How to fix problems adding a wi-fi printer to a Telstra modem?

How to Access Your Telstra Modem Settings

If you need to check your Telstra modem’s Wi-Fi settings while troubleshooting a printer connection, you can usually access the modem’s administration page from a device connected to your home network.

1. Open a web browser on a computer, tablet or phone connected to your home network.
2. Enter http://mymodem in the browser’s address bar and press Enter. If that doesn’t work, check the modem’s label or Telstra’s instructions for its administration address.
3. If prompted, sign in using the modem’s administrator details. These may differ from your Wi-Fi network password.
4. Look for the Wi-Fi settings. The available options vary by modem model, so avoid changing settings unless you understand what they do.

When connecting a printer, check whether it requires a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network. Some printers have trouble connecting when a modem combines its 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks or uses band steering. Consult your printer and modem instructions before changing these settings.

Having problems connecting a new printer to Wi-Fi? “Band-Steering” could be the reason.

Telstra Modems and most other modems are know as “Dual-Band” modems, meaning they can transmit 2 wifi signals, one at 2.4 GHz and the other at 5 GHz

and that normally shows up as two seperate SSID networks such as:

The majority of new wi-fi enabled printers will only operate on the 2.4 GHz network, but Telstra modems have a feature switched on by default called “Band Steering” which will intelligently move your devices from the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz network based on usage, speed, coverage and distance. When using Band Steering you will only have one network name with one password.

By turning Band Steering off, it will allow you to create two separate networks (or, SSID’s) which could have their own passwords and names. You can then connect certain devices to a specific network. If you choose to turn Band Steering off, and create two separate networks, you will most likely have to set your devices back up on the network you prefer.

To turn Band-Steering off … try the following:

1. Login the router’s setting page by typing http://mymodem or 192.168.0.1 into any web browser that is connected to current wifi to access the Telstra Modem admin page (IP, login name and password is usually specified on the side or bottom of the modem)
2. Username: admin
3. Password: Telstra (upper case T)
4. Click on WIFI (top bar, 3rd icon from the left).
5. Click on 2.4GHz tab, scroll to the bottom and uncheck “Band Steering Enabled”.
6. Save setting.
7. Switch to the SSID on the 2.4GHz channel and try adding the printer again

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