Please help! Deskjet 3050 doesn't show up in "add printer" section!

Okay, so I've been searching online for quite a while now and can't seem to find any help towards my problem.

Yesterday, I changed my router's name.
Today, my wireless printer doesn't work.
As mentioned in the title of this post, I have an HP Deskjet 3050 J610 series.
I (obviously) also have a Mac; 10.7 update.

My question is:
When I go into system preferences, and I click "Print & Scan", and I go to click the little "+" sign on the bottom left to add my printer, nothing shows up. At all. How do I add it in that box? Why isn't it showing up? It's been working perfectly for over a year, and like I said, since yesterday when I changed my router name, it "can't find wireless printer" or something like that. Does it have to do with the router? Anything with an IP address? My printer itself says "wireless is enabled", but it's "not connected".

I've tried many things, such as "reseting printer defaults" on my mac, which took away my printer from the list (which I knew it would do), but never gave it back (which apparently it's not supposed to do)!

PLEASE. If anyone can help me I'd honestly love you forever. I have quite a few papers due for finals and such this week, and I'm just super stressed trying to figure this whole thing out.

Have you been in the wireless menu on the printer?

After changing the wifi network name, I would just run through the HP installation software again to set it up.

If you don't still have the software installed - head here:

Directions - scroll down for the 10.7 directions

Software downloads in the left column same page.

I'm not sure what you mean by the wireless menu on the printer.

I've tried to download the latest installation software / driver for 10.7 but sadly, no luck.

OH! I know what you mean now, like when I click the buttons on the ACTUAL printer. Yes, but I'm not sure how to go about using it. Theres only about 3 buttons, and it's a tad confusing.

lexwissner said:

...

I've tried to download the latest installation software / driver for 10.7 but sadly, no luck.

Click to expand...

What does that mean? You couldn't download the software? Why?

You either did or did not download the software and follow the directions provided by HP for installation or you didn't.

If you did, what did not work?

Here is your owner's manual - see pg 36 - "Traditional Wireless connection" - I am "assuming" here that you are using the printer wirelessly and it is not connected to either the router or the computer.

I was able to download it, it just didn't fix anything for me. The printer still isn't showing up under the "add printer" section in system preferences.

ill try the manual & let you know if it helped.

also, i read somewhere that i should click the wps button on my router when my printer tells me to. i would do that, but theres no such button on my router. any way around this?

See pg 36 above - you need to run the installation software and connect the USB cable from the printer to the computer when it tells you to.

the manual was very informative, though as stated before, theres no wps button on my router to press– i feel like if i had one, this would totally be figured out by now, lol.

the other option is a pin. it says add the pin to the router. how would i go about doing that? im just so lost right now.

(btw, thank you for your continuous support&help)

i dont have the usb cable either. is that the only way it would work? ive been trying to look for it. normally im very organized, though of course the one time i need this one cable.. haha

Yep, if you plan on using that printer and not connect it via ethernet to the router, you're going to need that USB cable in order to get it to join the wifi network.

okay. =/ what is an ethernet then? maybe i can do that?

That would be the type of cable you would use from the router to another device for a wired network connection.

oh okay i see the cable labeled ethernet. but i cant plug it into the printer. theres no spot for it

Ahh, wifi only - didn't look at it that hard - you're gonna need that USB cable.

oh god.. i searched high & low for that thing. haha well thank you for your help. hopefully i can find it eventually. i know that once i do, (if i do, hopefully!) itll be very easy to set up. just hoping there was a way around it.

thank for your continuous help though, means a lot

A new USB cable will be cheaper than a new router with that whatever button they're talking about. That's a new one on me - always buy ethernet printers and never even look at wifi only ones.

Seems like we've been buying a new printer at work every other month here lately. Course the one I had that just died was12 years old. Reckon we got our money's worth out of it.

You can usually find a short (1-3 feet) USB cable at your local dollar store.

good news! i searched high & low and found the usb.

it was super easy after that. just downloaded the new driver& i was good!

thanks again for trying to help!