Wireless network compatibility

Your printer contains an IEEE 802.11n wireless print server. Your printer is compatible with IEEE 802.11 b/g/n routers that are Wi-Fi certified.

Supported network security options

The printer supports three wireless security options: WPA2/WPA, WEP, and no security.

WPA2/WPA

WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) and WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2) offer stronger wireless network security than WEP. WPA2 and WPA are similar types of security. WPA2 uses a more complex encryption method and is more secure than WPA. Both WPA2 and WPA use a series of characters, called the WPA pre-shared key or passphrase, to protect wireless networks from unauthorized access.

WPA2/WPA passphrases must be:

• Exactly 64 hexadecimal characters. Hexadecimal characters are A–F, a–f, and 0–9.

  or

• From 8 to 63 ASCII characters. ASCII characters are letters, numbers, punctuation, and symbols found on a keyboard. ASCII characters in a WPA passphrase are case-sensitive.

Every device on the wireless network must use the same WPA passphrase. WPA security is an option only on infrastructure networks with access points (wireless routers) and network cards that support WPA. Most newer wireless network equipment also offer WPA2 security as an option.

WEP

WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) is the most basic and the weakest type of wireless security. WEP security relies on a series of characters called the WEP key.

Every device on the wireless network must use the same WEP key. WEP security can be used on both ad hoc and infrastructure networks.

A valid WEP key has:

• Exactly 10 or 26 hexadecimal characters. Hexadecimal characters are A–F, a–f, and 0–9.

  or

• Exactly 5 or 13 ASCII characters. ASCII characters are letters, numbers, punctuation, and symbols found on a keyboard.

No Security

It is not recommended to use no security at all on a home wireless network. Using no security means that anyone within range of your wireless network can use your network resources—including Internet access— if your wireless network is connected to the Internet. The range of your wireless network may extend far beyond the walls of your home, allowing access to your network from the street or from your neighbors’ homes.

Printing a network setup page

A network setup page lists the configuration settings of the printer, including the IP address and MAC address of the printer.

1. Load plain paper.

2. From the printer control panel, navigate to:

    > Setup >  > Network Setup >  > Print Network Setup Page >

Information you will need to set up the printer on a wireless network

To set up the printer for wireless printing, you need to know:

• The name of your wireless network, which is also known as the SSID (Service Set Identifier)

• If encryption was used to secure your network

• The security key (either a WEP key or WPA/WPA2 passphrase)

  To find the WPA/WPA2 passphrase for the wireless network, see the documentation that came with the access point, see the Web page associated with the access point, or consult your system support person.

If your access point is using WEP security, then the WEP key should be:

• Exactly 10 or 26 hexadecimal characters

  or

• Exactly 5 or 13 ASCII characters

If your access point is using WPA or WPA2 security, then the WPA/WPA2 passphrase should be:

• Exactly 64 hexadecimal characters

  or

• From 8 to 63 ASCII characters

Notes:

• Hexadecimal characters are A–F, a–f, and 0–9.
• ASCII characters are letters, numbers, and symbols found on a keyboard. ASCII characters in a WPA/WPA2 passphrase are case-sensitive.

If your wireless network is not using security, then you will not have a security key.

Information you will need during advanced wireless setup

The Wireless Setup Utility does not detect the wireless network SSID for you during advanced wireless setup. You must know the following information before configuring the wireless printer settings manually:

Wireless Mode

Check your wireless network type:

Infrastructure—All devices on a wireless network communicate with each other through an access point (wireless router).

Ad-Hoc—Network devices communicate directly with each other without the use of centralized security or access point. Ad hoc mode may be available in select models or operating systems only.

Note: Infrastructure is the recommended network configuration because of its faster transfer speeds, better security options, and ease of configuration.

Network Name (SSID)

This is the identifying name that distinguishes a network from other networks in the area.

Channel

Auto is selected by default and cannot be changed if the network is configured in infrastructure mode.

Notes:

• Ad hoc mode may be available in select models or operating systems only.
• If the network is set up in ad hoc mode, then select the channel that other devices in the network are using. All devices in an ad hoc network must use the same channel to communicate with each other.
• The printer can communicate on only one wireless network at a time. Configuring the printer for an ad hoc wireless network will keep it from working on any other wireless network, either ad hoc or infrastructure.

Authentication

Determine if you have an infrastructure or ad hoc setup, and then check the corresponding authentication type.

Note: Some authentication types may be available in select models or operating systems only.

Wireless mode	Authentication type
Infrastructure	Open Mode Shared Mode WPA Personal WPA2-Personal WPA2-Enterprise 802.1X - RADIUS
Ad hoc	Open Mode

Encryption

Check the encryption method used on your network.

Note: Some authentication types may be available in select models or operating systems only.

Authentication type	Encryption method
Open Mode	None WEP
Shared Mode	WEP
WPA Personal	TKIP
WPA2-Personal	TKIP AES
WPA2-Enterprise	TKIP AES
802.1X - RADIUS	None WEP-DynamicKeys WEP-StaticKeys WPA-TKIP WPA-AES

Installing the printer on a wireless network

Before you install the printer on a wireless network, make sure that:

• Your wireless network is set up and working properly.

