Canon Printer Not Connecting to Wi-Fi? Here's Where to Look (Also Covers Canon IJ Network Tool)

A Canon printer that won't join your network, shows up as "offline," or drops the connection a day after setup is almost always fixable in a few minutes once you know where to look. In most cases it comes down to one of three things: the wrong Wi-Fi band, a security setting your router changed on its own, or a stale link between the printer and your computer.

This guide starts with the quick checks that solve most cases, then covers full setup for the printer screen, Windows, Mac, and the Canon app, the Canon Wi-Fi Connection Assistant (the tool older guides call the IJ Network Tool), and finally the router-level fixes for the stubborn ones.

The fixes below are ordered by how often they actually work, based on the setups people write in about. PrinterTales is an independent troubleshooting resource and isn't affiliated with Canon, so there's nothing to sell you here, just the steps that get the printer printing.

Start Here: Five Checks That Fix Most Cases

Run through these before you reinstall anything. They clear up the majority of Canon Wi-Fi problems on their own.

1. Confirm you're on a 2.4 GHz network. Almost every Canon PIXMA and MAXIFY printer connects only to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, not 5 GHz. If your router broadcasts both bands under one name, the printer often can't see the network at all. (Fix for this is further down.)
2. Retype the Wi-Fi password slowly. It's case sensitive, and a capital "O" versus a zero is the single most common reason setup fails. Check the password on your phone first: tap your network name in Wi-Fi settings and reveal it.
3. Power-cycle everything in order. Turn off the printer, unplug the router for about 30 seconds, plug it back in and wait for the lights to settle, then turn the printer on. A lot of "dropped connection" reports are just the router needing a reboot.
4. Move the printer closer for setup. Walls, metal shelving, and distance all weaken the signal the printer sees. Get it in the same room as the router while you connect it, then move it back.
5. Clear any error on the printer itself. A flashing alarm light, a paper jam, or a low-ink warning can stop the printer from finishing a network handshake. Deal with the on-screen message first, then try again.

Still no connection? Keep going.

Why Your Canon Printer Won't Connect to Wi-Fi

Matching your situation to one of these saves a lot of guesswork.

• 5 GHz or "band-steering" network. Your router shuffles devices between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz under one network name. The printer needs a steady 2.4 GHz signal and gets lost in the switching.
• WPA3-only security. Newer routers ship with WPA3 encryption on by default. Many Canon models were built for WPA2 and either fail to join or connect once and then drop.
• The password or network name changed. New router, new internet provider, or a changed Wi-Fi password means the printer is still trying to log in with the old details.
• Router security features. MAC address filtering, AP isolation (also called client isolation or privacy separator), and guest-network limits can each let the printer connect while blocking it from reaching your computer.
• Outdated or broken printer software. A driver that didn't finish installing, or one left over from an old model, makes the printer look offline even when it's on the network.
• The printer's IP address changed. Your router hands out addresses automatically. When the printer's address changes, your computer keeps sending jobs to the old one. This is the usual reason a printer that worked yesterday stops today.
• Firewall or security software on the computer. Some suites block the local network traffic Canon uses to find the printer.

How to Connect Your Canon Printer to Wi-Fi

Pick the method that matches your hardware. If your printer has a touchscreen or a menu you can scroll, Method 1 is the most reliable. If it only has buttons and status lights, use Method 4.

Method 1: Wireless LAN Setup from the printer's screen

Menu names vary a little by model, but on PIXMA and MAXIFY printers the path is close to this:

1. On the printer, press Setup (the gear icon) or Menu.
2. Open Device settings, then LAN settings, then Wi-Fi (older models say "Wireless LAN").
3. Choose Wi-Fi setup, then Manual connect or Standard setup.
4. Wait for the printer to list nearby networks, then select your 2.4 GHz network name.
5. Enter the Wi-Fi password on the on-screen keyboard. Watch the capitalization.
6. Confirm. When it connects, the Wi-Fi lamp stops flashing and stays lit, and the printer picks up an IP address.

If your network isn't in the list, the printer isn't seeing the 2.4 GHz band. Jump to "Split your Wi-Fi bands" below, then come back.

Method 2: Connect on Windows 11 and Windows 10

Connect the printer to your network with Method 1 first, then add it to Windows:

1. Go to the Canon support site, enter your exact model number, and download the latest full driver package for your version of Windows. Don't use the disc from the box.
2. Run the installer and choose the wireless or network option when asked.
3. If the installer doesn't find the printer, open Settings, then Bluetooth & devices, then Printers & scanners, and click Add device.
4. When your printer appears, select it and let Windows finish. If it shows up twice, pick the entry that lists an IP address or "WSD."
5. Print a test page from the printer's Properties window.

