The most common way to install a printer on a home network is to install it as a stand-alone device on the network, and then add a connection to the printer on each computer that is on the network.
If you're not sure what type of network printer to install, decide if you want to:
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Use a wireless printer. These printers use a built-in wireless card and plug into a power source, not your network or computer. After you turn on the printer, you need to refer to the information that came with the printer to set up a wireless connection to each computer on a home network. Security options for wireless printing are determined by each printer manufacturer.
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Connect a printer directly to the network. To do this, you need to plug in the printer to your network hub or router. How to install these printers depends on whether the printer and your network device use an Ethernet, universal serial bus (USB), or another type of connection. You also need to refer to any installation information or tools provided by the printer manufacturer.
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Connect more than one printer directly to the network. To do this, your hub or router must be able to support more than one printer connection.
After you have installed a network printer, you need to add a connection to the printer for each computer on the network.
1.
Open Printers by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking Hardware and Sound, and then clicking Printers.
2.
On the toolbar, click Add a printer.
3.
In the Add Printer Wizard, select Add a network, wireless or Bluetooth printer, and then follow the steps in the wizard.
Available printers can include all printers on a network, including Bluetooth and wireless printers or printers that are plugged into another computer and shared on the network. Make sure that you have permission to use these printers before adding them to the computer.
It's a good idea to print a test page
to check if the printer is working correctly. For more information, see Print a test page.
A device used to connect computers on a network. The computers are connected to the hub with cables. The hub sends information received from one computer to all other computers on the network.
Network
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Network
A group of computers or other devices, such as printers and scanners, that communicate either wirelessly or by using a physical connection, such as an Ethernet cable or a phone line.
Router
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Router
A device that sends, or routes, information between two networks (for example, between a home network and the Internet). Routers find the quickest paths for sending information, which makes network connections faster. Routers can be wired or wireless.
Universal serial bus (USB)
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Universal serial bus (USB)
A narrow, rectangular connector used to attach a device, such as a keyboard or a mouse, to a computer.
Ethernet
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Ethernet
A networking standard that uses cables to provide network access. Ethernet is the most widely installed technology for connecting computers.
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