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Many offices install a local network in order to exchange data, use common technical means. For medium and small offices, it is easier to install one powerful printer, instead of several small ones. It must be connected in such a way that it can be accessed from all computers of the institution. To turn a regular printer into a network printer, you need to correctly change some device parameters.

There are printers that connect directly to the router, bypassing the computer, but they are expensive. The easiest and cheapest way is to make a common printer available to the public. It connects to one of the office computers in a standard way - via an LPT or USB port, then it is made publicly available on the network. This method of networking the printer is limited in its capabilities. The computer or laptop to which the shared printer is physically connected must be active for the maximum time on the network. Install drivers and software on it from the disk that is always included with the printer, or find and download it on the Internet at the manufacturer's website. Check system performance. Make the printer public. To configure, open Devices and Printers (or Printers and Faxes) in the control panel. Find the installed printer, open its "Properties" by right-clicking on the icon of your printer. In the "Properties" window, the desired tab is "Access". Check the box next to "Share this printer". Leave the printer's network name suggested by the system, or enter your own. For example: "OKI_C510dn". Under this name, the printer will be recognized as a shared resource on the local network. Specify any name, but without spaces. All computers connected by the network have the same operating system as the computer with the connected printer - click "OK". Procedure completed. If there are computers on the local network with a different operating system, install the appropriate drivers for them. In the Properties window, in the Drivers section of the Access tab, click the Additional Drivers button. A list of drivers will open, in which check the boxes against those that you may need for other Windows. Pay attention to the “Installed” column, if the word “No” appears there, then you need to install a driver disk from the printer manufacturer, or download the selected drivers from its official website. For example: , Canon , Epson , OKI . Now you can use the printer as a network share. On the remote computer, go to the "Devices and Printers" (or "Printers and Faxes") section, call the "Add Printer Wizard". Its window will open, in it, as the connection method, select "Network Printer", then "Next". It remains to correctly specify the path to the installed network printer. Follow the syntax: two forward slashes, network computer name, slash, network printer name. For example: "\\MyComp\OKI_C510dn". Press "Next". The printer installation process will end with the system prompting you to print a test page - do it.


The advantages of such a connection to a network printer: there is no need to buy new equipment, it is standard for Windows, easy to use, without additional software. Cons: A computer with a physically connected printer must be running before using it, slow performance during a remote print session, long print wait times, especially for color printing.

How to connect a printer to a computer

There are only two ways to connect a printer to a computer:

  1. Local.
    This method involves connecting the printer to a computer via Wi-Fi or USB. In this case, the connection is made using the driver included with the purchased printer. You can also download the driver from the Internet. As a rule, connecting in this way eliminates any problems with the connected printer, unlike the second method.
  2. Network.
    With this method, the printer can be connected to a computer locally, and thanks to the shared access, it also becomes possible to connect this printer to other computers on the local network or a print server. It is very easy to make a network printer: just connect it to a computer or print server using Wi-Fi, USB or Lan and open access for all users of this network.

Often there are situations when the number of printers in an office or home is less than the number of computers on a given network, and when printing documents, additional configuration of the printer is necessary so that it can print over the network.

An example of the most common situation. There is a printer to which one computer is connected, and printing is required from another over the network. In such cases, there are several options for connecting the printer to a second computer. The simplest of them are the following:

Connect a network printer using a computer

Sometimes, in order for two computers to work with the printer on the network at the same time, additional settings are required (if the “No Access” error occurs during the network printer setup process).

Method number 1

Initially, you should find out the name of the computer (to which the printer is connected). To do this, you need to right-click on the "My Computer" icon. In this menu, select the "Properties" mark and in it - a tab called "Computer Name". In Windows 7 software, this tab will be the last one in the Properties list. You can also get to this menu in another way - by going to the control panel menu, find the "System" icon ("System Properties").

Having learned the name of the computer we need, we can go to another computer. In it, click on the "START execute" button, or you can simply open one of the folders. Next, in the address bar (folder address) that appears at the top, you must enter \\computer name. Example: if the computer name is "printserver", then you need to enter "\\printserver" in the line. After these manipulations, ENTER is pressed. Thus, we get into the remote computer and can see all the network resources available to it. These include a printer that can be installed by simply clicking on it.

