how to view devices on the network. Running the command interface as administrator should allow one to enter 'net view' and see devices on the network. I did that and found nothing, yet I know that I have a dozen or more devices on the network, all of which continue to work. Further, the command "arp .a" should provide IP addresses. This failed to show any.

Making commands work is a minor side note. I mention them to show what I've tried already. What I really need to know is if there is any way to reconnect the printer (Brother HL-2270DW) from Settings. I'd also like to know what caused it to drop out of the network.

I'm feeling snakebit. (We need a smiley for that.) It's as if all I've ever learned has drained away.




UPDATE:
I removed the printer and re-added it successfully. We have printed from multiple devices.

I think I discovered why it was dropped from the network. About a week ago we awoke to the Internet being down. Something unknown to us knocked out our T-Mobile access point device. Powering it off and then on reset it and we regained connection to the 'Net. When this happened, we also had a problem with our Nest wifi thermostat. Again, powering off and back on re-established the connections. I didn't check the printer then and haven't had occasion to print anything until today. It didn't come to mind, at first, that we had experienced the service drop a week ago.

I think this was the reason the network lost connection to the printer.

(Posted in case some future user is searching for answers.)

[StuartR]

I wonder if the printer was given a new IP address after the router restarted. Do you know what address it is using now?

[BobH]

Thanks for asking the question, Stuart. I started looking only to find that the printer had been disconnected from the network yet again. Apparently, there was an update - or a power failure - during the night as I found my system without the usual apps that I leave open. I STILL don't know how to reconnect the printer without removing and reinstalling it. I guess that's a question for Microsoft. Equally, I don't know why the printer is not reconnected when the system is recovered and Windows opened. In the past, that connection was not lost.

I was able to run the "arp /a" command (as administrator) successfully with the results shown.

arp a IP addresses.png

Here is a screenshot of information discovered while reinstalling the printer showing the IP address as 192.168.12.161

printer ip address.png

From the arp command results I infer that the IP address assigned is dynamic, although the command and results came before I reinstalled the printer. Does the fact that the printer's IP address is shown as dynamic indicate that the device at that address will not be connected automatically when Window starts? Must a static IP address be assigned for automatic connection at startup? Can the user make ann IP address static?

Where is that snakebit smiley?

[StuartR]

I would try assigning a static address

[RonH]

We use an HP Printer and often got WiFi disconnection when some updates (don't know what) are actioned by Microsoft. So, instead of installing the HP printer control we opted to use the one offered by Microsoft. No issues since.

[StuartR]

I use the HP provided drivers with my HP printer and have had no issues since I fixed the printer IP address at the router.

[tony3]

Try rebooting the router and printer, looking for firmware updates, or renewing the printer's connection to the network if your printer is losing connection to the Wi-Fi network. Rebooting frequently restores stability.

[BobH]

My network is run by a T-Mobile Gateway device that acts as both cable modem and router. It works fairly well but one cannot make any router changes, not even DNS choices.

FWIW, I was able to get the printer back online; but I've slept more than twice since, so I couldn't tell you what finally worked.

Thanks for the suggestions.