Can't connect to printer using WiFi

[OCSocialClub]

Virgin Media Business Broadband - Chita router
EPSON Workforce WF-2850 printer - connects via 2.4GHz WiFi

Windows 8.1 Desktop PC
When connected to router via Ethernet cable can see and use printer no problem - same IP range
When connected to router via WiFi [same 2.4GHz WiFi as printer] cannot see printer - same IP range

Laptop Windows 10
When connected to router via 2.4GHz WiFi cannot see printer - same IP range
When connected to router via 5.0GHz WiFi can see and use printer no problem - same IP range

No filtering active on router. Tried switching firewalls off on both PC and laptop - no change.

What might be going on?

[Client62 · Accepted solution]

Hello, this does sound so familiar, it is likely not a Virgin Media issue.

We first encountered this exact problem with an EPSON Workforce WF-3620 when our ISP was Plusnet and burnt fruitless hours on the matter.

With the Epson WF-3620 attached via WiFi it was a case of one moment you can reach it and 15 minutes later not even ping it which pointed to the Epson's WiFi adaptor sleeping or power saving between tasks.

The moment we attached the WF-3620 via its Ethernet network adapter totally perfect behaviour.

Hope that works for your Epson device.

[OCSocialClub]

Unfortunately, the WF-2850 we have doesn't have an Ethernet connection so we're left trying to bodge around this for the time being 😕

[Client62]

This bit of help text is snipped from one of our TP-LINK WiFi access points ...

"Enable AP Isolation - Isolate all connected wireless stations so that wireless stations cannot access each other through WLAN. "

If Enabled AP Isolation is a setting that would totally stop WiFi computers contacting a WiFi printer on the same WiFi access point. 

Is that an option in your environment  ?   

Perhaps a test to see if WiFi connected computers can ping each other & ping the printer.

[BigDisco70_2]

Nothing in the router config to set isolation that I can see.

Laptop on 5G WiFi can ping both desktop PC and printer

Laptop on 2.4G WiFi can't ping either

Back on 5G can ping both again

Weird as...

[Client62]

Would it be possible to spit the 2.4Ghz and 5GHz SSID's making it possible to force the computer kit onto the 5GHz where it can reach the Epson printer ?

[BigDisco70_2]

Already are separate SSID's for the 2.4 & 5 WiFi bands... its a doozy LOL

The desktop is older and is only 2.4G on its WiFi - the laptop is newer however - if it was only the printer I'd suspect the WiFi on that but given it seems related more to the 2.4/5 on the router its leading me down that route. Thinking back, the laptop *used* to be able to see the printer on the 2.4 but then there was an outage at Virgin's side a few weeks back and after it came back up it just couldn't see it on the 2.4 any more and so we flipped it to the 5 and immediately it worked. Not the first time that weird things have happened with the router operation after an unplanned outage but its just so hard to pin this down...

[Client62]

VM's domestic routers are notorious for going AWOL on WiFi.

This is why we have a pair of TP-Link WiFi access points, so if the VM Hub 3 WiFi does decide to go walkabouts our 2 WiFi access points continue to give reliable access.