Your printer worked fine on the old router, but now your phone can't find it, the print queue stays empty, or the WiFi setup on the printer itself keeps timing out. The Netgear Nighthawk RS700S is a Wi‑Fi 7 router with a few defaults that can trip up older printers, and the fix is usually simpler than you'd think.
Two things to try first: turn off WPA3-only mode if you've enabled it, and bring the printer within a few feet of the RS700S for the initial pairing. Open the Nighthawk app, tap **WiFi Settings**, then **Security**. Make sure the option is set to **WPA2/WPA3 Transitional** (that's the factory default), if you changed it to WPA3-only, switch it back to mixed. Then move the printer into the same room as the router, run the printer's WiFi setup, and move it back afterward. If that doesn't do it, here's the full list.
Why the RS700S Blocks Printers
The RS700S is a tri‑band Wi‑Fi 7 router with a single SSID covering all bands. Here are the usual culprits when a printer won't connect:
- Security set to WPA3-only: anything you manually changed. Most printers from before 2022 don't talk WPA3.
- Printer only supports 2.4 GHz: and your phone is on 5 GHz during setup. The RS700S doesn't split bands by default, so the printer can't see what your phone sees.
- Printer firmware is old: older WiFi stacks struggle with modern authentication.
- WiFi password has special characters: apostrophes, symbols, spaces that are hard to type on a printer's keypad.
- Printer is on the guest network: devices there can't talk to the main network.
- mDNS discovery is stale: the router hasn't refreshed the printer's address recently.
Check the RS700S Security Mode
The RS700S ships with WPA2/WPA3 transitional enabled, which gives older devices a fallback. If you turned on WPA3-only at some point (maybe when setting up a new laptop), the printer will fail to authenticate. Open the Nighthawk app, go to **WiFi Settings** > **Security**, and change it to **WPA2/WPA3 Transitional** (or just WPA2 if you want the simplest option). You can also do this from the web interface at routerlogin.net under **Wireless Setup**.
Once you switch back, the printer should be able to join. After it's connected, you can try switching to WPA3-only again, test your other devices first.
Bring the Printer Closer for Initial Pairing
WiFi handshakes are more sensitive during the first pairing than during normal use. If the printer is across the house when you run its setup wizard, the connection may time out. Move it into the same room as the RS700S, within six feet is ideal. Run the printer's network setup from there, then put it back in its permanent spot.
This single trick resolves a huge number of pairing failures.
Use the Printer’s Own App to Handle Band Switching
Many printers can only see the 2.4 GHz band, and your phone is almost certainly on 5 GHz. The RS700S uses the same network name for all bands, so your phone's setup app can't force a band. The workaround is simple: use the printer manufacturer's official app (HP Smart, Canon PRINT, Epson iPrint, Brother iPrint&Scan, etc.). Those apps handle the band‑switching logic and often walk the printer through the connection much more reliably.
Make sure you're using the latest version of that app, and that both your phone and the printer are close to the router during the process.
Update Your Printer's Firmware
Printers that shipped four or five years ago often have WiFi firmware that predates modern routers. Even if the printer worked fine on an older network, the RS700S's newer security and management can confuse it. Check the printer manufacturer's support website for a firmware update. Many allow you to update via USB cable if WiFi pairing isn't working, download the firmware to a computer, connect the printer via USB, and run the updater.
After the update, retry the WiFi setup. This fixes "worked on old router, won't connect to new one" situations more often than you'd expect.
Reboot the RS700S to Clear Stale Data
Sometimes the router's internal table of connected devices gets slightly corrupted, and newly connected printers don't broadcast properly. Unplug the RS700S from power, wait 60 seconds, and plug it back in. Let it fully restart (about two to three minutes) before trying to discover the printer again on your phone or computer.
This is especially helpful if the printer shows as connected in the Nighthawk app but your devices can't find it.
Check Guest Network Isolation
If you've set up a guest network on the RS700S, devices on that network are isolated from the main network. The printer needs to be on the same network as your phone or computer. Open the Nighthawk app, tap **Device Manager**, and check which network each device is on. Move the printer to the main network (or your computer to the guest network, you just need them on the same one).
Guest network isolation is the reason your AirPrint or Bonjour discovery might fail even though both devices have an internet connection.
Give the Printer a Static IP Address
Once the printer is connected and working, assign it a static IP reservation. This prevents the router from handing out a new IP after a reboot, which can break printer discovery. In the Nighthawk app, go to **Settings** > **LAN Setup** > **Address Reservation**, find your printer in the list, and tap **Add**. Enter the printer's MAC address (you'll find it on a sticker on the printer or in its network settings) and pick an IP that's outside the DHCP pool.
You can also do this via routerlogin.net under **Advanced** > **LAN Setup** > **Address Reservation**. Once reserved, AirPrint and other discovery protocols will always find the printer at the same address.
Reset Only the Printer’s Network Settings
If the printer's WiFi memory is corrupted from previous failed attempts, reset just the network portion, not the whole printer. Look in the printer's menu for something called **Restore Network Defaults**, **Reset LAN Settings**, or **Clear WiFi Settings**. After resetting, run the printer's setup wizard from scratch with the printer close to the RS700S.
This clears any half‑completed handshake data and gives you a clean slate.
