how to print to a wireless printer using iphone hotspot

I can't figure out how to print to a Canon Imageclass MF232w from my iphone using the hotspot.

iPhone 12 mini, iOS 16

Posted on Nov 26, 2022 2:24 PM

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Posted on Nov 26, 2022 4:23 PM

Hi,


The Canon MF232w is listed in About AirPrint - Apple Support as a printer supporting the driverless AirPrint technology. An AirPrint-enabled printer can be used without an additional app, provided that the iPhone and the printer are connected to the same network. Usually, this is your home or office Wi-Fi network provided by a Wi-Fi router.


An iPhone personal hotspot is not a normal router, and is not intended for local networking.


A dedicated mobile broadband router (sometimes also called a personal/portable hotspot) should have the ability to handle local Wi-Fi networking.


If there is no existing Wi-Fi network (router) where you want to print from the iPhone to the Canon MF232w, almost any (even an old/spare) Wi-Fi router could be used. The interesting part is the local (WLAN/LAN) side. The WAN (Internet) side does not have to be connected. You would simply set up a private Wi-Fi network for printing purposes only.


There are also travel routers without mobile broadband (similar to the example at https://www.tp-link.com/us/home-networking/wifi-router/tl-wr902ac/) that should work.

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Nov 26, 2022 4:23 PM in response to clairefrombardwell

Hi,


The Canon MF232w is listed in About AirPrint - Apple Support as a printer supporting the driverless AirPrint technology. An AirPrint-enabled printer can be used without an additional app, provided that the iPhone and the printer are connected to the same network. Usually, this is your home or office Wi-Fi network provided by a Wi-Fi router.


An iPhone personal hotspot is not a normal router, and is not intended for local networking.


A dedicated mobile broadband router (sometimes also called a personal/portable hotspot) should have the ability to handle local Wi-Fi networking.


If there is no existing Wi-Fi network (router) where you want to print from the iPhone to the Canon MF232w, almost any (even an old/spare) Wi-Fi router could be used. The interesting part is the local (WLAN/LAN) side. The WAN (Internet) side does not have to be connected. You would simply set up a private Wi-Fi network for printing purposes only.


There are also travel routers without mobile broadband (similar to the example at https://www.tp-link.com/us/home-networking/wifi-router/tl-wr902ac/) that should work.

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Nov 26, 2022 6:32 PM in response to clairefrombardwell

You're welcome!


By the way, AirPrint works with wireless (Wi-Fi) or wired (Ethernet) network connections. Since your printer model has Ethernet in addition to Wi-Fi, you could choose to wire it to one of the LAN ports of the router (instead of using a wireless connection). Normally, with routers for home use, the wireless and wired sections are bridged, so wired and wireless computers/devices can communicate with each other.


If there is a problem with device discovery with AirPrint, the following power-cycle procedure may help:

Power off the Wi-Fi router, the printer, the iPhone, and all other devices/computers. Wait two to three minutes. Power on the router. Wait two to three minutes. Power on the printer. Wait a minute or two. Power on the iPhone. Finally, power on all other devices/computers.


Do not hesitate to post back with any questions. If so, you may want to mention the exact router model used.


Good luck with your experiment!

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Nov 27, 2022 9:09 AM in response to Jan Hedlund

Jan, thank you for the additional information. I was able to print from my iPhone at one time but lost the connection. Since I have no internet connection other than my phone, I don’t know how I was able to do that. I must’ve had a wi-fi connection set up on my computer via the hotspot or something. Is that a possibility? Thank you.

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Nov 27, 2022 11:22 AM in response to clairefrombardwell

>I was able to print from my iPhone at one time but lost the connection.


Was this earlier, or have you now tested an old Wi-Fi router (without the WAN/Internet side connected)?


Connecting via a router is the normal way when using AirPrint.


However, the Canon user's guide (https://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/4/0300025074/05/MF244dw_UsersGuide_usEN_4.pdf) on page 152 appears to indicate that a direct connection could be possible. Unfortunately, the information in this manual is not very clear.


Do you have some kind of Canon or third-party iOS app for printing installed on the iPhone?

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Nov 27, 2022 12:00 PM in response to Jan Hedlund

This was prior. I couldn’t find any old routers; guess I‘ve gotten rid of them. I don’t have any printer apps installed because I don’t want to pay a subscription. I didn’t find the user guide of any use either. I’m not sure how I got it working, but it was something I googled that I can’t find now.

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how to print to a wireless printer using iphone hotspot

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