Sometimes it's amazing to me how smart folks are that program, think of, and implement all of this stuff. But then sometimes I'm also amazed at how how difficult it still is when you come across something that no one, even the smart ones with lots of experience, can explain. I'm sure I've got another one but thought I'd ask here on the one in a million chance that someone can at least explain it if not fix it.

My cable modem has a router "built in" in that it's one piece of equipment. And this router actually broadcasts TWO bands of wi-fi, one at 2.4Ghz and one at 5Ghz. And I've named them two different networks so that I have one for me and when my nephews come over I can direct them to the other. Nobody fights for bandwidth.

On this here laptop, both networks show up as options to sign onto (along with about four or five others... apparently my neighbors on every side of me also has wi-fi LOL). But when I went to put my wi-fi printer on the network, ONLY ONE of them shows up, and of course, it's the one I don't want to use (the 2.4 Ghz one). It shows the name of that one, but not the other one. There is an option to manually enter the name of the network you want to sign onto, but when I enter it, it says "ERROR: network now found".

My laptop is further away from the router, and is one a different floor then the router. The printer is the room right next to it. And the printer is sitting in the EXACT SAME SPOT (as is the router) that it used to sit in and work fine before they changed modems on me. And the one wi-fi the printer does pick up shows 100% reception. It's NOT an issue of it being out of range or whatever.

Any guesses?

Your printer does not support 5 GHz Wi-Fi (aka 802.11 ac)? O.o

Maybe your wi-fi printer doesn't work on 5 Ghz?

Edit:
Check your printer's manual/specifications.

No need to guess as it is clear that the reason is that it lacks support for the 5k band of frequenzies.

Yeah, this.

As far as I remember 5GHz is the more recent one so probably your printer is too old to pick it up...

Sorry I should have pointed out that this printer was on the 5Ghz network on the last modem.

But I set up a Windows Home network and then put the printer on that. Maybe that's it? I should try it.

My old modem listed the 2 bands as HOME-D0-2.4 and HOME-D0-5 and I used the 5Ghz on that one too. This one just has regular names (as in I can rename them and named one my last name and one my first name). I am absolutely positive my network before was on the 5Ghz band. Same printer. Different modem.

EDIT: No the Windows thing isn't it because when I go into that it doesn't recognize the printer as being part of the network. So that isn't it either.

I hate this stuff sometimes.

EDIT2: I should also point out that this printer is only about 1 and 1/2 years old (spring of 2016 when I bought it).

I can explain everything and anything
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ahem
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ALIENS !!!11!!1one!!1!!

Okay, I don't get this, but now it's showing up on the network.... but when I try to print to it, I get a message saying "This printer is being used by another computer". I'm looking at the printer, LOL. It's doing nothing. (when it gets a command to print the screen changes on the printer so you can tell when it's "busy").

I think it's something to do with the way Comcast set up this modem. I had to manually get the 5Ghz one to even show up on my PC (at first only one network was showing up on laptop too).

I so hate this stuff.

If all else fails I guess I can switch networks when it's time to print something but I just wish stuff like this could be explained.

Another day, SAME OLD SHIT.

Shut down every thing last night. Powered everything back on today. Did a reset on my modem.

On my Laptop both the network titled FIRSTNAME and LASTNAME show up as options to log onto. So I log onto FIRSTNAME (the 5GHz band). Go to the printer and once again only LASTNAME (the 2.4GHz band) shows up. Manually type in FIRSTNAME under the option to specify name of network to log into, and again it says ERROR-NETWORK NOT FOUND.

So frustrating. I go back to my laptop, and even though it's on a different "network" it's showing up on my laptop again under "Devices and Printers". And when I click on the status, it says "Printer Online."

But, when I try to print, the same message comes up as yesterday... "This printer is being used by another computer." and so I go back to the printer and check and sure enough, it's doing nothing. No other printer is using it. Then as soon as I CANCEL printing, I click on status and the status changes from "This printer being used by another computer" to "Printer Online". Try and print again, and immediately the status changes back to "This printer is being used by another computer."

Just to clarify. There are NO OTHER COMPUTERS here. (I lost ALL of my computers except this lone laptop in a July flood). I check the network status just to be sure, there are no other computers on my network (better not be, it's a secured wi-fi connection with a password that no normal person could remember.... LOL... about 20 or so characters completely random it looks like with numbers, symbols, letters, etc).

So many smart people yet there is still so much we don't know about these confounded machines.

First rule in getting help is to specify every hardware and software involved. That way others check the internet for reports, error, specs, etc. You aren't the only one with this type of problem.

My laserprinter can be setup using a usb or by WPS. Have you tried the last on?

The status in windows should be taken with a grain of salt. Unless you hook your printer to something (same with bluetooth) someone else can link to it.

The router links both networks, 2.4 and 5, so if your on one, the router makes sure you see the others.

I've witness windows computers hijacked the link to a printer even though windows denies it :-)

Easy fix: Link the printer with correct router on 2.4, and test. If it doesn't want do, hit it, throw the printer out the window and yell something after it!

