How to Configure Wireless Settings via the Embedded Web Server & Switch from a Wired to Wireless Connection

Document ID:HO3837
 
  Properties  

Solution

Overview

You can configure your printer to join the wireless network without the use of a USB cable or the Wireless Setup Utility.

 

What you need

  • A printer equipped with a wireless option card 
  • Your wireless security credentials (See Requirements explained below.)
  • An Ethernet cable connection to your printer
  • Active Internet connection
  • The printer's TCP/IP address

 

Who's this for?

  • No USB cable is available.
  • Wireless Setup Utility is not installed on the computer.
  • Host PC is not in close proximity to the printer.
  • You have full knowledge of your wireless configuration settings.

 

Contents

If... Then see...
Unsure where to begin... Requirements Explained
The printer is currently communicating via wired Ethernet connection...

Step 1:

Configure Wireless Settings on Printer's Wireless Adapter
You have completed Step 1 and ALL wireless security settings are properly configured.....

Step 2:

Manually Switch Printer's Active Network Card Setting to 'Network 1' or 'Auto'.
You followed Steps 1 and 2, and no network connection has been established to the printer (Wireless)... Unable to Join Network or No Radio Connection
You have repeated the procedure to connect to your WLAN and still cannot connect to the wireless network... Trouble Code Suggestions

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 Requirements explained

Requirement Relevance How to obtain
All security configuration settings from your access point or wireless router

Exact entry of all settings is required to join your wireless network 

WLAN – Wireless Local Area Network

See your access point's configuration utility or embedded web server for these values:

  • Network Name: SSID
  • Radio Mode: 802.11 b/g; 8021.11 b/gn
  • Security Mode: None(Disabled); WPA; WPA2; 802.1x
  • Passphrase, or any advanced 802.1x (Radius) values if applicable
An Ethernet cable connected to the printer and a successful network connection with a computer   You need to access the printer's embedded web server to configure the printer's wireless adapter.   Note: If the printer was never previously configured, you may need to create a network printer port (queue) after you have joined the network.  
Printer's IP address. This is required to open the printer's Web page or embedded web server (EWS).
  1. Print out the network setup page – From the operator panel, press or touch the Menu button, navigate to Network Setup, and then Print Setup Page.
  2. View the IP address on the device – From the operator panel, press or touch the Menu button, navigate to Network Setup and then TCP/IP > IPv4 Setup.
  3. View the IP address on the device by pressing the network connection symbol. Note: Certain touch screen printers only.

Menu button examples:  ,,

 

 

 

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  Joining WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network)

Two primary steps:

Step 1: Configure printer with your Wi-Fi security configuration settings.

Step 2: Switch the printer's Active Network Card setting to Network 1 or Auto. 

 

Step 1: Configure printer with your Wi-Fi security configuration settings.

IMPORTANT! You have to be precise in the entry of these values as they must be exactly identical to those settings found on your router's AP or PC's wireless configuration settings.

 Step  Action  Illustration
 1

Enter the printer's IP Address into the Web address field, and then press Enter.

Note: If using a proxy server, you may need to temporarily disable it to load the Web page correctly.

 3 Click Settings.  
 
 
 4 Click Network/Ports.
 5 Click on Wireless.
 6

Change the Network Mode to Infrastructure.

 

Factory setting: Ad hoc

  
 7

Enter your router's (AP) SSID (Network name) from your wireless router.

Factory setting: print server ######

  
 8

Enter your router's (AP) Network Compatibility mode:

  • 802.11b/g
  • 802.11 n
  • 802.11 b/g/n (Most common)
  
9

 Enter your router's (AP) Wireless Security Mode:

  • Disabled/Open
  • WEP
  • WPA-PSK
  • WPA2-PSK (Most common)
  • 802.1x - Radius (Most secure)
Factory setting: Disabled

 

10
  1. Select your router's (AP)  WPA-PSK Encryption Mode:
  • TKIP (WPA setting)
  • Auto (Safe setting)
  • AES (Most common - WPA2)
  1. Enter your router's PreShared Key/Passphrase:

Common mistakes:

  • Misspelled words
  • Spaces
  • Underscores
  • Symbols
  • Case sensitive (Capitalization)

 
 11  Press Submit.  You will see Submitting Selection.

 

Step 2: Switch the printer's Active Network Card setting to Network 1.

 

Method 1: Activate via Web Browser

 Method 2: Activate via Printer
Step Action
1 Click Settings.
2 Click Network/Ports.
3 Click on Select Active Network Card.
4

Select Network 1 or Auto*. 
5 Click Submit.

 
Step Action
1 Turn OFF the printer.
2 Disconnect the network cable from the printer.
3 Turn ON the printer.
4 Navigate the printer's menu system and go to Network Menu > Network Setup > Active NIC
5 Navigate to Network 1 or Auto*,  and then press Select.

 

 

 

Wait! The printer will have to reset or reboot before it can attempt to join the active wireless network.

RESET NOTE: The printer has to reset because the printer cannot run concurrent wireless and wired network card options. This allows the printer to detect the newly activated network card option.

* Ethernet or wired connections take precedence over wireless connections. This setting will only detect a wireless connection if the network cable is completely removed from the device.

 

 

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Unable to Join Wireless Network 

 

  1. Print out the Network Settings Page from the printer. To do this, locate the Reports menu option on the printer and look for the Network Settings Page. 
If printed page is titled... You have 'Active Network Card' set to... And...
Ethernet 10/100 The wrong Std. Network or Auto (WIRED CONNECTION)
  • You may have Active Network Card set to AUTO and you have not yet removed the network cable from the printer nor powered the printer OFF and ON.
  • You have not performed Step 1 or Step 2 above.
Ethernet 8021.11b/g/n

Network 1 or Auto

(Wi-Fi CONNECTION)

 

If Status says... Then...
Connected See Troublecodes below for other reasons...
Not Connected See Troublecodes below for other reasons...

