How to restore wifi connection for HP LaserJet printer?

Wi-Fi Direct Setup

Status = Enabled

Wi-Fi Direct Name (SSID) = DIRECT-f8-HP M203 LaserJet

IP Address = 192.168.223.1

Wi-Fi Direct Password = 12345678

Wi-Fi Direct Channel = 6

Connected Clients = 0

That's a breakthrough.

What you have to do next can be a little confusing. On your Mac's menu bar, click the Wi-Fi icon. There should be a network with the name corresponding to that printer's Wi-Fi Direct Name (SSID): DIRECT-f8-HP M203 LaserJet. Select it.

If you connect to that network, it will take you to that EWS page. You may be prompted for its password, which is also shown as 12345678. Once you can finally load that page, you should be able navigate through whatever options appear on it for the purpose of changing its IP address from whatever it is (192.168.223.1) to what I suggest: something like 10.0.1.100 would be a good idea.

While you do that, bear in mind your Mac will not be connected to the Internet. It will be communicating only with the printer. Nothing else.

When those changes are finally input, accepted, and applied (using whatever terminology it uses for "apply") you will then be disconnected from that webpage. In other words it will appear to become unresponsive because that page no longer resides at its previous address. The EWS page may or may not warn you that is what is going to happen, but when it happens, click your Mac's Wi-Fi icon again and choose your usual wireless network. That will restore your ability to connect to the Internet as you usually do.

The printer may need a moment or two to restart.

Then, you ought to be able to type 10.0.1.100 in Safari's URL field, and the EWS page should reappear. Or, at your option, you should be able to use the HP Easy Start program that could not find your printer last time.

If something goes wrong then be prepared to repeat all the above, come back here and post a reply describing your status.

Not surprising; it simply isn't communicating yet. Did you try simply restarting your Time Capsule? If not do that first: unplug it and wait a moment or two, then plug it back in. While you wait, you might as well do the same with the printer. If that doesn't work, keep reading.

Your task is to determine the printer's IP address in lieu of HP's decidedly unhelpful printed page, allegedly intended to contain that information. You will need that address to do anything with it. Don't despair just yet.

On your Mac, open  (Apple menu) > System Preferences... > Network. Your Mac's active network connection should already be selected, and it's almost certain to be Wi-Fi. Select it if it is not already selected. Adjacent to Status, it should indicate Connected, and should indicate your Mac's IP address. Make note of it, then close System Preferences. It may be useful later, for when I run out of ideas.

Next, open the Terminal app. it's in your Mac's Utilities folder. Find Terminal by selecting Utilities from the Finder's Go menu, or use Spotlight.

At the Terminal prompt, type

arp -a

... followed by the Return or Enter key. Several lines of text will appear, bearing the IP addresses of all the devices on your local network. They will be accompanied by their MAC addresses (an acronym for Media Access Control). One of them will correspond to the printer you're attempting to configure. It's a long string of digits that will be on a label affixed to the printer (somewhere). If you can find that MAC address, the IP address corresponding to it is the one you need to use to communicate with that printer.

Assuming you can't find that label, and making note of those IP addresses in Terminal, try each one of them by typing them in Safari's URL field.

For example, if an IP address is shown as 10.0.1.23 then type it like so:

Most of the results will resemble the above example (which doesn't happen to be Safari). Try the next one in the list. Continue until you find one that loads a printer configuration page. That would be its Embedded Web Server or EWS as its instructions call it.

I don't believe it is AirPrint-enabled either. Follow all the applicable instructions in that Apple Support document, those under "if your printer isn't AirPrint-enabled". Make sure your Mac's software is up to date as it describes in Step 3.

If necessary, use the HP "Easy Start" setup program available for download from HP's website, here: https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/swdetails/hp-laserjet-pro-m203-printer-series/9365400/model/9365402/swItemId/mp-166618-10

Under more ways to find and add a printer, that Apple Support document describes adding a printer "by IP address". You can designate a static IP address in your printer, usually with a front panel setting or with a printer's designated setup utility, and as Rudegar wrote that's a good idea for printers as well as anything else that is not portable like your Mac. I think you will need to use HP's dedicated setup utility to do that, since its front panel does not appear to be useful for that purpose. Be sure to designate an IP address within the TC's subnet. By default it creates a network in the range 10.0.1.xxx so I suggest designating a static IP address well above anything it is likely to assign by DHCP.

