Wireless Networking Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is an SSID?

Why do I see more than one network name (SSID) listed?

What should I do if I do not know my wireless network name (SSID)?

Why do I not see my network name (SSID) listed?

What is Encryption?

What is a WEP Key or WPA Passphrase?

What should I do if I do not know my network security key or passphrase?

Why do I have more than one WEP Key and what is WEP Key indexing?

What should I do if I have forgotten my router login?

Why might Secure Easy Setup (SES) change my wireless network name and security settings?

Why would MAC address filtering prevent me from finding my new wireless device?

Why might I have trouble printing even after my printer is successfully connected to my wireless network?

What is the Wireless Network Test Report?

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What is an SSID?
An SSID is a wireless network name. By default, most wireless routers and access points will broadcast the manufacturers name as the wireless network name or SSID. It is recommended that you change your wireless network name to something meaningful to you so that you can distinguish it from any other wireless networks nearby that may be using a wireless router or access point by the same manufacturer. Using the default SSID can result in networking problems when other wireless networks in the area are also using the default SSID from the same router manufacturer.
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Why do I see more than one network name (SSID) listed?
During the wireless setup, when your device searches for wireless networks in the area, it will display the SSID or network name of any wireless networks that it finds. If you live close to other residences or businesses, you might see several SSIDs listed, which is why it is important that you use an SSID that is meaningful to you and that you use an encryption method to protect your network from unwanted access.
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What should I do if I do not know my wireless network name (SSID)?
You can retrieve your wireless network name (SSID) from your router. To do this you will need to log into your router by first opening a web browser, such as Internet Explorer, and then entering the IP address of the router in the address field of the browser (in place of http://www...). You may be prompted for a user ID and password to log into the router. For the default IP address and login of your router, and further instructions on how to access your wireless router or access point configuration settings, refer to your router documentation or manufacturer.
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Why do I not see my network name (SSID) listed?
During the wireless setup, when your device searches for wireless networks in the area, it will display the SSID or network name of any wireless networks that it finds. If you do not see the name of your wireless network (or SSID) listed, there could be one of a few problems. First, your wireless router or access point might be configured to not broadcast the SSID as a security precaution. Second,your device might be too far from your wireless router or access point; try to bring your device closer to your wireless router or access point and, as much as possible, keep your wireless router or access point away from walls, especially exterior walls. Third, your wireless router or access point may not be powered on. If your wireless router or access point is on and reasonably close to your device, run the search for wireless networks again as the results of the search can vary due to interference by other electronic devices such as microwaves and cordless phones. If you continue to have trouble finding your wireless network, check your wireless router or access point settings for the setting related to SSID broadcasting and make sure broadcasting is set to On. For instructions on how to access your wireless router or access point configuration settings, refer to your router documentation or manufacturer.
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What is Encryption?
Encryption is a way to protect your wireless network from unwelcome users. It is optional but strongly recommended. By employing an encryption method, a password or key is used to code all of the messages sent over the wireless network. Only those devices that know the name of your network and the password can find and decode any network communications. The most common types of encryption are WEP and WPA.
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What is a WEP Key or WPA Passphrase?
WEP and WPA are types of encryption that are used to protect wireless networks (see What is Encryption?). A WEP key is a password used by a wireless network to code and decode any wireless network communication. A WEP passphrase can be used to generate multiple WEP keys, but will not work as the key itself if entered on any other network devices, only a WEP key should be entered on other wireless devices attempting to access the network. A WPA passphrase works works very much like a WEP key; with WPA, the passphrase is used as the key to directly code and decode the transmissions, it is not used to generate multiple WPA keys. Any device that wants to communicate over the wireless network needs to know the wireless network name (SSID) as well as the encryption method and key or passphrase (if any).
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What should I do if I do not know my network security key or passphrase?
You can retrieve your wireless network security key or passphrase from your router. To do this you will need to log into your router by first opening a web browser, such as Internet Explorer, and then entering the IP address of the router in the address field of the browser (in place of http://www...). You may be prompted for a user ID and password to log into the router. For the default IP address and login of your router, and further instructions on how to access your wireless router or access point configuration settings, refer to your router documentation or manufacturer.
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Why do I have more than one WEP Key and what is WEP Key indexing?
If you have multiple WEP keys, start by trying the first key because, by default, your device will be set to look for the first key in the index. WEP key indexing is a method of generating multiple WEP keys using a passphrase and it is useful for people who want to frequently change the WEP key in use to add a greater level of security to their wireless network.
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What should I do if I have forgotten my router login?
If you have forgotten your router login, you can check the documentation that came with your wireless router or access point for the default login. If you have never changed the login then this should work. If you have created your own login and cannot remember what it is, then you will have to refer to the router documentation or manufacturer for instructions on how to reset your login.
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Why might Secure Easy Setup (SES) change my wireless network name and security settings?
Secure East Setup (SES) uses only WPA encryption because it is considered more secure. If your wireless network does not currently use WPA encryption, then invoking the SES mode on your wireless router or access point will cause it to reconfigure your wireless network settings and create a new wireless network name (SSID) and WPA encryption. If you used SES to setup your wireless network originally, then you should already be using WPA encryption and using SES again to add a device to your network should not change any of your wireless network settings.
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Why would MAC or IP address filtering prevent me from finding my new wireless device?
All network devices have a MAC address which uniquely identifies the device. This address is permanent and is assigned when the device is manufactured. An IP address also uniquely identifies a device on a given network but is assigned by the wireless router and can change over time. MAC address filtering and IP address filtering are powerful methods of securing your wireless network. If this is turned on, then only the devices whose MAC addresses or IP addresses are listed within the filtering list will be allowed onto the wireless network. These settings are part of the configuration of your wireless router or access point. To add another device to the filter list, or to turn off the address filtering, you will need to access your router configuration settings. For instructions on how to access your wireless router or access point configuration settings, refer to your router documentation or manufacturer.
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Why might I have trouble printing even after my printer is successfully connected to my wireless network?
There are multiple factors that could affect your ability to print to a wireless printer. You could be experiencing wireless interference from other electronic devices such as microwave ovens or cordless phones, particularly if your cordless phone operates at 2.4Ghz. If you are using firewall software on your computer system, then the firewall may be blocking your attempts to reach other devices on your network. Be sure that if you see pop-up dialogs from your firewall software related to HP programs, that you choose to always allow these programs access. If you are using the default wireless network name (SSID) that is provided by your wireless router or access point, then you can have trouble when others in your area are also using the same default name. When there are two or more wireless routers or access points broadcasting the same SSID, wireless devices within range that are configured to use that SSID will automatically associate with the one that has the strongest signal, even if the security settings are different. For instructions on how to access and modify your wireless router or access point configuration settings, refer to your router documentation or manufacturer.
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What is the Wireless Network Test Report?
The Wireless Network Test is a series of diagnostic tests. They include the internal settings and various external conditions that can affect the connection and wireless performance of your HP product. After the tests are run, a report is printed. The Wireless Network Test report is divided into three sections: 1) Recommendation/Troubleshooting: provides easy to understand steps which should be taken to either correct a wireless connectivity problem or prevent problems from happening in the future. 2) Diagnostic Summary: shows specific conditions tested with pass/fail indications. 3) Configuration summary: shows the current wireless settings of your HP product. After performing the recommended troubleshooting steps, the Wireless Network Test should be run again to verify the problem has been corrected.
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