• The computer you are using is connected to the same wireless network where you want to set up the printer.

For Windows users

1. Close all open software programs.

2. Insert the installation software CD.

   If the installation dialog does not appear after a minute, then launch the CD manually:

   1. Click , or click Start and then click Run.

   2. In the Start Search or Run box, type D:\setup.exe, where D is the letter of your CD or DVD drive.

   3. Press Enter, or click OK.

3. Follow the instructions on the computer screen.

   Note: Select Wireless connection when prompted to select a connection type.

For Macintosh users

1. Close all open applications.

2. Insert the installation software CD.

   If the installation dialog does not appear after a minute, then click the CD icon on the desktop.

3. Double-click the software installer package, and then follow the instructions on the computer screen.

   Note: Select Wireless connection when prompted to select a connection type.

Installing the printer on other computers

Once the printer is set up on the wireless network, it can be accessed wirelessly by any other computer on the network. However, you will need to install the printer driver on every computer that will access it. You do not need to configure the printer again, although you will need to run the setup software on each computer to install the driver.

For Windows users

1. Close all open software programs.

2. Insert the installation software CD.

   If the installation dialog does not appear after a minute, then launch the CD manually:

   1. Click , or click Start and then click Run.

   2. In the Start Search or Run box, type D:\setup.exe, where D is the letter of your CD or DVD drive.

   3. Press Enter, or click OK.

3. Follow the instructions on the computer screen for installing a configured printer on a new computer.

For Macintosh users

1. Close all open applications.

2. Insert the installation software CD.

   If the installation dialog does not appear after a minute, then click the CD icon on the desktop.

3. Double-click the software installer package.

4. Select My printer is already set up. I am installing it on a new computer.

5. Click Continue, and then follow the instructions on the computer screen for installing a configured printer on a new computer.

Determining the printer status using the network indicator light

The Wi-Fi or Ethernet indicator light shows the network status of the printer.

Notes:

• The network indicator light is located on the printer control panel. The printer may have an Ethernet or a wireless indicator light, or both, depending on your printer model. To find out if your printer has Ethernet or wireless capability, see the Quick Reference Guide, or contact your system support person.
• The printer supports one local (USB) connection and one network connection (Ethernet or wireless) at a time. It is not possible to use both Ethernet and wireless at the same time.

Special wireless installation instructions

The following instructions apply to customers outside of North America who are using a wireless broadband box. Some examples of these boxes include LiveBox, AliceBox, N9UF Box, FreeBox, and Club Internet.

Before you begin

• Make sure your box is wireless-enabled and activated to work on a wireless network. For more information about configuring the box to work wirelessly, see the documentation that came with your box.

• Make sure your box is turned on and that your computer is on and connected to your wireless network.

Adding the printer to your wireless network

1. Set up your printer for wireless networking using the setup instructions provided.

   Stop when you are prompted to select a network.

2. If there is an association/registration button on the back of your box, then press it before selecting a network.

   Note: After pressing the association/registration button, you have five minutes to complete the printer installation.

3. Return to the computer screen.

   From the wireless networks list that appears, select your network, and then click Continue.

   If your wireless network does not appear in the list:

   1. Connect to another wireless network.

      For Windows users

      Click Unlisted Network.

      For Macintosh users

      Select Other Wireless Network from the list, and then click Continue.

   2. Enter the details about your wireless network.

      Note: Your WEP, WPA, or WPA2 key may be obtained from the bottom of the box, the documentation that came with the box, or from the box Web page. If you have already changed the key for your wireless network, then use the key you created.

4. Follow the instructions on the computer screen to complete installation.

Assigning a static IP address

The printer will be assigned an IP address automatically through DHCP on most wireless networks.

1. Complete the wireless setup, allowing the printer to receive a DHCP address from a DHCP server on the network.

2. Print a network setup page to see the IP address currently assigned to the printer.

3. Open a Web browser and then type the printer IP address in the address field. Press Enter.

   Note: If you are using a proxy server, then temporarily disable it to load the printer Web page correctly.

4. Click Configuration > TCP/IP > Set static IP address.

5. In the Address field, type the IP address you want to assign to the printer, and then click Submit.

To verify, type the static IP address in the Web browser address field, and then press Enter.

For more information, contact your system support person.

Changing wireless settings after installation

To change wireless settings on the printer, such as the configured network and the security key, do the following:

For Windows users

1. Click or Start.

2. Click All Programs or Programs, and then select the printer program folder from the list.

3. Navigate to:

   Printer Home > select your printer > Settings tab > Wireless setup utility

4. Follow the instructions on the computer screen.

For Macintosh users

1. From the Applications folder in the Finder, or from the Finder desktop, double-click the printer folder.

2. Double-click Wireless Setup Assistant.

3. Follow the instructions on the computer screen.