Refer to its instructions, here:  HP LaserJet Pro M118-M119, M203-M205, Ultra M206 - User Guide

If all that sounds confusing and tedious, that's because it is. It's also the reason Apple only supports AirPrint-enabled printers, which require no drivers and simply work just by turning them on. Other printers need to follow the instructions for a printer that isn't AirPrint-enabled, which are tedious by comparison.

Read the printer's manual, page 74. It describes how to print a network configuration page, including its IP address. You can use that address to add that printer "by IP address": Step 4 in more ways to find and add a printer.

Thanks again. I must take a break - I've been struggling with this for the last 4 hours!

Understood. It's tedious and confusing and the reason Apple doesn't want to support anything other than AirPrint these days.

I don't know why HP makes this so horrendously difficult.

At this point I agree you should abandon that approach and attempt setup using a USB cable instead of Wi-Fi. Connect it that way and launch the HP Easy Start program again. Once you are able to communicate with the printer's internal setup procedure you should be able to designate an IP address for the printer, select Wi-Fi for its connection method (or whatever HP calls wireless) and disconnect the USB cable.

The cable you describe is fine. Are you sure you don't already have one? They are usually already included with printers that have USB ports.

Start here: If you can't print from your Mac or iOS device - Apple Support. There are two major subsections: one for AirPrint-enabled printers and another for those that are not, so providing your HP printer's exact model designation would help.

Printer Sharing is the ability for your Mac to share the printer it uses. It's not related.

Solved: How do I cold reset a Laserjet Pro M203dw - HP ...

Click that link, and you will find "Solved! Go to Solution" which takes you to the following:

NVRAM Initialization

• With the device off, depress and hold the [Go] button.
• Power on the device and hold [GO] button for 20 seconds. When the ready led turns on, release the [GO] button.

Read the follow-up questions which asked where the GO button is, asking if they meant the power button. They were not answered.

Other, similar questions on that forum led to that same answer, with a few suggesting the GO button = the Resume or Continue button. You'd think HP would know their own products, right? Apparently not.

The other question described the same problem you're having... the EWS page could not be found. The HP employee "Rainbow23" suggested contacting HP support by following this link: www.hp.com/contacthp which is not my idea of fun either.

If you don't get anywhere that HP support forum might be a better place to get help with that printer, but if my brief perusal of that site is any indication it may just cause you more frustration.

I found one solution posted on this HP customer support forum: Solved: How do I cold reset a Laserjet Pro M203dw - HP ...

It's very similar to the problem you're experiencing... the printer's IP address couldn't be found, so try it.

Another one suggested contacting HP's phone support line. I wouldn't wish that upon anyone, but it might be necessary.

I doubt the DVD is going to help. Configuration CDs and DVDs are usually outdated by the time you get them, and really ought just to be thrown in the trash.

I doubt you will ever get human assistance from HP.

The screenshot is not an Internet page. It is from the "HP Easy Start" program I downloaded from the link I provided to you.

Yes, by "resetting the printing system" you will delete all existing printers, as it states. You will need to add your other printers again too.

That certainly sounds confusing. I suggest you post some screenshots so that others can see what you're seeing. To learn how to capture, edit (if necessary) and post a screenshot to this site refer to the Appendix in Writing an effective Apple Support Communities Question.

OK, in Sys Prefs>Network, highlight Wifi, click Advanced, in the TCP/IP tab, what is the IP there?

It asked me to access & dl an HP Smart app ("available from Apple") which I absolutely have been unable to locate to dl!

I wouldn't know were to find such a thing either.

When I go to HP, and I go to "How to setup a printer" I cannot get anyplace.

I assume you are using the "HP Easy Start" program I suggested. Describe where you're getting stuck. For example, I am able to get this far:

That's as far as I can go because I no longer have any HP printers. Describe what happens after you click Continue.