Your printer used to connect without a second thought. Now the print queue sits in limbo, the setup app spins forever, or your laptop acts like the printer doesn't exist. The Eero Max 7 is a beast of a mesh router with Wi-Fi 7 and 10GbE ports, but some of its defaults and the way it handles older WiFi clients can make printer pairing a headache until you know the specific tricks.
Start with eero's current compatibility settings instead: in the eero app, tap Settings, Network settings, then Encryption; for legacy printers, use Standard (WPA2) on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. The 6 GHz band always uses Enhanced (WPA3), so a 2.4 GHz-only printer should be set up through the 2.4 GHz compatibility workflow below.
If that doesn't do it, the fixes below cover the rest of what's going on.
Start With the WiFi Security Setting
On eero networks with 6 GHz, encryption is configured per band. By default, eero uses Standard (WPA2) on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands and Enhanced (WPA3) on the 6 GHz band, which cannot be changed. If a legacy printer has trouble connecting, open the eero app, tap Settings, Network settings, Encryption, and use Standard (WPA2) for the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.
After the printer is working, leave the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands on Standard (WPA2) if the printer is WPA2-only or remains unstable. If you choose Hybrid (WPA2 + WPA3), watch for reconnect issues because eero says some legacy devices can still struggle with Hybrid or Enhanced encryption.
The 2.4 GHz Problem and How to Work Around It
Plenty of printers still only support 2.4 GHz WiFi. eero uses a single network name for 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and, on supported networks, 6 GHz. For first-time setup of a 2.4 GHz-only printer, eero's official workaround is to temporarily pause the 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands so the network broadcasts only on 2.4 GHz for up to 10 minutes.
You do not need to permanently split the network. In the eero app, tap Settings, Troubleshooting, My device won't connect, My device is 2.4 GHz only, then Temporarily pause 5 and 6 GHz. Run the printer's setup process during that 10-minute window; the higher bands turn back on automatically afterward.
If setup still fails, use the Temporarily pause 5 and 6 GHz option during setup and keep the printer close enough to maintain a stable connection. Do not rely on standing next to the gateway to force 2.4 GHz; eero says Client Steering encourages compatible devices toward 5 GHz and, on eero Max 7, 6 GHz, and does not guarantee which band a device chooses.
Check the Guest Network
This one trips people up more than you'd expect. If your printer is on the main network but your phone is connected to the guest network, they can't see each other at all. The Eero guest network is fully isolated from the main network. Open the Eero app, tap the device list, and check which network each device is on.
Keep the printer on the main network with the phones, tablets, and computers that need to print. eero says the guest network is isolated from the main network and from other guest devices, so a shared printer should not be placed on the guest network unless you are using a separate direct-printing method that does not depend on local network discovery.
Update the Printer's Firmware
Many printers shipped with WiFi firmware written years before Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 existed. If your printer worked fine on an old router but refuses to pair with the Eero Max 7, outdated firmware is a strong suspect. Check the printer manufacturer's support site for the latest firmware and update via USB cable if the WiFi setup isn't working yet.
After the firmware update, try the WiFi pairing process again from scratch. This often fixes the handshake issues that newer mesh routers expose in older clients.
Set a Static IP Once the Printer Is Connected
Once you get the printer paired and talking to the network, you can add an IP reservation so it keeps the same address. Open the eero app, tap Settings, Advanced networking, Reservations & port forwarding, then add an IP reservation for the printer using its nickname, MAC address, and IP address.
Without a static reservation, a reboot of the mesh could hand the printer a different IP, and your laptop might keep trying to reach the old address. That's a common cause of the "printer is on but I can't print to it" problem.
Force-Refresh Discovery on Your Device
If the printer shows as connected in the eero app but your phone or Mac can't find it for AirPrint, first confirm the printer and the device you are printing from are on the same network. Try toggling WiFi off and back on your device. On a Mac, open System Settings, Printers & Scanners, remove the old printer queue, and add the printer again.
Re-adding the printer makes the device search available printers again without assuming a mesh-specific mDNS cause.
Cycle the Gateway Eero
A gateway restart can be a reasonable troubleshooting step, but keep the cause general. eero recommends restarting by unplugging the eero, waiting 30 seconds, and plugging it back in; you can also restart a single eero or the whole network from the eero app.
Wait about five minutes for everything to stabilize, then try printer discovery again.
Reset the Printer's Network Configuration
If the printer has been through multiple failed pairing attempts, clear its old network settings and reconfigure it for the eero network. eero notes that some printers remember stale network settings from an old router; the exact reset menu varies by printer, so check the printer manufacturer's documentation before doing anything beyond a network reset.
Once the network settings are cleared, run the printer's WiFi setup wizard from scratch with the printer right next to the gateway eero.
One Last Thing About the Eero Max 7
The Eero Max 7's 10GbE ports are fantastic for multi-gig fiber plans, but they don't change anything about printer connectivity. The printer is connecting over WiFi, not Ethernet. The 2.5GbE ports on the back are for wired backhaul between nodes or connecting a wired device directly. If your printer has an Ethernet port, plugging it directly into one of the Eero's LAN ports using Cat 6a or better cable is actually the most reliable option, it bypasses WiFi issues entirely.
Printers connected by Ethernet avoid WiFi band-steering and WPA3 compatibility issues on the printer connection itself. They still need to be reachable from the device that is printing, so keep the printer and printing device on the same main network. If your printer supports wired and wireless, give wired a try.