If the printer is not displayed in the list of available network resources, then you need to open access for it. To do this, go to the computer to which the printer is connected. In it, we go to "START", then selecting the "Printers" tab and in this window that appears, it is worth right-clicking on the printer that we need. In this menu window, select "Properties", then find the "Access" tab. In this tab, you need to check the box next to the mark "Share". Thus, this printer will appear in the list of network resources.

Method number 2

You need to go to the control panel and select the "devices and printers" folder in the proposed menu. Then you should click "Add a printer" (or in other versions "Install a printer"). In the window that appears, the wizard for installing new devices, you need to click the "Next" button, then selecting "Connect to a printer" or "Browse for printers on the network", confirming the choice by clicking the "Next" button. A new window that appears will offer a list of devices on the network, where you will need to find the printer you need and confirm its selection by clicking the "Next" button. The process will be completed by the operating system without your further participation.

Note

There are times (if computers are on a network with different versions of Windows) when you may need a printer driver during installation. Such a driver can be taken from the disk that was supplied with the printer, or downloaded from the Internet - from the website of the manufacturer of this printer.

If the printer is connected to the network directly using its own network interface or through a print server, then it is easier to connect such a device using the installation wizard, which, as a rule, comes with the printer (MFP) in the form of a CD.

If it is not possible to use such a disk, then you should use another method. To do this, go to the "Add Printer Wizard" following the instructions of Method 2. Here you should select the mark "Local printer" and then - "Create a new port". In this menu, select "Standard TCP / IP port". The Add Printer Wizard will appear on the screen. In the "Printer name/IP address" field, you must enter the printer's IP address, which is specified in the instructions and settings of the printer itself. Having correctly completed all the steps, the process can be completed with a few clicks of the "Next" button in the windows that appear.

Some printer devices require additional settings, which include TCP / IP port settings.

Hello.

I think the benefits of having a printer set up on a local network are obvious to everyone. Simple example:

If access to the printer is not configured, then you first need to transfer files to the PC to which the printer is connected (using a USB flash drive, disk, over the network, etc.) and only then print them (in fact, to print 1 file, you need to make a dozen " unnecessary" actions);

If the network and printer are configured, then on any PC on the network in any of the editors, you can click one button "Print" and the file will be sent to the printer!

Comfortable? Comfortable! Here's how to set up a printer for networking in Windows 7, 8 and will be discussed in this article ...

STEP 1 - Setting up the computer to which the printer is connected (or how to "share" the printer for all PCs on the network).

To be able to use the printer by any PC on the network, you must correctly configure the computer to which it is connected.

To do this, go to the Windows control panel, in the section: Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network and Sharing Center.

In the window that opens, you need to open three tabs in turn (Fig. 2, 3, 4). In each of them, you need to check the boxes next to the items: enable file and printer sharing, disable password protection.

Rice. 2. sharing options - expanded tab "private (current profile)"

Rice. 3. expanded tab "guest or public"

Rice. 4. expanded tab "all networks"

Here, select your printer, right-click on it (right mouse button) and select the " Printer Properties". In the properties, go to the " Access"And check the box next to" Sharing this printer» (see fig. 5).

If access to this printer is open, then any user of your local network can print on it. The printer will be unavailable only in certain cases: if the PC is turned off, is in sleep mode, etc.

Rice. 5. Sharing the printer for general access over the network.

You also need to go to the tab " Security", Then select the user group" All"And allow printing (see Fig. 6).

Rice. 6. Now printing on the printer is available to everyone!

STEP 2 - How to connect the printer on the network and print on it

Now you can proceed to setting up computers that are on the same local network as the PC to which the printer is connected.

The first step is to launch a regular explorer. At the very bottom left, all PCs connected to your local network should be displayed (relevant for Windows 7, 8).

In general, click on the PC to which the printer is connected and if in step 1 (see above) the PC was configured correctly, you will see a shared printer. Actually - right-click on it and select the connection function in the pop-up context menu. Usually, the connection takes no more than 30-60 seconds. (there is an automatic connection and configuration of the drivers).

Then select the connected printer, right-click on it and enable the option " Use by default«.

Rice. 8. use the default network printer

Now, in whatever editor you are (Word, notepad and others), when you click the " Print"- the network printer will be automatically selected and you will only need to confirm the print. Setup completed!

