Printer sees network but network can't see printer. Unavailable to add

I have used the same Epson WF2540 printer for several years on this Win7 x64 computer. It is set up as a network printer and we have printed to it with 7 devices including Samsung smartphones.

A couple of months ago, my ATT router finally quit, and they came out and replaced it and the WiFi gateway. At my request, the tech changed the new network name and PW to the old ones so our devices could just rock on without me spending 3 days fighting with each one of them in turn trying to force them, kicking and screaming, onto a new network. This strategy appeared to have worked until a few days ago, when I wondered why I couldn't print anything (we don't print much around here, so that's why it took me 2 months to notice the printer had gone to Siberia.)

Now I simply can't print. So I tried all the Epson Support steps: WPS Setup? Failed. Manual "Add Printer" setup? Failed. Remove and reinstall printer devices / drivers? Failed, and now I can't add them back even using the Epson WF2540 installation utility. The old articles (2015 and older) I found here mentioned a "Printer Setup Troubleshooter" but didn't bother to post a link so of course I couldn't try that.

On a possibly related note, Ccleaner's "try our new PC Health app" notified me that I was offline, preventing it from checking my surfing speed and (something else online), which is absurd since I had just downloaded their new PC Health app not 5 seconds before that and was easily browsing the Interwebs using Firefox, Microsoft Internet Exploder and Chrome Security Data Disseminator.

Currently, my printer says it is connected to my network, by name and password, has obtained an IP address (192.168.1.74) and is ready to rock and roll with an "excellent signal strength" commendation, not surprising since it is 28 inches from the WiFi Gateway.

But Windows says "not so fast, Pilgrim" (imagine John Wayne's voice saying it). No matter what I do or how I try to do it, I cannot get the printer to even show up in my network and I can't find any help anywhere on how to troubleshoot it.

Does anyone here know how I can solve this?

HI Hoggy Dog,

Solve printing problems with the Windows built in printer troubleshooter

Thanks for the quick reply, Snick, but as I mentioned, the printer is not available to select.

So your suggested fix fails at this step (bold underlining mine):

Click Next, then select the printer that you want to troubleshoot, then click Next again.

If I could select the printer, I could probably muddle my way through the process of getting it to work- done that in the past. But I can't, so I can't. After the system fails to find the printer, it offers me the option of browsing for it, or scanning for it. I have tried both, without success. The "Scan for it" option is particularly heinous, spending 10 to 15 minutes doing IDK what, then finally saying it couldn't find any devices matching my whatevers.

I'm beginning to think maybe my printer's WiFi link radio has quietly failed, which would explain ALL of my symptoms. I just don't know how I can test that theory, especially given that the printer reports good connectivity with the network via the WiFi Gateway and even comes up with a valid-looking IP address, which (it seems to me) would require 2-way communication with my router to access DHCP services.

Also, just as an aside, the article you linked does not reflect the terminology or options I see when I run my Win7 printer troubleshooter. Either it's for a different version of windows, or is for W7 but very out-of-date.