Connecting to Network Printers

Once a printer has been shared on your network, there are many different ways to connect to it from client systems. One of the easiest and most common is to use the Add Printer Wizard, available from the Printers and Faxes applet in Control Panel. As you walk through the wizard you can specify the printer you want to connect to by name (for example, \\printserver\printersharename), or browse the network for it. Once the printer is added, it will be accessible just like any local printer would.

If you’re looking for a shortcut, another quick way to connect to a printer on your network is by using My Network Places. Simply browse to the PC that the printer is attached to, and you’ll find the shared printer listed (along with any shared folders on that system). Right-click on the shared printer icon, click Connect, and you’re ready to roll.

Author: Dan DiNicolo

Dan DiNicolo is a freelance author, consultant, trainer, and the managing editor of 2000Trainers.com. He is the author of the CCNA Study Guide found on this site, as well as many books including the PC Magazine titles Windows XP Security Solutions and Windows Vista Security Solutions. Click here to contact Dan.