Printers · Canon

Canon printer Wi-Fi: Wireless Direct and connection fixes

Canon printers can use different network setup methods. Supported models offer Wireless Direct, which connects a computer or phone to the printer without a router.

Wi-Fi
Check your printer’s exact model and region for supported Wi-Fi bands.
Security
Check the model’s network manual for supported security modes.
Models
PIXMA MG3020, PIXMA MG3022, G3090 series

Checked 2 November 2026. Canon inkjet network guidance, PIXMA MG3020/MG3022 and G3090 series Wireless Direct instructions, checked November 2026. Controls vary by model.

Wi-Fi it needs

A network printer can join a wireless router, allowing devices on the local network to print. Canon describes Wireless Direct as a separate connection from the device to the printer without a router.

When a device already using Wi-Fi connects to a printer with Wireless Direct, Canon says its connection to the wireless router is disconnected. Return to the normal network afterwards when needed.

Bands, security and the ability to scan or manage the printer over a direct connection vary by model. Consult the correct Canon manual before changing network settings.

For AirPrint, confirm that the printer supports the feature and that the Apple device and printer can communicate on the local network.

Set it up

For ordinary network printing, follow the printer’s model-specific setup to join the router. Then connect the Mac or phone to the same local network.

  1. Turn on the printer and complete its initial setup.

  2. Use the printer’s setup screen or Canon’s model-specific setup instructions.

  3. Select the intended wireless network and enter its password if asked.

  4. Connect the Mac or phone to the same local network.

  5. On a Mac, open System Settings › Printers & Scanners and add the printer.

Use Wireless Direct

Canon’s inkjet network guide describes a QR-code connection on supported printers and a manual connection using the SSID and password shown by the printer. Its menus and method vary by model.

For manual connection, enable Wireless Direct as the printer manual directs, select its displayed network on the device and enter the displayed password. A confirmation may appear on the printer.

Canon’s MG3020/MG3022 instructions use physical buttons instead of a display. Do not copy that button sequence to a different model without its manual.

How much data it uses

Check your printer’s documentation for any cloud or firmware feature you use, particularly on a capped network.

Canon’s cited network setup pages do not give a typical internet data-use figure for a print job. Local printing, cloud printing and updates may use different connections.

Guest, hotel and dorm Wi-Fi

Guest, hotel and campus Wi-Fi can isolate devices and prevent a phone or Mac from finding a network printer. Ask the network administrator whether local printing is supported.

Canon says supported PIXMA and MAXIFY models may offer Direct Connect or Access Point Mode if the printer and iOS device cannot use the same network. Consult the printer’s own instructions.

Wireless Direct switches the device away from its Wi-Fi router connection according to Canon. Save the printer’s network details securely and reconnect to the normal network after printing.

When it won’t connect

If the printer is missing, check power and the connection method before restoring any settings.

  1. Check that the printer is on and ready to print.

  2. For network printing, check the printer and Mac or phone use the same network.

  3. Check that the intended printer is selected in the print dialog.

  4. For Wireless Direct, select the printer’s displayed SSID and enter its password.

  5. Follow Canon’s instructions for the exact model if it remains unavailable.

A network name or password on another Canon model may not apply to yours. Use the information on the printer or its network information sheet.

When it keeps going offline

If a printer that previously worked appears offline, distinguish its connection from a problem in the print queue.

  1. Check power, paper and any error displayed on the printer.

  2. Check that the printer and Mac are still on the intended network.

  3. Inspect the Mac’s print queue for an error.

  4. Restart the printer and retry the job.

  5. Consult Canon’s model-specific support if it is still unavailable.

Restoring network settings may require reconnecting the printer. Keep the correct network details and model instructions available first.

Questions

Can a Canon printer connect without a router?

Supported models offer Wireless Direct. Canon says the device connects directly to the printer, without a wireless router.

Why did my Mac leave Wi-Fi when it joined the printer?

Canon says connecting through Wireless Direct disconnects the device’s existing connection to its wireless router. Reconnect to the usual network afterwards.

Sources

Checked on 2 November 2026.

See your network from your Mac

Kilobat is a Mac menu-bar app with a CLI and an MCP server for AI agents. It lists the devices on your Wi-Fi and says when a new one joins, keeps a history of the router’s and the internet’s health, scans nearby channels, and shows which app on your Mac is using the network. Read the docs.

Download for Mac ↓
brew install seifip/kilobat/kilobat