Yes. I guess I wasn't clear but that's what was happening in my example above. At first the printer wasn't showing up on my network to use (on my PC) but now it is. And my laptop is still on the 5Ghz and the printer is still on the 2.4Ghz. But whenever I try to print I get a message saying "Printer is being used by another computer" despite the fact that it isn't. I know this because 1) The message goes on and off exactly when I try to print/cancel print. When I'm not trying to print, the status is just Online. and 2) more importantly because when I go over to the printer it has a screen that shows when it's being used and what it's doing. That screen never changes because the printer is not doing anything. It is not in use by anybody. It is a bug of some sort.

The thing is this printer worked fine on the old modem, and I was on the 5Ghz band on that one. I printer all the time. This modem was changed just a couple of weeks ago and God do I wish they wouldn't have changed it. There was NOTHING wrong with that modem. Nothing. It worked great.

I had great wi-fi speeds ALL THE TIME. Day, night, all. the. time. In the years since having that modem (about 2 I think, maybe 1 and 1/2) I can only recall maybe twice that speeds varied and fell off... and it was temporary both times and I'm sure some line issue or internet issue. The first thing that happened with this one was the tech guy had a very hard time getting it to "sync up" with Comcast. It took literally over an hour before it finally "took" and he was not a happy camper (literally cussing the thing LOL). Then the next thing that I noticed were my wi-fi speeds were SHIT. Nothing like with the old modem. Same PC, same location, different modem, same location. Only thing that changed was the modem. Then I discovered if I reset the thing (and there's another difference this one takes literally TWICE as long to do a reset, yet it's the exact same make and model number of the one they replaced), but if I do a reset the wi-fi speeds are GREAT. Then a few hours later or the next day they're shit again. And they stay shit. But then immediately after doing another reset, the speeds are back up to great and what I had with the old modem.

I think it's a modem issue or the way the guy set it up because he had so much trouble. Hell, I set the other one myself. They mailed it to me and I followed the directions and it worked great. Same. Exact. Modem.

Now some might be wondering why they changed it. And believe me, I've been wondering that too. I am so pissed I'm considering cancelling everything. I've been with Comcast since 2008, getting my internet and phone there. I was a DirecTV customer since 2001 so I didn't get their cable TV. Then, in November of this year I canceled DirecTV and took advantage of Comcast's "Triple Play" and it saved me over $100 a month in by combined bills. But when the guy came to hook up all of the TV's he also brought a cable modem and put that one in here. I'm guessing it's a burocratic thing (no idea how to spell that word LOL) where they get a "new Triple Play customer" they bring all the equipment and install it.

Still might cancel it all. I've put in a call to FIOS. If their wi-fi speeds are actually higher, I'm going there.

NOTE: Oh, I forgot to mention that I can print just fine if I change my laptop to the 2.4Ghz network. If I do that, the printer shows up, I hit print, and it prints. Just like the old days. But when I go back to the 5Ghz network on the laptop I ALWAYS, EVERY TIME, get the message "Printer in use by another computer" despite it not being in use.

Well I'm now convinced it's a modem issue. About an hour ago I unplugged it so that it could completely reset. That took over 30 minutes... (supposed to be less than 10 minutes). I live in an area that loses electricity more often than it should, and so I have lots of experience with how long the modem completely resets. The old modem was 5 minutes, 7 tops. EXACT SAME MAKE AND MODEL MODEM. When it finally came up, it came up with no internet. For the next 20 minutes the internet kept going in and out (not a signal issue... all the bars of wi-fi icon are full as they usually are... well every now and then maybe the very top one will be out). It is just in the last 5 minutes that the internet and phone have come in and stayed in.

I'm calling them on Friday and demanding either a new modem or my old modem back, or I'm cancelling. Although I did set up an order on the Verizon FIOS website so I may just go there anyway. It's almost the identical price ($5 more per month), and I get DVR in all rooms (I have 4 TV's) whereas with Comcast it's only ONE. And the internet is advertised as WAY WAY FASTER, 980Mbs versus the 200Mbs advertised by Comcast. Don't know if that will translate into faster wi-fi speeds or not but it can't be this bad of an experience. And if i do build a new rig and hook it up with an ethernet cable, then I will be seeing the vast increased speeds.

Having been a customer for so long it feels like I should give them one more chance though. Especially now that we've had a couple of weeks with the new TV set up and are just now feeling like we're gaining some knowledge on that. (LOL, I was with DirecTV since 2001... I could spit out channel numbers like nothing... MLB network? 213. CNN? 202. NFL Network? 212. HBO? 501... I still know them) But we're feeling more at home now after a couple of weeks and if they'll try changing my modem then I'll probably stay and avoid the whole new learning curve. But if they balk AT ALL, and say they want me to go through the trouble shooting process AGAIN, then that's it, I'm cancelling. I've spent all the hours on chat sessions and on the phone on this issue I'm going to spend.