--- title: "HP printer Wi-Fi: setup, Wi-Fi Direct and printing from a Mac: a practical guide" url: "https://kilobat.app/devices/hp-printer" description: "Connect an HP printer to Wi-Fi or use Wi-Fi Direct on a Mac, set up AirPrint and troubleshoot a printer that cannot be found." --- Printers · HP # HP printer Wi-Fi: setup, Wi-Fi Direct and printing from a Mac HP wireless printers can join a local Wi-Fi network; supported models can also connect directly to a Mac with Wi-Fi Direct. The exact controls depend on the printer. Wi-Fi Check your printer’s model specifications for supported Wi-Fi bands. Security Check the supported Wi-Fi security in your printer’s manual. Setup network Wi-Fi Direct names begin with `DIRECT` followed by the printer name or series. App HP app Models DeskJet, ENVY, OfficeJet, LaserJet **Checked 2 November 2026.** HP’s Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct and Mac AirPrint setup guidance, checked November 2026. Check your printer model for its supported features. ## Wi-Fi it needs For ordinary network printing, connect the printer and Mac to the same local network. HP’s Mac setup instructions also offer a direct USB connection. Wireless bands and security differ by model. Look up your printer’s specifications before changing the router. If the printer only supports one band, the router needs to provide that band. Wi-Fi Direct is a separate direct connection between the printer and Mac. Its network name and password are not necessarily the same as those of your router. HP offers guided setup through the HP app. Follow the instructions for your printer, especially when restoring network settings: this replaces its current network configuration. **Kilobat can help.** `kilobat scan` lists the networks around your Mac with their band and channel, so you can see whether yours is on 2.4 GHz at all, and `kilobat channels` names the least crowded channel. More in [Wi-Fi on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/wifi-analyzer-mac). ## Set it up HP says Wi-Fi setup mode allows a printer to accept a new connection through the HP app. The steps to start that mode depend on the printer. 1. Put the printer into Wi-Fi setup mode using HP’s instructions for your model. 2. Open the HP app, sign in or create an account as prompted, and follow the steps to add your printer. 3. Connect the printer to the same local network as your Mac. 4. On the Mac, open **System Settings › Printers & Scanners**. 5. Add the printer and select AirPrint if the printer supports it. HP says its guided setup should be started within two hours of restoring Wi-Fi setup mode. Consult the model’s instructions for its buttons and menus. ### Use Wi-Fi Direct on a Mac 1. Find the printer’s Wi-Fi Direct name and password on its control panel or information report. 2. On the Mac, choose the printer’s network beginning with `DIRECT`. 3. Enter the Wi-Fi Direct password if prompted. 4. Open the document, choose **File › Print**, then select the printer. 5. Reconnect the Mac to its usual Wi-Fi network after printing. HP says to set up the printer with the HP app or the built-in macOS driver for Wi-Fi Direct. Choose the correct printer if several appear nearby. **Kilobat can help.** Once it has joined, Kilobat’s **Tools › Devices** lists it with its address and maker, and [new-device alerts](https://kilobat.app/docs/home-network#new-devices) tell you whenever something new joins your home Wi-Fi. ## How much data it uses Check your printer’s own documentation for cloud printing or firmware updates if you use a capped connection. Wi-Fi Direct connects the Mac to the printer for the print job. HP’s setup pages do not give a typical internet data-use figure for printing. A local print job and any separate cloud or firmware features need not use the same network path. **Kilobat can help.** Kilobat counts what your Mac sends and receives, app by app, not what other devices use. On a shared or capped connection, its [bandwidth monitor](https://kilobat.app/mac-bandwidth-monitor) and [hotspot data saving](https://kilobat.app/save-hotspot-data) look after the Mac’s share. ## Guest, hotel and dorm Wi-Fi HP cautions that guest networks, including some hotels and campuses, may prevent a device from connecting to a printer over the network. It suggests Wi-Fi Direct as an alternative. A guest network may isolate clients even when both have internet access. Ask the network administrator about its policy; do not assume that a failed discovery proves isolation. When using Wi-Fi Direct, select the printer’s own network and password, then reconnect to your normal Wi-Fi afterwards. Your Mac’s internet connection can change while it is connected directly. **Kilobat can help.** `kilobat devices --bonjour` lists the devices your Mac can reach and the services they advertise. If other devices do not appear, client isolation is one possible cause; sleeping devices and discovery settings can also affect results. ## When it won’t connect Start with the printer’s power and network connection, then check the Mac’s printer settings. 1. Turn on the printer and check that it has paper. 2. Confirm the printer and Mac use the same local network for network printing. 3. Open **System Settings › Printers & Scanners** and check the selected printer. 4. If using Wi-Fi Direct, choose the correct `DIRECT` network and password. 5. Follow HP’s setup instructions for your model if the printer is still missing. **Kilobat can help.** Before you blame the device, Kilobat’s [Why can’t it connect?](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/why-cant-it-connect) and `kilobat diagnose` check the Wi-Fi, router, internet and DNS from your Mac. ## When it keeps going offline If a printer that previously worked appears offline, check whether its connection or the Mac’s selected printer has changed. 1. Check the printer is on and connected to the intended network. 2. Check the Mac is connected to that network too. 3. Open the printer’s queue and inspect any reported problem. 4. Restart the printer and retry the print job. 5. Use HP’s model-specific help if the printer remains unavailable. A Wi-Fi Direct connection uses the printer’s own network. Switch back to the local network when you want ordinary network printing. **Kilobat can help.** `kilobat health-history` shows whether the router or the internet dropped at the same time, and `kilobat devices --all` marks a device that stopped answering as away. To check the signal where it sits, take your Mac there and use Kilobat’s [radar](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/find-better-wifi-spot). ## Questions **Can I print to an HP printer without joining the hotel network?** On a supported printer, HP documents Wi-Fi Direct from a Mac. You join the printer’s own network with its Wi-Fi Direct password. **Does an HP printer need to be on the same network as my Mac?** For ordinary network setup, HP says to connect them to the same network. Wi-Fi Direct and USB are separate connection options. ## Sources - [HP Support: Printer setup on a Wi-Fi network](https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/ish_1780623-1698506-16) - [HP Support: Printer setup with Wi-Fi Direct](https://support.hp.com/ee-en/document/ish_1841315-1637332-16) - [HP Support: Printer setup on a Mac with AirPrint](https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/ish_1994828-1994872-16) - [Apple Support: Add and manage printers on Mac](https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mh14004/mac) 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](https://kilobat.app/docs). [Download for Mac ↓](https://kilobat.app/downloads/Kilobat-1.31.1.dmg?via=site) ``` brew install seifip/kilobat/kilobat ``` ## More device guides - [Apple AirPrint](https://kilobat.app/devices/airprint): AirPrint lets Apple devices print to compatible printers. - [Brother printer Wi-Fi and Direct](https://kilobat.app/devices/brother-printer): Brother printers can use a wireless network, and supported models offer a direct connection without a router. - [Canon wireless printers](https://kilobat.app/devices/canon-printer): Canon printers can use different network setup methods. - [Epson printer Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct](https://kilobat.app/devices/epson-printer): Supported Epson printers can join a local network or connect directly to another device with Wi-Fi Direct.