Cannot connect to wireless printer

[tmmar]

I have an HP printer hard wired to my wireless router and am trying to print from my laptop through the wireless connection. I keep getting a message saying that 'The print spooler is unable to connect to your printer.' Last week I un-installed and re-installed the printer and it worked once. When I tried to print today, I got the message again. Does anyone know what I can try so that I can connect to the printer.
I am running Windows XP on a Dell laptop.
Thanks

[LadyWindrider]

Make sure you have print and file sharing turned on, both at the router and at the pc. Haven't got a router with a USB printer port yet, but I want one. One other thought is go to control panel, then network, then add network device. Then add the printer as a network printer. Let us know what you find. Good Luck.

[jimh]

i have a lexmark wireless printer and haven't had success with it either.
in my case, the printer is set up using a cable supplied (by lexmark) and is plugged into the computer. once u have the security etc set up. u unplug their special cable and u should be able to see the printer on ur individual computers.
in my case, i didn't understand how to set up the security and simply plugged the printer into computer with a standard usb cable. it works, i just don't have the wifi capability. (the wifi is built into the printer).

in rereading ur post, u didn't say ur printer is wi fi. mine is so we arent the same. what i got hung up on was trying to set up a connection to a wireless modem which didn't support the security protocal of the printer. i'll have to get my son to look it over and explain it to me.

[pwh1970]

You need to set your wireless printers IP address manually within the range specified in your router.
If you are using DHCP to assign IP addresses on the LAN side of your router it may not assign the same address each time the printer comes online. Your printer driver on your computer uses the IP address to "find" the printer if you will. Most drivers hold on the the IP address that it gets when the driver is set up which won't be a problem once you assign the static address to the printer.
I'm not sure why the printer MFG's don't always point this out.
Good luck