If when connecting printer network error occurs

For example, a common error when connecting a printer is the standard “Windows cannot connect to the printer…. ” and some error code is displayed (like 0x00000002) - see fig. 9.

It is impossible to consider all the variety of errors in one article - but I will give one simple advice that often helps me get rid of such errors.

That's all. By the way, if the printer does not print, I recommend that you read this article:

As always, thanks in advance for any addition to the article! Successful work!

By sharing a printer on a local network, you can connect all users to the same printer. Here we will look at how to connect a printer over a network, that is, a printer that is directly connected to another computer on the network. we considered, so in this article we will assume that the printer is already connected to the print server and configured properly.

Connecting to the printer over a network

I would like to note that here are various ways to connect the printer over the network, which are relevant when the printer is connected directly to the computer, and the computers are on the same network. Even if it is. There are several ways to connect the printer via a local network:

  1. The first method is the most correct way to connect the printer via LAN. To do this, we need to open a window Control Panel - Hardware and Sound - Devices and Printers and press the button Adding a Printer. After that, the computer will start searching for connected and available printers. In most cases, it makes no sense to wait for the end of the check, so click the button The printer I want is not listed. After that, we need to fill in the field Select a shared printer by name. The name of the printer must consist of the name or computer to which it is connected, as well as the network name of the printer, which must be separated by a left slash (\). The network name of the printer is set automatically in the tab Access in properties printer. Printer name example: \\pcname\printname
    Then you need to press the button Further.
  2. The second method includes the same actions, only in a slightly different sequence. You need to open a window Network(Network discovery) and find the computer to which the printer is connected. If you double-click on this computer, you will see a window with shared resources, among which the printer should be. Having found the printer, you need to call its context menu and select the command Join.
  3. The third way to connect a printer over the network is to change the port of an already created printer. For this it is necessary in Printer Properties open tab Ports and press the button Add port. Next, you must specify the network name of the printer, as in the first case. It is not necessary to use this method as the main one. Personally, I used it only when it was impossible to connect and configure the printer over the local network. In this case, I created the most common printer with default settings that had nothing to do with this printer, and then changed its skeleton: I would change the port, change the drivers, change the rest of the settings.

But you must understand that the above methods of connecting the printer over the network do not bring the matter to its logical conclusion. After completing these steps, the computer begins to request drivers for this printer from the print server. Naturally, the print server has drivers for this printer. But they are suitable for your computer only if the operating system and its bit depth are the same on both computers. If not, then wait for the error that the printer could not be connected. And then you will have to think for yourself where to get the drivers. I note that the computer asks for the presence of not only a print server, but also its own driver storage. Therefore, you need to stock up on the necessary drivers, and it is advisable to install them on the system before you start connecting the printer. In this case, the driver will pick up automatically.

Additional printer drivers

As I said, when connecting a shared printer over a network, the computer asks the print server for drivers that are suitable for this system. In case of a negative answer, technical support will have to look for the appropriate drivers and install them on a remote computer. Moreover, such actions will have to be performed for almost every computer that will connect to this printer. And you will also have to redo the same process after reinstalling the operating system. Isn't it easier if all the necessary drivers are stored in the print server's memory? Indeed, in this case, connecting a shared printer over a local network will take place in a couple of clicks and there will be no need to waste time searching and. To do this, you need to add additional drivers for this printer.

When we connected the printer to the print server and configured it, we loaded into the memory of the print server a driver that is supported by this operating system (the operating system of the print server). Additional drivers are drivers that are compatible with other operating system versions or architectures. It is them that we need to hammer into the memory of the print server. The very search for the necessary drivers is your concern, but I'll show you how to add them later.

  1. Control Panel.
  2. Equipment and sound.
  3. Devices and printers.
  4. Calling the context menu of the desired printer and pressing the button Printer Properties.
  5. Open tab Access and press the button Additional drivers.
  6. Next, you will be prompted to select the architecture of the operating system ( x86 or x64). Usually drivers for one of the architectures are already installed (print server architecture). You need to select a different architecture and specify the location of the appropriate driver.
  7. Wait until the operating system adds these drivers to the system, and then save the results.

After these steps, the print server will store drivers for both the most common architectures of client operating systems, and the process of connecting the printer over the network will take place in a couple of clicks.

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