my canon pixma tr8620a printer won't connect to wifi, keeps saying error. what gives?

Diagnosis

The Canon PIXMA TR8620a frequently encounters connectivity failures due to a fundamental hardware limitation: it is designed specifically for 2.4GHz wireless bands. Many modern "Smart" or Mesh routers utilize "Band Steering," which merges the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies into a single SSID. When the TR8620a attempts to handshake with the router, the router may try to force it onto the 5GHz band, causing the printer to time out and trigger a generic "Wireless Connection Error" or "Unable to connect to the network" message. Furthermore, this specific model is prone to "IP Address Conflict" or "DHCP Lease Expiration." If the printer has been powered off for an extended period, the router may have assigned its previous internal IP address to another device (like a smartphone or tablet). When the printer wakes up and tries to reclaim that address, the network rejects the request, resulting in a connection failure even if the password is correct. You can confirm this by checking the printer's Network Settings menu; if the IP address is listed as 0.0.0.0 or 169.254.x.x, the printer is failing to communicate with the router's DHCP server.

How to Fix It

1. Perform a Network Reset: On the printer's touch screen, navigate to the Setup (gear icon) menu. Select Device Settings > LAN settings > Reset LAN settings. Confirm the reset to clear any corrupted cached credentials.
2. Isolate the 2.4GHz Band: Access your router's admin panel via a web browser (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1). If you have "Smart Connect" or "Band Steering" enabled, disable it temporarily. Create a separate SSID specifically for 2.4GHz devices (e.g., "HomeWiFi_2.4G").
3. Manual Connection Entry: On the TR8620a control panel, go to LAN settings > Wi-Fi > Wi-Fi setup. Select Manual connect.
4. Credential Verification: Select your 2.4GHz SSID from the list. When prompted for the password, use the on-screen keyboard. Be extremely careful with capitalization; the TR8620a is case-sensitive. Ensure there are no trailing spaces at the end of the password.
5. Assign a Static IP: Once connected, go back to LAN settings > TCP/IP settings > IPv4 settings. Change the IP address assignment from "Auto" to "Manual." Assign an IP address high in your range (e.g., 192.168.1.200) to prevent future conflicts with other devices.

If That Didn't Work

• WPS Push Button Method: If manual entry fails, try the WPS method. Go to LAN settings > Wi-Fi > Wi-Fi setup > WPS (Push button). Within two minutes, press and hold the WPS button on your router for 3-5 seconds. This bypasses manual password entry and forces a direct handshake.
• Disable Firewall/MAC Filtering: Check your router's security settings. If MAC Address Filtering is enabled, the router will block the TR8620a regardless of the password. You must find the printer's MAC address in the LAN settings menu and add it to the router's "Allowed" list.
• Update Firmware via USB: A bug in the early TR8620a firmware caused intermittent Wi-Fi drops. Connect the printer to a PC using a USB cable and run the Canon update utility to ensure the internal network card is running the latest version.
• Change Wireless Channel: If you live in a crowded apartment complex, signal interference on Channel 6 or 11 can cause the printer to drop the connection. Log into your router and manually set the 2.4GHz channel to Channel 1 or 11 to reduce noise.

Heads Up

• Avoid Mesh "Dead Zones": The TR8620a has a relatively weak internal antenna. Ensure it is within 15 feet of the router or a mesh node; placing it inside a wooden cabinet or behind a metal filing cabinet will significantly degrade the signal.
• Power Cycle Sequence: If you change router settings, always reboot in this order: Router first, wait 2 minutes, then Printer. This ensures the printer requests a fresh IP address from a fully booted DHCP server.
• Avoid 5GHz SSID: Never attempt to connect this printer to a 5GHz-only network; it is physically incapable of seeing those signals and will result in a "Network Not Found" error.
• Sleep Mode Issues: If the printer frequently "disappears" from your computer, disable "IPv6" in the printer's LAN settings to stabilize the IPv4 connection.