Connecting an HP Smart Tank 5101 to Wi-Fi is done through the HP Smart app, and the steps fail most often because of the network band, the printer's setup mode or a missed prompt. The 5101 is a compact cartridge-free ink-tank all-in-one that prints at 12 pages per minute in black and 5 in color, with refillable bottles that print thousands of pages, and it connects by Wi-Fi or USB. It is a basic wireless model, and, like other HP printers, it prefers the 2.4 gigahertz band, so a router that combines the 2.4 and 5 gigahertz bands under one name can confuse the setup.
Before starting, finish the printer's physical setup: fill the ink tanks from the bottles, install the printhead as the guide shows and load paper, and let the printer charge its printhead, which takes several minutes.
The checks in more detail
Install the HP Smart app on your phone or computer and sign in. Connect the phone to your Wi-Fi network, preferably the 2.4 gigahertz band, keep it near the printer and switch Bluetooth on. In HP Smart choose to add a printer and follow the prompts, which find the printer, ask you to confirm your network and enter the password. The printer's Wi-Fi light blinks while it connects and becomes steady when it succeeds. If the printer will not connect, put it back in setup mode by restoring its network settings: hold the Wireless button and the Cancel button together for several seconds until the light blinks, as HP's guide for the model shows, then run the setup again.
Check the password and the network name, and that the router does not hide its name or use MAC filtering. Restart the router and the printer. If the signal is weak, move the printer closer, or connect it by a USB cable to a computer and install the driver, then add the network afterwards. Give the printer a reserved address in the router so that the computer always finds it. If the app says the printer is offline after a successful setup, check that the phone and the printer are on the same network and that no VPN is running. Update the firmware. Contact HP with the model number and the serial number if the printer will not join any network.
The Smart Tank 5101 has a quirk that matters at setup: the first-time start takes several minutes while the printer charges its printhead with ink, and the Wi-Fi light may flicker or the display may be dark while it does. Wait for this to finish before you start the app, because an interrupted charge can cause setup errors. If the printer was set up on another network before, its stored details can clash with the new ones, so restoring the network settings first is worth doing. Keep the ink bottles upright and the tanks filled to the line, and do not run any cleaning from the app until the printer is connected and idle. If you move house or change the router, repeat the network setup through the app.
Differential
Likely causes of “HP Smart Tank 5101 will not connect to Wi-Fi”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A combined band name
What separates it Setup stalls at the network step
How to confirm Use 2.4 gigahertz or separate the bands
- 2
The printer not in setup mode
What separates it The app cannot find it
How to confirm Restore the network settings
- 3
A wrong password or a hidden network
What separates it The printer does not join
How to confirm Check the name and enter the password again
- 4
A weak signal
What separates it The connection drops
How to confirm Move closer or use USB for setup
- 5
A phone on another network or a VPN
What separates it The app says offline
How to confirm Join the same network and turn off the VPN
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Which band and network are used
- What the Wi-Fi light does
- Whether the signal is strong
- Whether a VPN is on
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedFinish the physical setup
ReversibleInk, printhead and paper.
Install HP Smart
ReversibleSign in.
Join 2.4 gigahertz
ReversibleOn the phone.
Add the printer
ReversibleIn the app.
Restore network settings
ReversibleIf needed.
Contact HP
ReversibleIf it will not join.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Physical setup first
- Fill the tanks and charge the printhead.
- The band
- 2.4 gigahertz works best.
- Setup mode
- Restoring network settings returns it.
- The same network
- The phone and printer must match.
- A reserved address
- It keeps the printer findable.
- HP help
- Quote the model and serial number.
- The first start
- The printer charges its printhead before it is ready.
- A new router
- Repeat the app setup after a router change.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !Do not post your Wi-Fi password where others can read it
- !Do not disable router security to test
- !Ask HP for help if the printer never enters setup mode
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
What are the steps to put my Smart Tank 5101 on Wi-Fi?+
Run setup in the HP Smart app on a 2.4 gigahertz network.
How do I reset the network settings?+
Hold the Wireless and Cancel buttons.
Do I need to fill the tanks first?+
Yes, before setup.
Why does the app say offline?+
The phone is on another network or a VPN is on.
Can I use USB?+
Yes.
Why is the printer busy when I first switch it on?+
It is charging the printhead with ink, which takes several minutes.
Should I restore the network settings before a new setup?+
Yes, if it was set up elsewhere before.