Wireless Printing
I have a laptop with no printer attached. But I do have a wireless network in my home, and one of the desktop computers on the network has a printer. How can I print from the laptop, over the wireless network, to the printer that's hooked up to my desktop?
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Sharing a Printer On a Wireless Network
Although it may seem like printing over a wireless network requires come special magic, it's really no different than printing with a regular wired network. It doesn't matter if you connect your laptop to the network router in your home with a network cable, or if you use an invisible wireless beam to connect. (If you need help setting up a home network, see my illustrated Home Networking tutorial.)
If one of the computers on the network has a printer attached, all of the computers on the network should be able to access it -- as long as your printer is designated as a "shared" printer for the network. To make sure your printer is network shared, open the Control Panel (on the computer that has the printer), click Printers and Other Hardware, then View installed printers.
Select your printer from the list of installed printers, then smack the Share this printer button. Now click the radio button next to Share this printer, enter a Share name, then press OK. (The example below shows the Lexmark 3100 printer on my desktop computer... yours will most likely be different.) Mac users, make sure the printer is shared in the Mac OS Sharing control panel.
Now your desktop computer's printer is shared, so any computer on the network can send print jobs to it. Oh, and it really doesn't matter if you're printing from a laptop to a desktop, a desktop to a laptop, a desktop to another desktop, or a laptop to a laptop. As long as both computers are on the network, and the printer is designated as shared, it should work.
Setting Up Network Printing
Now on your wireless (or direct wired) laptop, you will need to visit the Control Panel, click Printers and Other Hardware, then Add a printer. This will define the connection between your laptop and the printer on the network.
When the Printer Wizard opens, tell it you're looking for a network printer, then browse for the desired printer on your network. You should select the printer that you just designated as the shared printer on your desktop. In the example below, there are two printers connected to a computer named GW3. You may have more than one computer on your network, with or without printers attached.
Press Next and the necessary printer software will be copied from the desktop to your laptop. In some cases, you may need to insert the CDROM with the printer driver, but usually not. The Printers and Faxes window should show your newly configured printer.
If you're connecting to a printer on a Mac computer, you'll need to download Bonjour for Windows so your Windows computer can access the Mac-connected printer.
If you have more than one printer defined, take note of which is the default printer. When you print from the laptop, the print job will go to whatever printer you have defined as your default printer. To change the default printer, right-click on the desired printer and select the Set as default option, or just select the printer you want to use from the application that you're working in.
Got comments or questions about networking printing from a wireless laptop? Post them below...
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Check out other articles in this category:Posted by Bob Rankin on December 5, 2006 07:55 PM
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Most recent comments on "Wireless Printing"
(See all 103 comments for this article.)|
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I have Comcast with a lynksys wireless router. My PC is wired to a new wireless Epson printer. EDITOR'S NOTE: When you said "My PC is wired to a wireless printer" my head started to hurt. Can you clarify? |
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Hey there bob, there are two desktop computers in my house plus my mum has a laptop - we are all connected to a wireless network but the laptop has problems printing to the network printer. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't! Everything works the same when it is printing and when it is not - like it says the printer is ready and the files enter the printing cue - the only difference is that after a few seconds of it saying it is in the process of printing it comes up with failed printing. I dont get it! Help! EDITOR'S NOTE: Intermittent problems are the hardest ones to diagnose. If you send the print job again, does it work? |
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Hi Bob, Thanks so much for all your help. It's clearly MUCH needed! I could use more of your help connecting to a printer on a Mac computer. I am on a Dell laptop running Vista (in case that matters). I downloaded Bonjour for Windows as you suggested. I restarted my computer. I opened the Bonjour printer wizard, it found the printer attached to the mac, I chose it as my default, and then when I clicked "finish" I got this error window: "You do not have sufficient access to your computer to connect to the selected printer." What does that mean?? I presume I need to use the wizard right? Thank you so much in advance. EDITOR'S NOTE: Here's one possible cause and solution: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946394 |
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Hi Bob, I have a problem, I just brought a wireless printer in which I would like to print form my desktop. To make a story short, is there's a way that I can print from my desktop which is not a wireless pc. what do I need to make this work. (to be able to print from my desktop to a wireless printer) EDITOR'S NOTE: I've never come across a "wireless printer" that did not have the option to connect via USB or a network cable. Are you sure there is no USB port on the printer? If not, you'll need a wireless adapter in your computer, and a router with wireless capability to connect them. |
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Bob, I want to purchase an all-in-one printer to function for four (or more) laptops (Vista and Mac). If possible, I would like to have the printer function independently of any specific computer and simply be connected to the wireles, Linksys, router. Is this possible? If so, how? Do you have a specific, all-in-one printer with sheet feed capability, that you would recommend. this is for a small office/ large family. EDITOR'S NOTE: Sounds like the HP OfficeJet L7780 would be ideal. I have one and it works great for me. I print wirelessly from the computer upstairs to the L7780 which is downstairs in my office. See my rewview here: http://askbobrankin.com/hp_officejet_pro_l7780.html |
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when i get to this step on the laptop: it does not find the printer, just says "Microsoft Windows Network... Documents waiting:". the printer (hp 6540) is connected to the desktop running vista and the laptop is run xp. i was told to select "addional drivers" on the desktop and cite the location of the other version's printer driver. what is it and where is it? |
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Bob, I followed your instructions to set up my wireless printing. Had trouble. My desktop is the one with the printer attached. The printer is on. Both the desktop and my laptop are running VISTA. But when I tried to add a printer on my laptop it said 'none found' even though I am on line through my wireless router. HELP!! |
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I have a wireless network. Cable modem,to Linksys router, with Dell desktop (XP OS) connected to router. An hp psc1315 printer is wired to desk top. Have a Dell lap top (Vista OS) wireless to router. Followed instructions, made desk top printer a share printer with name printer1. EDITOR'S NOTE: Maybe a firewall issue. Try turning firewalls on both machine off... |
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You are my hero! |
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I have 2 printers installed on my desktop...an HP and a Lexmark. I have a wireless home network set up. The wizard "pulled" over my HP printer on my laptop but it didn't "pull" over the information for the Lexmark printer (which is the one I want to use right now). What have I done wrong? Thank you for reading and your help! EDITOR'S NOTE: I had a Lexmark that would even share on a wired network. I think I neded up installing the printer software from the CD on both computers. That may help. |
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