Still offline in Windows? Remove the printer from Printers & scanners, restart the PC, and add it again. That rebuilds the port so it points at the printer's current address.

Method 3: Connect on a Mac

1. Connect the printer to Wi-Fi with Method 1.
2. On the Mac, open System Settings, then Printers & Scanners.
3. Click Add Printer, Scanner or Fax. Wait a few seconds for your Canon to appear under the Default tab with the type "Bonjour."
4. Select it. Let the Mac use the AirPrint driver, or choose the model-specific Canon driver if you need scanning and full controls.
5. Click Add.

If the printer isn't listed, make sure the Mac itself is on the 2.4 GHz network during setup, or download Canon's macOS driver and run its setup tool.

Method 4: Canon PRINT app and Easy Wireless Connect (printers with no screen)

For printers like the PIXMA TR4520, TS3120, or TS3520 that have buttons but no menu screen:

1. Install the Canon PRINT app (listed as Canon PRINT Inkjet/SELPHY in the App Store and Google Play) on your phone.
2. Connect the phone to your 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network.
3. On the printer, press and hold the Wi-Fi button until the power or alarm lamp flashes. That starts Easy Wireless Connect. A few models use a different button combination, so check that model's online manual if the light doesn't flash.
4. Open the app, tap to add or register a printer, and follow the prompts. The app hands your saved Wi-Fi details to the printer.
5. Wait for the Wi-Fi light on the printer to stay solid.

WPS is an option too. Choose WPS (push-button) in the printer's Wi-Fi menu, then press the WPS button on your router within two minutes. It works well when your router's WPS is turned on and easy to reach.

Use the Canon Wi-Fi Connection Assistant (Formerly the IJ Network Tool)

Canon has offered a free desktop utility for network printers for years. It began as the Canon IJ Network Tool, became the IJ Network Device Setup Utility, and is now called the Wi-Fi Connection Assistant. If an older walkthrough tells you to open the "IJ Network Tool," this is the program it means.

What it does:

• Scans your network and lists any Canon printers it finds, with their IP and MAC addresses.
• Diagnoses why your computer can't reach a printer that's powered on and connected.
• Repairs the link by rewriting the printer's network settings or switching it to a working connection method, with no retyping on the printer itself.
• Helps you set a fixed IP address so the printer stops vanishing after router reboots.

How to get it:

1. Open the Canon support page for your country and search your printer model, or search "Wi-Fi Connection Assistant."
2. Download the Windows or macOS version. (At the time of writing, the current builds are roughly Windows Ver. 1.7 and Mac Ver. 1.1. Use whatever the site lists.)
3. Install and run it with the printer turned on and the computer on the same network.
4. Choose Diagnose and Repair, or select your printer and update its Wi-Fi settings.

This is often the fastest fix when the printer is clearly on the network but every print job fails.

Still Not Connecting? Router-Level Fixes

These take a few minutes in your router's settings page. You reach it by typing the router's address (often 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1) into a browser and signing in with the admin login printed on the router.

Split your Wi-Fi bands. If your 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks share one name, give the 2.4 GHz band its own name (for example, add "-24" to it) and connect the printer to that. This alone fixes most "printer can't find my network" cases. If your router has a "band steering" or "smart connect" switch, turning it off does the same job.

Adjust the security mode. If your network is set to WPA3 only, switch it to WPA2/WPA3 mixed (sometimes shown as "transition" mode) and set encryption to AES. If there's a "Protected Management Frames" or "PMF" option, set it to Capable or Optional rather than Required while you connect the printer.

Check MAC address filtering. If you've ever built an allowed-devices list on your router, the printer's MAC address has to be on it. Find the address in the printer's LAN settings or in the Wi-Fi Connection Assistant, then add it, or turn filtering off to test.

Turn off AP isolation. Look for "AP isolation," "client isolation," or "privacy separator" and make sure it's disabled for your main network. When it's on, devices can't see each other, so your computer never finds the printer. Guest networks usually have this on by design, so don't put the printer on the guest network.

Give the printer a fixed address. In your router's DHCP or LAN settings, reserve an IP address for the printer by its MAC address. That stops the printer from getting a new address after a reboot, which is the main reason a working printer suddenly goes offline.

Update the printer firmware. In the printer's Setup or Device settings menu, look for Firmware update or Web service setup and install any update. Canon has shipped firmware fixes for Wi-Fi stability and newer security standards.

If none of that works, reset the printer's network settings (Setup, then Device settings, then Reset settings, then LAN settings only) and run Method 1 again from scratch. A full factory reset is a last resort and wipes every custom setting on the printer.