How to Use a Router to Make a Printer a Wireless Printer

When you network a printer, you can print to it wirelessly from any computer on your network. By reducing the number of printers required, your company may save money and office space. You can connect almost any printer to your network, though the networking method you use will depend on the hardware of your printer.

Network-Ready Printer

Connect the Printer to a Router
Connect one end of the Ethernet cable to the port found on the printer and then connect the other end of the cable to an available port on your router. Alternatively, you can connect the printer to an available network wall jack.

Turn on the Printer
Press the power button to turn on the printer. Wait at least two minutes for the printer and the router to communicate before proceeding.

Print a Configuration Page
Print a configuration page from the printer’s control panel. The page contains networking information, including the printer’s IP address. You can also use the control panel to assign an IP address to your printer.

The actual steps necessary to print the page and to configure the IP address vary depending on the manufacturer and model of your printer. Refer to your owner’s manual for the information specific to your printer.

Install the Printer Software on Network Computers
Install the printer software on any network computer where you want to use the printer. To install the software, insert the installation CD that came with the printer and follow the onscreen instructions. When prompted, enter the IP address that appears on the configuration page you printed.

Alternatively, search for the printer among available network devices. Reboot your computer to complete the installation. The installation process may vary depending on your specific model of printer.

USB Printer

Connect the Printer to a Computer
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to connect the printer to a computer and install the print software if you have not already done so.

Enable Print and File Sharing
On the computer directly connected to the printer, enable File and Print Sharing. Click Start, then Control Panel, and finally “Network” in the Search box in the top-right corner of the Control Panel screen. Select “Network and Sharing Center” from the options on the left, and then click the “Change Advanced Sharing Settings” button.

Click to enable the “Turn on File and Printer Sharing” option and then click the “Save Changes” button. You may receive a prompt to enter an administrator password depending on your computer’s security settings. Close the Windows Control Panel.

Open Devices and Printers Dialog Box
Open the control panel and open the Devices and Printers dialog box.

Locate the Printer
Browse the available printers until you find the one you want to share. Right-click the printer and click “Properties” from the options that appear.

Select the “Share this Printer” Option
Click the “Sharing” tab to view the Sharing properties for the printer. Click to select the “Share this Printer” option. A check appears in the box when you enable this option. Click “Apply” and “OK” to save the changes and close the printer dialog box. Close the Devices and Printers dialog box. The printer now is available to other networked computers to use wirelessly.

Add the Printer to Networked Computers
Add the printer to any networked computer you want to have access. From the networked computer, click Start followed by “Devices and Printers.” Click the “Add a Printer” option and then click “Add a Network, Wireless or Bluetooth Printer” option. Select the printer from the list of available printer, click “Next” and then follow the onscreen prompts to complete the installation.

Tip

You can also connect parallel port and USB printers to your network using a wireless print server. The process of connecting and installing the printer varies depending on the model of print server purchased.

Warning

When sharing a printer through a computer, you must leave the connected computer powered on for others to gain access to the printer.