my hp tank 2604sdw printer screen just says 'scanning for network' forever and never connects to wifi, what do i do?

— asked by Taylor

Quick answer: Your printer's wireless setup is stuck in a loop, often caused by a mismatch between your router's 2.4GHz/5GHz network settings or a failed initial handshake.

Diagnosis

Your printer's wireless setup is stuck in a loop, often caused by a mismatch between your router's 2.4GHz/5GHz network settings or a failed initial handshake.

How to Fix It

Start with a full network reset on the printer. Go to the touchscreen: Setup > Network Setup > Restore Network Settings. Let the printer reboot. Then, reconnect using the HP Smart app on your phone/computer. During setup in the app, when it asks, connect your phone to the printer's direct "HP-Setup-xxx" Wi-Fi network—this method is more reliable than the touchscreen wizard.

If That Didn't Work

Your router might be blocking the connection. Temporarily disable the 5GHz band on your router (or give the 2.4GHz network a distinct name) and try the setup process again. The printer only works on 2.4GHz networks.

Heads Up

After connecting, if you add the printer to a computer via Windows "Add Printer," it may create a duplicate, non-functional entry. Always use the driver installed by the HP Smart app.

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