First, did you purchase the optional wireless card for your printer?

 

Connecting the printer too soon causes Windows to install the wrong drivers.

 

Vista is a very tricky system. Set a System Restore point. Download the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility. Only click on your printer to un-install it. Restart your computer.

 

Now before you go further, lets fix your Linksys router first.

 

Update the firmware in your linksys router, make and model needed, Linksys website.

 

Broadcast SSID(change this, it will make it easier to connect)

 

Use WPA-PSK(TKIP) security.(Most devices work best with this type security)

 

Mixed b and g mode(n if available)

 

Use channels 1, 6 or 11. Most wireless devices work best on these channels.(I use channel 11)

 

Save and exit. Power everything off, wait 30 seconds and then turn everything back on. Try and connect.

 

 

Now go to drivers and downloads/select product/printers/select your printer. Download drivers.

 

Follow all of the steps as before.

 

 

Scanning

Scanning using USB connection, open the Dell All-In-One Center, click on scanning and copying and scan from there.

Scanning wirelessly, use the scan buttons on the printer.

 

225 Driver,

 

Please try what I suggested in the above post. Run the Windows Cleanup Utility for the printer only. I asked you to make a system restore point because the Windows Cleanup utility can remove many items, if not used correctly. This way you can always restore if you accidentally clicked on the wrong item.

 

Retsrat your computer.

 

Fix the wireless router you're using. WPA-PSK(TKIP) communicates with wireless cards and adapters best.

 

Mixed mode is needed for some of these wireless cards.

 

Channels 1,6 or 11 only for wireless cards and adapters. It seems there is a setting in the wireless router to look for a clear channel. If it moves off of 1, 6 or 11, the problems begin.

 

The reason I suggest changing the SSID is because it's easier to connect after you change security.

 

Updating the firmware helps to keep the wireless router connected, since most routers sit in a warehouse for a period of time and the firmware is NOT up to date. Some wireless routers have an update feature that doesn't work either.

 

Try what I suggested in the second post and see what happens. I have a 964 AIO Photo Printer with a 3300 wireless print adapter connected and have no problems.

 

 

Rick

 

Unfortunately, I did all that you suggested, in fact the Dell Tech Support guy also ran the Dell cleanup utility as well plus resetting the printer to its manufacturers default.  My router is up-to-date with its software as it is done automatically (plus I checked with the ISP's website to confirm).  My security is WPA-PSK(TKIP) and was before I even had the printer or new laptop.  Still no joy!

 

Steve

Hi

 

I too have recently bought an Inspiron 1720 (Windows Vista Home Premium) and wanted an AIO printer which I could use for WiFi printing, as could my wife with her new 1720.  The Dell AIO 968 looked like the machine for me and I went ahead and purchased one.

 

I tried for 3 days to get my Inspiron 1720  to recognise the printer without success.  Initially I thought it may have been down to the printer driver.  On installing the software I kept getting a message that the software had not been installed correctly and there was a note that the user had stopped the Dell AIO 968 driver loading when I clicked on the balloon in the notification area.  However, the installation program itself seemed to go ahead without any problems in that it set up the printer to talk to my router.  My router recognises that the printer is allocated a WiFi connection and the network screen on the printer itself states that it is receiving a 100% signal.  It just seems that the printer won't talk to the laptop for some reason.  The Laptop WiFi works as I get on the internet with it fine and have a good signal and fast service.

 

When I looked at the printer drivers that had been installed I saw that there was the Fax Dell AIO 968 and the Dell AIO 968 XPS but that was it.  I have the duplex option on my printer yet, there was nothing to make this work with even a USB connection!  In the end I manually loaded the Dell AIO 968 driver using the "Add Driver" routine in the Control Panel\Hardware and Sound\Printers page.  I now at least have full access to the printer for duplex and other options which I didn't have before via a USB link.

 

Howver, I still cannot get my computer to recognize the WiFi printer at all.  I spent over an hour with Dell Tech Support yesterday where they took control of my computer and tried re-installing software but to no avail (I had to manually add the Dell 968 AIO driever again after we had finished!).  They are now sending me a new WiFi adapter as they think that might be the fault.  I cannot quite understand what good that is going to do if the WiFi router can see the printer and the printer sees my WiFi network.  I think there must be a fault with the Dell Printer Driver software as it doesn't even load the correct drivers initially (and this happened both with the disc sent with the printer AND with the latest one downloaded off the Dell Support site).

 

Anyone know of a way to get the laptop to talk to the printer wirelessly when the printer seems able to talk to the router and the laptop talks to the router, but the laptop and printer cannot talk to each other?

 

Before anyone asks, I tried setting up the other 1720 and the same thing happened.

Well, I now have wireless contact between laptop and printer.  However, I had to open the printers folder and then add new printer and up came my Dell wireless connection.  However, the Dell AIO 968 XPS printer driver was set up for wireless work which is not of much use to me as I cannot use the duplex printing mode.  I can only do that if I connect using the USB connector (and I had to set up the Dell AIO 968 pinter driver though the "Add Printer" command in the Printers Folder as the Dell software didn't set it up!

 

My next question, is how do I get my wirless printer to use the Dell AIO 968 Printer driver instead of the XPS printer driver.

 

Anyone able to help please?

 

Thanks

 

Steve

225 Driver

 

Try following these instructions: Connect a Dell™ Wireless Printer to a Wireless Network.

Hi

 

Tried this and still the same.  I get access to the Dell AIO 968 XPS Driver but NOT the Dell AIO 968 Driver, the one that allows me to duplex print.  In fact using the routine you directed me to stops the printer and my laptop connecting with each other and says there is no connection.  Go to the Drivers Folder and "Add Printer" and I have WiFi again but only with the XPS driver.

 

However, I have managed to configure the printer driver by doing some experimenting.  I went to the "Properties" link and then to "Ports".  I then selected a free Standard TCP/IP Port.  Not quite sure what happened after that but it is now allocated to the Dell 968 AIO Driver and a test had it duplex printing.  I am going to set up my wife's computer next and will see how that goes.

 

Not exactly the easiest task in the world to get this printer up and running.  Goodness knows how anyone new to computers would cope as Dell's own Tech Support didn't try any of this (plus they sent me out the wrong replacement part as well!).

 

Steve