How to connect a printer over a local network to a computer

The printer is a peripheral device for removing information. By converting the electronic format into a printed form, paper media is obtained. Nowadays there is a huge range of equipment for various purposes: office work or home use. If you wish, you can choose the device according to personal preferences, parameters and your financial capabilities. Good and high-quality equipment is in a different price range.

Typically, printers are used for printing documents and images, but with the advent of the Internet, the list of possibilities has increased. Thanks to access to the global network, users can easily interact and share files online for quick work. However, to obtain these features and benefits, you must properly connect the equipment and ensure synchronization with the computer.

For experienced users, this will not be a problem, but questions may arise when you first try to enable it. We will try to answer them in the article, as well as describe a detailed plan for accessing the network connection. This information will be especially useful for beginners who are faced with a similar task for the first time. Regardless of whether the MAC or Windows owner.

Before you start working and adjusting the system to improve the quality, make sure that the connection is correct. If you have not done this yet, use the step-by-step instructions to connect and register the printer on the local network:

Turn on the power supply. Connect the printer to the computer port using a wire.
Download the software and driver package using the installation disc that comes with the hardware you are buying.
After that, go to the main menu using the start button on the desktop or by pressing the corresponding button on the keyboard.
From the proposed points go to "devices and printers." Find the name of your model and right-click on it.
A small dialog box should appear with a list of possible actions. Select “properties”, and in the appeared menu click on “access”.
In the center of the dialog box will be the inscription "sharing ...", put a check mark next to it.
Click OK at the bottom of the window, save the changes. Now your printer has access to the local network.

With access to the local network provides synchronization of multiple computers with one printer. This avoids the cost of purchasing additional equipment, and also saves time thanks to the ability to quickly switch between computers.

IMPORTANT: When getting access to the local network, it is necessary to make all the computers connected in this group. All devices must recognize the printer and connect to it.

If you have multiple printers in your home or office, you need to connect each of them. Let's analyze the option of connecting two devices:

Step by step follow the steps for the second printer as described above.
Go to the "devices and printers", find the new equipment and go to its settings. Usually, the first connected equipment becomes the main one, a green check mark is displayed on its picture.
Allow sharing, as in the first case. If you have problems, you can try to change the IP.

IMPORTANT: When operating, the system will ask for print permissions; if you constantly use only one printer, set it as default. Then the program will automatically print through it, it will save time and save you from unnecessary actions.

Thus, you can connect multiple devices at once. The limitation is only in the number of connectors on the main processor case. This problem can be solved by buying a splitter. But you should not overload the equipment, it can lead to malfunctions. Yes, and the user will be difficult to navigate in the process of printing.

After you have successfully connected, you need to configure the printer. This is necessary for the coordinated operation of all paired devices. If you want to print files, documents at a distance from the main processor, you must properly configure the removal of information. Since there are different operating systems, the configuration process may be slightly different. In order for you to easily configure the necessary parameters, let us analyze the principle of operation for each case.

IMPORTANT: When setting up a network connection, your computer will need to access the Internet (via a modem or router).

Setup in Windows 7.For convenience and understanding of the basic principle, we will begin to consider the parameters from Windows version 7. In order for the system to detect hardware, the following manipulations must be performed:

Before you start setting, you need to know the current IP address. It can be found in the manual, on the product panel or in the settings. If the program automatically set the values, you need to contact the router and see the information for the devices.
Use the search bar in the start menu to find the printer you want. You can go through the standard path in the "devices and printers."
Click on the “Add Printer” button. In the proposed options should be the desired item. In the absence of it, click on the value “the required printer is missing ...”.
Then click on the “add by ip value” button. Enter the address you know in advance.
After that, save the changes and exit the dialog box by pressing the OK button. You can also optionally install automatic driver detection and assign a default device.
When installing the driver, follow the instructions and tips of the download wizard.

If you encounter difficulties, try to reboot the system and perform all actions again. If this does not help, you may have lost the settings or the program is damaged by a virus. Make a thorough diagnosis of possible causes of malfunctions in obtaining access, if necessary, contact the master or the service center for help.

Setup in Windows 8.Windows 8 uses a similar rule. Perform all the actions discussed above, in order. When connecting, there should be no difficulties. If you have questions, refer to the instructions and documentation attached to the set of purchased equipment. It describes the detailed solutions and practical advice.

The only difficulty will be in a slightly modified interface and the name of the individual menu items. This will cause difficulty in navigating the system, however, the general commands are written in the same way. So just follow the connection instructions and LAN settings for Windows 7.

Setup in Windows 10.The process of pairing in this system may seem more complicated. Compared with previous versions, here significantly changed the look of the menu and replaced some of the options. Also, the developers have removed the connection to private networks. To complete the setup, use the step-by-step plan:

In the general information menu, find out the name and address of the PC, it will be needed for further pairing of equipment.
Through the "start" menu, go to "options". After that, select the “Network and Internet” section, and then “Change connection properties”.
Place the index and activate “public”. When blocking the system by antivirus, disable it for the duration of the settings.
Return to the previous state tab. In the dialog box that opens, you need to select options for access to the local network through the “sharing options”.
Configure network discovery and set a pointer to file sharing.

If you have several devices connected, you must configure for each device. All stages are performed in turn for each printer. In this case, in the case of setting the main device, do not share it. This can be done only after connecting all the components of the local group.