Connecting your Printer to a Home Office Network

Posted Friday, May 6th, 2011 by .

If your home has more than one computer, you likely have a networking system so every computer can be connected to the internet via a single modem and router.  Adding a printer to the home network requires a printer that has wireless capabilities or can connect via ethernet interface.

The first sequence of events is obtaining a connection to the computer source via the router and navigating through the Start Menu on the computer.

  1. Plug one end of the ethernet cord into the printer and one end to the router.
  2. Obtain the printer’s IP address, which you can print using the printer menu and choosing the Print Configuration option in the Information category.
  3. Go to the computer Start Menu.
  4. Select Printers and Faxes.  If you do not see this option on the Start Page, you should be able to find it in the Control Panel.
  5. In Printers and Faxes, click Add a Printer (top of the left panel).

Once you have reached the Add Printer Wizard, make the selections as listed in the following instructions and make sure to choose Next after completing each prompt:

  1. Select ‘Local printer attached to this computer’ and uncheck the box below it that says ‘Automatically detect and install my Plug and Play printer’.  Click Next when this is done.
    1. Though this is a network printer, you do not want to select the ‘Network printer’ option at this stage because it is for printers on a print server.
  2. You will be prompted to choose a printer port, choose ‘Create a new port’.
  3. Choose Standard TCP/IP Port.
  4. Enter the IP address.
  5. Leave the Device Type as Standard and in the drop down, select the printer’s network card or you can select Generic Network Card.  Click Next and then Finish.

At this juncture, you will need to select the printer’s make and model from the provided list, or if you have the installation software disk that comes with the printer, select Have Disk and insert the disk into the computer.  This will load the printer driver.

  1. Choose a name for the printer and select Yes to make it the default printer.  Click Next.
  2. Select Do Not Share This Printer, as the other computers can be connected to the printer following these same steps.  Click Next.
  3. Print a test page to verify.  Click Next and the Finish.

This may seem like a lot of steps, but the actual process should not take you more than a few minutes.  Repeat these steps on all computers in the house and within a few minutes, your printer will be added to the home network.

For a visual tutorial, check out this video:

Robyn Warner
Robyn Warner has been writing since she learned how to hold a pen. She wrote her first book of poems before the age of 10. Though creative writing is her preference, she is enjoying life in the technical blog world. Robyn’s goal in her 30s is to use her writing to inspire fellow cancer survivors and have a job that gives her the flexibility to live anywhere and never wear shoes.
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2 Responses to “Connecting your Printer to a Home Office Network”

  • Benefits of wireless:
    October 2, 2012 at 7:29 pm

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  • Multiple Default Printers:
    November 2, 2012 at 4:28 am

    […] then “Devices and Printers”. You also need to make sure that all printers are connected to the network. Once you know the names, follow the steps below to set them as […]