Introduction to wireless printing
Discover three different ways to connect your wireless HP printer or All-in-One to your wireless network
Home & Home Office
Support & Drivers
Introduction
There are three ways to connect your wireless HP printer to your existing wireless network: using Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), Wireless Setup Wizard, or temporarily connecting it using a USB cable. Find information about each method and then determine which may work best for you.
Having trouble setting up your wireless printer? Get help now.
What is wireless printing?
Wireless printing allows you to print from anywhere in your home, without cables! It also lets the entire family share a single printer.
With an HP wireless-enabled printer, your computer will not need to be connected to your printer using a cable. This allows you to print from anywhere in your home—and lets the entire family share a single printer!
Benefits of wireless printing
- Mobility: Print from anywhere in your home.
- Less clutter: Say goodbye to cord clutter and the length of printer cables determining the placement of your office equipment. A wireless printer can even be placed out of sight in a closet or back room.1
- Savings: Share a single printer with an entire household or office. Save on the hardware and energy costs it would take to have a printer for each computer.
- Speed and range: Wi-Fi printing is fast and has a range of approximately 100 feet in a typical home.
Before you begin
Wireless printing requires a wireless router, a computer connected to that router, and a wireless printer.
HP offers a wide range of wireless printers for home and office use, including the HP Photosmart 7520 e-All-in-One.
Each of the three wireless connection methods requires that you first have a wireless network established. A wireless network consists of the following:
- A wireless router. A wireless router is the core of a wireless network, allowing communication between your computer and printer.
- A computer connected to wireless router. Your computer or laptop should be connected to your wireless router (either wirelessly or via an Ethernet cable) before you connect your printer.
- Wireless-enabled printer. Many HP printers feature built-in wireless capabilities. Visit the HP Wireless printer buying guide to explore all your wireless printer options.
Remember, before you can print, you’ll still need to install the printer’s software driver on each computer! This will allow your printer and computer to communicate wirelessly.
NOTE: If you choose the USB setup method, this step will be included in the setup process. It is not included in the WPS or Wireless Setup Wizard.
Don’t have the software driver that came with the printer? No problem! You can download up-to-date drivers from HP.com.
Connection method #1: Wi-Fi Protected Setup

Use the large touchscreen on the HP Photosmart 7520 e-All-in-One to easily connect your printer to your wireless network.

This connection method is featured on most HP Photosmarts, including the HP Photosmart 6520 e-All-in-One.
The Wi-Fi Protected Setup (or WPS) method consists of following a few simple steps on the printer’s control panel or touchscreen before pressing the WPS button on your wireless router.
- Ideal for: Those with a wireless WPS router featuring a push-button.
- Requirements: You will need a router that supports WPS. It also requires an encrypted network with WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) or WPA2 protection.2
You do not need to know your network name/SSID (Service Set Identifier), or your network password. - Availability: This connection method is featured on all newer HP Photosmarts, Officejets, and Deskjets. For a list of the newest printers with this setup method, visit the HP Wireless Buying Guide.
Want to learn more? See how the WPS setup method works.
Connection method #2: Wireless Setup Wizard
The HP Photosmart 6520 e-All-in-One offers the Wireless Setup Wizard to help you get connected easily.
The HP Photosmart 6510 e-All-in-One offers the Wireless Setup Wizard to help you get connected easily.
This wireless setup method consists of following steps on the printer’s control panel or touchscreen. During these quick steps, you’ll be prompted to enter your network name and password.
- Ideal for: Those with a wireless router that does not support WPS.
- Requirements: For this method, you will need to know your network name or SSID (Service Set Identifier).
If you have set up a password on your wireless network, you’ll need this WEP encryption key or WPA passphrase—also referred to as your network password. - Availability: This connection method is featured on all newer HP Photosmarts, Officejets, and Deskjets. For a list of the newest printers with this setup method, visit the HP Wireless Printer Buying Guide.
Want to learn more? See how the Wireless Setup Wizard method works.
Connection method #3: USB cable
Connect a wireless printer to your network using the printer’s software and temporarily connecting a USB cable.
