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With an increasing number of printers now supporting network connections, wireless printing has become easier than ever. By connecting your printer directly to the network, you can print from both Windows and Mac laptops. If your printer doesn’t support network connections, you can easily set it up on your computer and share it with your laptop.
Steps
Before You Begin
Check Your Printer. When setting up wireless printing, you have two basic options: You can set up a network printer that connects directly to your home network, or you can share a printer connected to another computer via the network. Your choice depends on the type of connection supported by the printer and how you set up your home network.
- Most newer printers can connect to a home network. Some network printers require a wired Ethernet connection. Older or budget printers need to connect to a computer via USB and then share the network.
Check the Network and Requirements. A printer connected directly to a network can be accessed from both Windows and Mac laptops. Sharing a printer between computers running the same operating system (Windows to Windows or Mac to Mac) is easier, but using different operating systems may require additional steps. For guidance on sharing printers across different OSs, refer to online resources.
Printing with a Network Printer
Connect the Printer to Your Home Network. The connection process depends entirely on the printer brand.
- If you're using an Ethernet cable, plug one end into the printer's Ethernet port and the other into the router or switch. That's all you need to do for an Ethernet network printer.
- If you have a wireless printer, use the printer's display to connect to the wireless network. Select the network name and enter the password (if required). The setup steps might vary between printer models, so refer to the user manual for detailed instructions.
Connecting to a Network Printer (Windows). Once your printer is connected to the network, you can connect it to your laptop. The following instructions apply to all versions of Windows.
- Open the Control Panel, which you can access from the Start menu. Windows 8 users can press the ⊞ Win key and type "control panel".
- Select "Devices and Printers" or "View devices and printers".
- Click on Add a printer.
- Select "Add a network, wireless or Bluetooth printer". Windows 8 users can skip this step.
- Choose the network printer from the list of available printers. Follow the prompts to automatically install the driver. If Windows cannot find the compatible driver, visit the manufacturer's support page to download it.
Connecting to a Network Printer (Mac). After connecting the printer to the network, you can connect it to your laptop. The following steps apply to all versions of OS X. Note that the network printer must support AirPrint or Bonjour (most modern network printers do).
- Click on the Apple menu and select "System Preferences".
- Choose "Print & Scan" in the System Preferences menu.
- Click and hold the "+" button at the bottom of the list of installed printers.
- Select the network printer from the list of recent printers. If your printer doesn't appear, you may need to download the necessary software from the manufacturer's support page.
- Click the Download & Install button if available. While OS X usually installs the necessary printer software automatically, sometimes your printer model may require additional software from Apple. If needed, you’ll be prompted to download the software after adding the printer.
Print Using the Recently Installed Printer. After adding a network printer to your operating system, you can print anything just as if the printer was connected directly to your laptop. Open the "Print" dialog in any application and select the network printer from the list to start printing.
Sharing a Printer Between Windows Computers
Install Printer on the Sharing Computer. Since this computer must remain on whenever you need to print, install the printer on a computer that is frequently powered on.
- Most printers are installed by connecting via a USB port. Refer to the user guide if you encounter any difficulties during installation.
Create a HomeGroup (Windows 7 and later). If all computers on the network are running Windows 7 or newer, you can use the HomeGroup feature for easy and quick printer sharing. For Windows Vista or XP, proceed to Step 5 of this section.
- Create a HomeGroup on the computer that will share the printer. You can access the HomeGroup menu from the Control Panel. Click on the Create a homegroup button to set up a new HomeGroup.
- Follow the instructions to set up the HomeGroup. When asked what to share, choose "Printers & Devices" and set it to "Shared".
- Copy the password that appears.
Connect to HomeGroup from Your Laptop. Once the HomeGroup is set up, you can connect it to your laptop.
- Open the HomeGroup menu in the Control Panel on your laptop.
- Click on the Join now button and enter the password.
- Follow the instructions to complete the HomeGroup setup. You will be given an option to choose what to share, but this step is not required for printer sharing.
Sharing a Printer on a Shared Network Once your laptop is connected to the HomeGroup, you can select a shared printer just like one directly connected to your laptop. Ensure that the computer sharing the printer is powered on.
- Open the Print dialog in any program and select the shared printer from the list of available printers.
- If using HomeGroups, simply follow this step. The following instructions apply to those not using HomeGroup functionality.
Manually Activate File and Printer Sharing if HomeGroups is Unavailable If your computer or laptop sharing the printer is running Windows Vista or earlier, you must manually enable printer sharing.
- Open the Control Panel and select "Network and Sharing Center" or "Network and Internet" on the sharing computer.
- Click the link "Change advanced sharing settings" and expand the "Private" network settings.
- Select the option "Turn on file and printer sharing" and click Save changes.
- Return to the Control Panel and select "Devices and Printers" or "View devices and printers".
- Right-click on the printer you are sharing and select "Printer properties".
- Click the Sharing tab and check the box "Share this printer".
Sharing a Printer Across Multiple Macs
Setting Up a Printer on the Sharing Computer Since this computer needs to remain on to access the printer, it should be the one you configure most frequently.
- For Mac, simply plug in the USB port, and OS X will automatically handle the installation process.
Enable Printer Sharing on the Mac You Just Installed the Printer On After installing the printer, you need to enable printer sharing so other computers can connect to it.
- Click the Apple menu and select "System Preferences".
- Click on the "Sharing" option.
- Select "Printer Sharing" to activate printer sharing.
Sharing the Printer Once you've successfully activated the printer, you can share it within the same window. Simply check the box next to the printer you just installed to share it.
Connecting to a Shared Printer on a Mac Laptop Now that the printer is shared, you can connect your Mac laptop to it.
- Click the Apple menu and select "System Preferences".
- Click on "Print & Scan".
- Click and hold the "+" button, then select the newly installed printer.
- If prompted, click the Download & Install button if it appears. Even though OS X comes with pre-installed software that supports most printers, your machine may require additional software from Apple. If so, you will be prompted to download the software after adding the printer.
Printing from a Shared Printer Once you've set up the shared printer on your laptop, you can print any document just like you would with a printer directly connected to the laptop. Don’t forget to keep the computer that’s sharing the printer turned on.
- Open the Print dialog in any program and select the shared printer from the list of available printers.
