i just set up my 7602 and it won't connect to wifi, the light just blinks and it fails every time.

Diagnosis

The connectivity failure on the HP Smart Tank 7602 is typically rooted in a "handshake" failure between the printer's wireless card and modern dual-band routers. Most contemporary routers use a feature called "Smart Steering" or "Band Steering," which broadcasts both 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies under a single SSID. While smartphones and laptops can switch between these seamlessly, the 7602's network interface often struggles to negotiate the connection, leading to the blinking wireless icon and a timeout error in the HP Smart app.

Additionally, this issue is frequently exacerbated by security protocol mismatches. If your router is set to WPA3 only, the printer may fail to authenticate. To confirm this is the issue, check if the blinking light is a slow pulse (searching) or a rapid flash (connection error). If the HP Smart app reports "Printer Not Found" despite the printer being in setup mode, the device is likely trapped in a loop trying to authenticate with the 5GHz band, which it cannot physically support.

How to Fix It

To resolve this, you must isolate the 2.4GHz frequency and reset the printer's network state to ensure a clean pairing process. Follow these exact steps:

1. Reset Network Settings: On the printer's control panel, press and hold the Information button (i) for five seconds until the control panel lights up. Press and hold the Wireless button and the Cancel button (X) simultaneously for five seconds. The power button will blink, indicating the network settings have been restored to factory defaults.
2. Isolate the 2.4GHz Band: Access your router's admin console via a web browser (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1). Navigate to "Wireless Settings" and disable "Smart Steering" or "Band Steering." Rename the 2.4GHz band to something distinct, such as "Home_WiFi_2G," while leaving the 5GHz band as is.
3. Adjust Security Protocol: Ensure your router's security is set to WPA2-PSK (AES). If it is set to WPA3, change it to "WPA2/WPA3 Mixed Mode" to ensure the printer can communicate.
4. Re-run HP Smart Setup: Open the HP Smart app on your mobile device. Ensure your phone is connected to the newly created "Home_WiFi_2G" network. Select "Add Printer" and follow the prompts. When asked for the password, enter the password for the 2.4GHz network.
5. Finalize Connection: Once the wireless light stops blinking and remains solid blue, the printer is successfully bridged to the network.

If That Didn't Work

• Use Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS): If the app continues to fail, use the physical WPS button on your router. Press the Wireless button on the printer until the light blinks, then press and hold the WPS button on your router for 3-5 seconds. This bypasses the app's handshake and forces a direct hardware-level connection.
• Disable VPN and Firewalls: If you are using a VPN (like NordVPN or ExpressVPN) or a strict third-party firewall (like Norton or McAfee) on your laptop/phone, disable them entirely during the setup process. These services often mask the device's IP address, preventing the HP Smart app from "seeing" the printer on the local subnet.
• Assign a Static IP: If the printer connects but frequently drops, go into your router's DHCP settings and assign a "Static IP" or "Address Reservation" to the printer based on its MAC address. This prevents the router from assigning a new IP that the printer cannot track.
• Update Firmware via USB: Connect the printer to a PC via a USB cable. Download the latest firmware update from the HP support site. An outdated firmware version can cause instability with newer Wi-Fi 6 routers.

Heads Up

• Avoid Mesh Dead Zones: If you use a Mesh system (like Eero or Google Nest), place the printer within 15 feet of the primary node during setup; once connected, you can move it to its permanent location.
• Power Cycle Sequence: If the printer loses connection after a power outage, always reboot the router first, wait 2 minutes, and then reboot the printer to ensure the DHCP lease is properly assigned.
• Ink Valve Warning: While troubleshooting connectivity, do not move the printer excessively. Ensure the ink valves are closed if you are transporting the unit to a different room to avoid ink leakage into the internal circuitry.
• App Permissions: Ensure the HP Smart app has "Local Network" permissions enabled in your smartphone's privacy settings, otherwise, it will never find the printer regardless of the Wi-Fi signal.