With this setup method, your computer and printer will only be connected by USB cable during setup. Afterward, you’ll be free to print from anywhere in your home!
This wireless setup method uses the printer’s installation software and a USB cable. It will walk you through the steps of temporarily connecting your printer to your computer using the USB cable. Once the setup is complete, you will remove the USB cable to print wirelessly.
- Ideal for: Those whose printer does not support connection method #1
or #2. - Requirements: For this method, you’ll need a USB cable at the very beginning of setup, as well as your printer driver. Also, your printer will have to be temporarily close enough to your computer to connect with the USB cable.
Find an HP USB cable online. - Availability: This connection method is featured on many HP wireless printers and all-in-ones. For a list of the newest printers with this setup method, visit the HP Wireless Printer & All-in-One comparison charts.
Want to learn more? See how the USB setup method works.
Which methods does my printer support?
Step 1: Choose See support and troubleshooting information.
Still not sure which method to choose? Check your printer’s manual to see which of the wireless setup methods your HP printer or all-in-one supports.
Don’t have your printer’s manual? You can always download a copy from HP.com.
- Choose See support and troubleshooting information.
- Enter your printer model below and then click Go.
- When your printer appears, choose Manuals from the onscreen options.
Find a wireless printer
Many HP printers have a wide range of capabilities beyond wireless printing, including HP ePrint—now print from your smartphone or tablet from virtually anywhere!3
HP Deskjet 3520 e-All-in-One Printer
$99.99
- Print, scan, copy
- 2" mono touchscreen
- ISO print speed up to 8 pages per minute (ppm) black, 7.5 ppm color 4
HP Officejet Pro 8600A e-All-in-One Printer
$199.99
- ISO print speed up to 18 ppm black, 13 ppm color 5
- 35-sheet automatic document feeder (ADF)
- Up to 50% lower cost per page than laser printers 6
HP Photosmart 7520 e-All-in-Oner
$199.99
- Print, scan, copy, fax
- 4.3" color touchscreen
- ISO print speed up to 14 ppm black, 10 ppm color 7
- Automatic photo tray holds up to 20 pages
- Lab-quality photos from 5 individual inks
- 25-sheet automatic document feeder
Visit the HP Wireless printer buying guide to see the entire selection of HP wireless-enabled printers and all-in-ones for both home and office use.
Troubleshooting
There are many resources available if you are having trouble connecting your wireless printer:
- Read about basic troubleshooting tips.
- Visit the Wireless Printing Center for help setting up your wireless HP printer and home network.
- Visit the HP Support forum to ask questions or see if others have experienced (or solved!)
your problem. - Speak to HP customer support.
Learn more
- Looking for more networking options? Learn the basics about network printing.
- Get more out of your printer, no matter how it networks with others, with these printing tips and how-tos.
- Discover all of HP’s home office ideas and tips.
- 1 The printer will still need to be connected to a power source.
- 2 WEP is no longer a secure encryption method, nor should you attempt WPS with an unencrypted network. Attempting to set up a wireless printer to an unencrypted or WEP router using the WPS method will either fail or will change the encryption of the router to WPA, creating a new password.
- 3 Requires an Internet connection to HP web-enabled printer and HP ePrint account registration (for a list of eligible printers, supported documents and image types and other HP ePrint details, see www.hp.com/go/eprintcenter). Mobile devices require Internet connection and email capability. May require wireless access point. Separately purchased data plans or usage fees may apply. Print times and connection speeds may vary.
- 4 After first page or after first set of ISO test pages. For more information, see hp.com/go/printerclaims.
- 5 ISO speeds measured using ISO/IEC 24734 or ISO/IEC 29183. Excludes first page or first set of test documents. For more information, see hp.com/go/printerclaims. Exact speed varies depending on the system configuration, software application, driver, and document complexity.
- 6 Majority of color laser printers http://www.hp.com/go/learnaboutsupplies.
- 7 Measured using ISO/IEC 24734, excludes first set of test documents. For more information see http://www.hp.com/go/printerclaims. Exact speed varies depending on the system configuration, software application, driver, and document complexity.