computer often can't find printer

Not too long ago I switched ISP's. Now I have a new and different Modem and Router. I've learned a fair amount about the setup on the router and nothing seems to be too earth shaking. But something's not right between the main computer (macbook pro retina) with which I usually request prints of whatever and the Epson printer to which I connect to print.

I try to print and I get a "printer not connected" error on the mac. Sometimes I can simply delete that print queue, try again and it will work on a 2nd or 3rd try. Sometimes that doesn't work but turning the printer off and back on will work. And if those attempts fail, and sometimes I try this from the start, is I restart the mac itself and after a restart the connection between the mac and the printer (all wireless by the way) works just fine and I can print.

Even when I can't print, clearly the mac is on the network as I can do everything else with it over the network. And I can always ping the printer and that ping works. But printing does not, more often than not.

I've tossed the printer setup and started again but that doesn't seem to help.

Any ideas how it is that both the mac and the printer are on the network but they fail when it comes to one sending data to the other for the purposes of printing????

thanks... bob