I'm working with a Windows 11 Pro machine that's connected to the internet via Wi-Fi and Ethernet. In my office, I have two Brother Wi-Fi printers. All my other Windows devices (one on 11 and two on 10) can see printer 1, but only four out of five machines can access printer 2. When I try to connect the problematic computer to printer 2, it usually doesn't recognize it, despite my efforts. I've tinkered with settings like network discovery and even assigned it a static IP address. Once, I got it to see the printer while on the 5GHz Wi-Fi network but it only showed generic driver options, which locked up the interface when I tried to update them. I'm not sure if it's a network setting issue, as both printers are supposed to be discoverable. Does anyone have suggestions to resolve this and get the computer to properly communicate with printer 2?
5 Answers
You might want to try restarting the print spooler service. Open your command prompt as an admin and type in `NET STOP SPOOLER` followed by `NET START SPOOLER`. It can help resolve some printer detection issues – I had similar luck with an old Epson printer.
Have you tried completely removing printer 2 and setting it up from scratch? Sometimes, just re-running the setup can help fix recognition issues. It sounds like you've been through a lot already, but it's worth another shot! If it doesn’t work this time, don’t forget to check if the drivers are completely up to date.
Make sure that both printers have the same network settings. Sometimes, the differences between networks can cause connectivity issues. Try setting both printers to the same frequency band or see if there’s a firmware update available.
It’s odd that printer 2 isn’t being seen when printer 1 works just fine. Have you checked that both printers use the same driver? I've found that sometimes compatibility issues arise when different drivers are in play.
If all else fails, consider wiring up both printers directly if it's an option for you. I know it's a hassle, but sometimes a direct connection can save a lot of troubleshooting time.
Running Ethernet cables across the office isn't really practical for us. We can’t risk tripping hazards with long cables. I really need to fix this Wi-Fi connectivity issue first.
But there's literally nothing to delete since it never got successfully added! It's just not being seen by that computer.