Printer Networking, Connect Your Printer To A Wireless Network

It’s a good idea to choose a laser printer with built-in wireless networking, but even printers with wired networking can process print jobs from PCs on a wireless network.

Before you can enjoy easy access to loads of high quality prints, however, you need to connect the printer to the network. It’s easy to do, and this article will give you some tips on how to cut out the fuss and make it happen.

Step One

If you have a printer with built-in (or added-on) wireless networking, then you’ll want to install and set up the printer in a location that is easy to access for everyone who needs to pick up prints. You’ll also want to make sure the printer’s location gets a decent wireless signal.

If your laser printer only supports wired networking, then you’re a little more limited in where you install and set up the device. You’ll want to put it near the wireless router, access point, or gateway because you’ll need to run an Ethernet cable between the printer and the networking device.

Step Two

Find your laser printer’s documentation and read about how to connect your printer to your wired or wireless network. This article offers some generic tips, but you should follow the setup guide that came with your device first as it may offer additional tips or rearrange the order of some steps included here. If you don’t have access to a physical copy of the manual, check the printer manufacturer’s website.

Step Three

If you’re installing a printer with wired networking, skip to step four. Many wireless printers that can be installed independently of a router or direct PC connection often have a built-in wireless networking wizard that you can access from the printer’s menu. Find the LCD screen and press a button marked Menu or Setup; a wrench icon is also a common menu key indicator. Navigate the menu options looking for any that deal with connecting to a Wi-Fi network or setting up a wireless connection. Using the printer’s menu navigation controls and number pad/keypad, you should be able to launch the setup process and perform the necessary steps to detect existing Wi-Fi networks, input passcodes, and connect your printer.

Another way to connect a wireless printer is to choose one computer on the wireless network that you can set up first and then proceed to install the printer driver software on that computer. Like the printer manuals described above, the printer driver software will vary depending on your printer model and may ask you to perform additional steps or perform the steps in a different order. Follow those instructions to the letter.

Step Four

With your wired laser printer up and running near your networking device, the next step is to connect one end of an Ethernet cable to the RJ45 port on the back of the printer and the other end to one of the available ports on the back of the router, access point, or gateway.

Step Five

As above, you will need to first configure the connection with a computer connected to the wireless network or directly wired to the router, access point, or gateway.

Install the wired printer’s driver software and follow the instructions. If no driver software is necessary or included with your printer, click Start, Devices And Printers, and then Add A Printer. Select the option to Add A Network, Wireless, Or Bluetooth Printer. On the following screen, highlight your printer and then click Next to complete the setup process.