 

 

Important!

You will have to toggle the Active Network Card setting back to Std. Network on the printer, and you will have to reconnect the Ethernet cable to the printer to edit any wireless settings.

For example, navigate to Settings > Network/Ports > Select Active Network Card > Auto or Std. Network.

Select Active Network Card

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Troublecodes

Trouble code explanation Possible cause and corrective actions

Cannot associate with wireless network


Signal Quality – (Unacceptable)

Improper configuration settings:

  • Ad hoc selected
  • Incorrect entry of WEP key or WPA (2) passphrase
  • Incorrect selection of proper security type (WEP, WPA, WPA2)
  • Improper encryption cipher (WPA2: TKIP or AES) HINT! WPA uses TKIP/PSK and WPA2 adds AES.
  • MAC (media access control) filtering or other security measures
    • Router MAC filtering will allow clients or wireless NICs to associate on the network or prevent them from doing so. This router feature requires the entry of the printer's NIC MAC address to grant access to the router (AP).
  • Work virtual private network (VPN) connection is enabled while configuring or setting up device.
    • Virtual Private Network (VPN) The only way around this is VPN tunneling. If this is not an option, disconnect from your VPN to ensure successful configuration and communication with the printer.  
  • Firewalls on the router may prevent association with the router. See router documentation.
  • DHCP turned OFF on router. This prevents IP address assignment and prevents the printer from joining the network. See router documentation.
  • 5GHz only operation set on the router's access point radio will prevent communication. See router documentation.
  • Radio turned OFF on router. See router documentation.
  • Unsupported Proprietary Speeds and Protocol setting; Lexmark devices strictly adhere to IEEE 802.11 g/b/n 2.4GHz standard.
Access point is not using WPA
  • WPA security type was selected and configured on the printer NIC but the AP does not have any WPA information elements in its beacons. Make sure the router is not configured for some other type of security. 
  • Or the AP with the target SSID is advertising WPA security with WPA information elements in its beacons, but the printer's wireless NIC (adapter) is not configured for WPA.
Signal strength too weak


The network name or SSID is in the wireless setup utility (WSU/WSAMac) site survey results, but its signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio is < 10dB,  which the Lexmark wireless adapter deems unacceptable.

Note: The setting page does not list SNR on our network settings sheet, but it does list signal strength, which accounts for overall signal quality. SNR = RF signal power relative to power of noise in the environment; e.g., 43db SNR is better than 37db SNR.   

Suggested actions include: Antenna adjustment; booster (gain) antennas if router supports it; range extenders (repeaters) if appropriate; reposition AP or printer; change AP channel; remove obstructions. See the router documentation or contact the router manufacturer's technical support for further suggestions.
Can't find wireless network
Possible causes and suggestions include:
  1. Invisibility Status (enabled) or Broadcast SSID (disabled) may be configured on your router. This will prevent a successful site survey by the wireless configuration utility. 
  2. The target network name or SSID no longer exists.
    Confirm your AP's network name or SSID. See the router documentation or configuration web or software utility.  
  3. The target network name or AP is completely out of range.
Signal strength too strong

The target SSID in the wireless configuration utility site survey is too strong or greater than –10dB. 

This explanation requires a greater understanding of radio frequency behavior, but it should be known that having the printer too close to the AP can cause receiver trouble.

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Last Resort

 

If still unable to the connect to your wireless network, consider these other configuration methods:

  • Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) if your printer and wireless router supports it
  • Lexmark Wireless Setup Utility or Wireless Setup Assistant
  • Bonjour if you're in a Macintosh environment

 

 

Still Need Help?

 

If you require additional assistance, please see Contact information. NOTE: When calling for support, you will need your printer model/machine type and serial number (SN).

Please be near the product(s) described in this article to expedite the support process and reduce call-back situations.

 

Solution

Audience: Lexmark and Support Partners

 

Alternatvie Method (X544dw example)

A summary of steps:  

  1. Turn the printer ON without a network cable attached to the printer.
  2. When READY, navigate the printer's operator panel to Network Menu > Network Setup > Wireless
  3. Select Network Mode. The default value is “Ad Hoc” but set it to “Infrastructure”.
  4. Select Choose Network and select the detected Network (SSID*) you want to join.
  • If you look at View Signal Quality, it will show Unacceptable.
  • If you look at View Security, it will show Disabled.
  1. The printer's Active Network Setting will still have to be changed to Network 1 or Auto for this alternative method to work properly. (See customer facing solution for instructions.)
  2. Power OFF the machine, and plug the network cable.
  3. When connected physically and Ready, open the printer's EWS. (http://printer_IP_address, where printer_IP_address is the TCP/IP address of the printer. See Network Settings page.)
  4. Select Settings > Network-Ports > Wireless
  5. Select Wireless Security Mode (Default: Disabled), check on the wireless settings from a PC or router's configuration settings, e.g. WPA2-PSK
  6. Enter the PreShared Key
  7. SUBMIT new settings.
  8. Power OFF the machine and unplug the network cable.
  9. Power ON , and when READY, check the Wireless setup. You should see Signal Quality = Excellent
  10. End of configuration process. You can now install printer driver and create a port if necessary.

*Network Name configured on PC/router's access point. 

NOTE: This alternative method differs in that it does allow you select SSID (Network Name) and Network mode before going into the Embedded Web Server to finish the configuration steps.

 

 

 



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