Any "hidden traps" as far as setting up a WiFi Printer under Sierra (10.12.6)?

[britechguy]

I have not had a call for a Mac in I can't remember how long. I really don't have any fear about them, but also know that (just like Windows, Linux, or any OS) there is the occasional "hidden trap" with what would appear to be a completely simple process.

Just got a call from a client with a Brother WiFi printer that can print to it from her iPhone, but not from her Mac. She recently changed ISPs, and I suspect that somehow the reconfiguration to her new modem-router either wasn't done or wasn't done correctly. It should be a simple fix, but I thought I'd ask here whether any hidden "gotchas" exist with regard to setting up WiFi printing under Sierra?

 

[Computer Bloke]

Not specific to Macs, but it's possible that neither the phone nor the printer is connected to her new WiFi network at all, and the phone is using WiFi Direct to print and cellular data for Internet access. If so then you can fix it literally without laying a finger on the Mac - it's a great party trick.

From experience, this is almost impossible to explain to the client who will insist that it must be the computer's fault because everything else works.

 

[britechguy]

Thanks. I'm aware that any number of possible "configurations" are out there.

This company, Glo Fiber, has generally been pretty good about covering most (if not all) bases when folks are converting to them as ISP. They're our only local fiberoptic option. There's always something that clients seem to forget about when they're there, so I've gotten a couple of, "Oops, I forgot to tell them about __________!," calls.

 

[Computer Bloke]

Just mentioning this one because I've seen it a few times recently and it fits the reported problem perfectly. Being able to fix it without touching the Mac is a bonus.

Let us know what it turns out to be, eh?

 

[britechguy]

Sure. I've left a message telling the potential client we need to schedule a service call. I'll see whether she does so.

 

[britechguy]

Well, I have no idea how that Brother printer came to be known by the Mac, but not as a WiFi printer, but that was the issue.

All I had to do was nuke it, add it back, and since both it and the Mac are on the same WiFi network it was instantly detected and installed as an Airprint machine. I even nuked the fresh install, and walked the client through doing it herself, in case anything peculiar should occur to knock it off or she were to acquire a new printer.

 

[overburnz]

Usually configuring a printer in macOS is pretty straight forward, ultimately if that didn't work you would just needed to install the Brother drivers for macOS.
PS: did you try to print anything?

 

[britechguy]

PS: did you try to print anything?

I never, ever walk away from a printer or multi-function setup situation where I have not done at least one test print and test scan (where applicable). I don't trust that a printer will print just because it appears to have been setup correctly.

[I'd consider it IT malpractice to walk away without testing pretty much any functionality, printing, scanning, ability to access internet, etc., etc., etc., that you've done a service call for. And I know I have done this once or twice, and I never charge for the return service call when I realize that I was derelict in my duty if something I was supposed to have set up and tested doesn't work the first time a client tries it. Apologies are profuse in the very rare instances they've been needed.]

 

[timeshifter]

I always try to remember to test printers before I leave even when what I’ve worked on has had absolutely nothing to do with printing. Had one instance where I was later blamed for printer not working even though it was never in play.