This article was co-authored by Luigi Oppido and by wikiHow staff writer, Travis Boylls. Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.
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Do you need to connect a wireless printer to your Wi-Fi network? Wireless printers are very easy to set up on any PC or Mac, and, depending on the printer, you can even print wirelessly from your Android, iPhone, or iPad! This wikiHow guide will walk you through adding your printer to your wireless network so you can print photos and documents without pesky cords.
Connecting a Printer to the Wi-FiEnsure the printer is within range of your wireless router or use a USB cable. Power on the printer and select your Wi-Fi network name. Type in the password, if necessary, to lock on to the connection.
Part 1 of 5:Power on the printer. You'll be connecting to the wireless network directly from the printer, so you don't need to connect it to a computer first. [1] X Research source
Advertisement Fair Use (screenshot)Brandon Phipps is a Technology Specialist based in Bakersfield, CA. He is the owner of Second Star Technologies and specializes in Managed IT Services for small and mid-sized businesses in Bakersfield, CA. With over 23 years of experience, he offers expert cloud computing, cybersecurity, and network management solutions. Brandon is a committed community member and coach who leads and innovates in tech and sports coaching. His dedication to local businesses and communities is evident in his hands-on, tailored approach to IT solutions.
Brandon PhippsWi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) enables wireless connectivity between your printer and router. This feature connects your printer to a wireless network without using a computer or network name and password. Instead, you will use the WPS button or the WPS pin (unique code used for device connection).
Advertisement Part 2 of 5:
. It's the icon with the Windows logo in the lower-right corner. This opens the Windows Start menu. [3] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
Fair Use (screenshot)icon. It's the icon that resembles a gear on the left side of the Windows Start menu. Fair Use (screenshot)
Click Devices . It has an icon that resembles a keyboard and an iPod. It's in the Windows Settings menu.
Fair Use (screenshot)Click Printers & scanners . It's in the menu bar to the left next to an icon that resembles a printer.
Fair Use (screenshot)Click + Add printer or scanner . It's at the top of the menu next to a plus (+) sign. Your computer will start scanning for printers and scanners connected to the network.
Fair Use (screenshot)Click Print to print a page. Depending on the app you are using, you can find the "Print" option under the "File" menu, or by clicking the icon with three dots ( ⋮ ) in the upper-left corner. In some cases, you can just click an icon that resembles a printer in the menu bar at the top of the screen. View the print preview and click Print to print to your printer. [4] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
Advertisement Part 3 of 5:. It's the icon that resembles an apple in the upper-right corner. [5] X Research source Fair Use (screenshot)
Click System Preferences… . It's near the top of the Apple menu. This opens the System Preferences menu.
Fair Use (screenshot)Click Printer & Scanners . This displays a list of connected printers (if any) on the left side. If you see your printer listed, it is already connected.
Fair Use (screenshot)Click + . It's at the bottom of the box with all the connected printers on the left. Your Mac will scan for printers connected to your wireless network.
Fair Use (screenshot)Click Print to print a page. Depending on the app you are using, you can find the "Print" option under the "File" menu, or by clicking the icon with three dots ( ⋮ ) in the upper-left corner. In some cases, you can just click an icon that resembles a printer in the menu bar at the top of the screen. View the print preview and click Print to print to your printer. [6] X Research source
Advertisement Part 4 of 5:. It generally has an icon that resembles a gear. Fair Use (screenshot)
. It's in the upper-right corner of the Settings menu. This allows you to quickly search for different menu items in the Settings menu. [7] X Research source
Fair Use (screenshot)Tap the print service plugin you want to use. All installed print service plugins are listed in the Printing Settings menu. This scans for printers connected to your wireless network.
Fair Use (screenshot)Open the item you want to print. Use the app to open the document, picture, or email that you want to print.
Fair Use (screenshot)Check your box for the word wifi or a wifi logo or type in your model number on Google to find the specifications for your printer.
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Yes. Once you have the printer setup and connected to the wireless network, just install the drivers on your laptop. As long as your laptop is connected to the same network as your printer, you should be able to send print jobs to your printer over the network.
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Make sure the printer has been properly installed and setup. Also, make sure you have the correct drive for the printer installed on your computer. If the printer still isn't showing up, you may have a network problem.
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If you get a "printer offline" error, you'll need to pinpoint the exact cause to fix the error and complete your setup.
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