trying to set up my hp officejet pro 9015e but my computer is on ethernet, will that mess it up?

Diagnosis

The issue stems from a network discovery conflict between the HP Smart application and your computer's network interface priority. When a computer is connected via Ethernet, Windows and macOS often prioritize the wired connection for all data traffic. During the initial "handshake" phase of the HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e setup, the HP Smart app attempts to broadcast a discovery packet to find the printer's temporary internal setup signal. If the computer is locked to the Ethernet gateway, it may ignore the wireless broadcast, leading to a "Printer Not Found" error or a failure to pass the Wi-Fi credentials from the PC to the printer. To confirm this is the root cause, check your network adapter settings. If your Ethernet is active and your Wi-Fi is disabled or disconnected, the HP Smart software cannot "bridge" the gap to the printer's setup mode. The printer operates on a temporary 2.4GHz broadcast during setup; if your PC is only communicating via a wired RJ45 connection to the router, the software cannot communicate directly with the printer's wireless chip to tell it which SSID and password to use for the permanent home network.

How to Fix It

To successfully bridge the connection and complete the setup, follow these precise steps:

1. Ensure the HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e is in Setup Mode. If the blue wireless light is not blinking, go to the printer control panel, touch the Wireless icon, select Settings, and choose Restore Network Settings. This resets the wireless chip to its factory broadcast state.
2. On your computer, enable the Wi-Fi adapter. Do not unplug the Ethernet cable yet, but ensure your computer is connected to the exact same Wi-Fi network (SSID) that you intend for the printer to use.
3. Open the HP Smart app. If the printer is not appearing, click the Add Printer (plus sign) icon.
4. When the app asks to search for printers, it will now utilize the active Wi-Fi adapter to find the 9015e's setup signal. Select the printer from the list.
5. Follow the on-screen prompts to enter your Wi-Fi password. The app will send this credential over the air to the printer.
6. Once the blue wireless light on the printer turns solid (indicating a successful connection to the router), you can disable the Wi-Fi on your computer or leave it on. The printer is now a node on your network and can be accessed by your computer via the Ethernet cable because both are now connected to the same router/gateway.

If That Didn't Work

• Use the WPS Method: If the software continues to fail, bypass the computer entirely. Press and hold the Wireless button on the printer until the light blinks, then press the WPS button on your router within two minutes. Once the printer light is solid, return to the HP Smart app and select "Search for Printer" to link the already-connected device to your account.
• Temporary Ethernet Disconnect: In some rare cases, the OS network priority (Metric) is so skewed that the Wi-Fi adapter is ignored. Physically unplug the Ethernet cable from your PC, complete the entire HP Smart setup process via Wi-Fi, and then plug the Ethernet cable back in once the printer is fully registered and functional.
• Direct IP Printing: If the printer is on the network but the PC can't "see" it over Ethernet, find the printer's IP address from the Network Configuration page (printed via the printer menu). Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers > Add a Printer > The printer that I want isn't listed and select "Add a printer using a TCP/IP address." Enter the IP address manually to create a direct wired-to-wireless link.
• Check 2.4GHz vs 5GHz: The 9015e supports dual-band, but setup is most stable on 2.4GHz. If your router uses "Smart Steering" (one name for both bands), try temporarily disabling the 5GHz band in your router settings until the printer is successfully paired.

Heads Up

• HP+ Warning: If you opted for the "e" version (HP+), the printer requires a constant internet connection. If your Ethernet/Wi-Fi bridge fails, the printer may enter a "locked" state and refuse to print until the cloud connection is restored.
• Static IP Assignment: To prevent the "Printer Offline" error in the future, access the printer's Embedded Web Server (EWS) by typing its IP address into a browser and change the IP assignment from DHCP to Manual/Static.
• Firmware Updates: Immediately after setup, check for firmware updates in the HP Smart app. Early versions of the 9015e had known "wake-from-sleep" connectivity issues that were patched in later releases.
• Avoid USB Setup: Do not plug in a USB cable during the wireless setup process; this often confuses the driver and causes the computer to default to a "USB-only" mode, disabling wireless discovery.