My wireless stops working when i turn on my new wireless printer. i can see the printer attach to the router and its mac address displays in the router configuration, but then the wireless on my computers stop working.

First install the Wireless printer driver using the Wizard by connecting either the Ethernet cable to the router during the install process when asked this will set up your wireless laptop with the correct printer port based on the Wireless Node Name it will also use the printers inbuilt MAC address. This is standard install and will work for all your Wireless PC's however if you have a Wired (ethernet) PC connected to your Router this process will not work a wireless port will not work with a wired computer.

Follow my 3 steps below to set up standard IP ports for Wired PC's also connected to your Router.

STEP 1: Find your MAC address for the wireless printer (all types of Network Cards will have one so this is no different) this will either be found under the LCD control panel or may even be printer on the bottom of the printer or Print server if it is seperate set this MAC address with an IP address as a reservation in your admin panel of your router 192.168.0.10 in this example.

You can normally enter your Router this using 192.168.0.1 typed in your browser (not the search engine) as all routers are different check here for your make and model http://www.routerpasswords.com if you can't find the MAC address try using ipconfig /all from them command prompt it will be the physical address aka the MAC address

STEP 2: Install the Printer as a USB printer port by connecting the USB cable to the PC you want the wired printer driver installed on when finished go to the printer driver properties for the driver you have just added, click the port tab and click add standard IP port as shown below, then disconnect the USB lead this is only required to make sure the correct inf file is used on the driver install and connect your Ethernet cable from you computers NIC to a spare RJ45 socket on the Router.




STEP 3: To check that the Printer has the correct IP address then test using the tracert OR ping command for the IP address that you have reserved on your router, this is a necessary step otherwise when the lease expires it may take another IP address and your Printer driver will not work unless your printer has the reserved address, it will throw a printer error.

c:ping 192.168.0.10



(this example shows a Standard TCP/IP Port for a Brother DCP-340CW)

Also check in your routers admin panel to see if the Wireless Printer is set up with the correct IP and MAC address, if you still can't find it eliminate your known MAC addresses from all your network cards the one left will be your Printer Server NIC in your Wireless Printer.

If you have setup the incorrect IP and or MAC address you will get this window when you try to add the TCP/IP port



That's it try a test print and you will see it burst into life.... Happy Printing