The built-in print server function, which is supported by most modern routers, for many users still looks like a fifth wheel on a cart. At the same time, this option provides users with the most useful opportunity to use one printing device from all computers connected to the local network.

Therefore, in this article, we will analyze in detail how to connect a printer via a wifi router, and also consider the correct configuration of equipment on Windows 7.

So, to make a regular printer a network printer using a router, you will need:

A router with support for a print server and a USB connector on the case for connecting external devices;

The computer from which this printer will be configured;

You can connect a network printer via a wifi router not only to a mobile PC (laptop, netbook, etc.), but also to a stationary computer connected to the router via a network cable. However, if the device does not support the wireless function, you will not be able to print via wifi from it.

The actual printer with "full combat equipment": USB-cable, installation disk, etc.

Before proceeding directly with configuring the device, you should activate print server support on the router. For this:

Find the “Print Server Settings” or “Sadness Server” tab there (depending on the router model, this section may be located on the “USB devices”, “USB applications” or “Multimedia” page);

Set the marker to "Enable Print Server" and be sure to save your changes.

Connecting the printer to the router via usb

It is possible to correctly configure the printer via a wifi router only when the router “sees” this network device.

To do this, connect it to the USB connector of your router using an interface cable (supplied with the device), turn on the printer's power and wait until the device is fully loaded.

Setting up a printer via a wifi router

Further installation of the printer is carried out through the "Control Panel" of the computer (from which you plan to use the wireless printing function). Of course, this must be configured here. and installed .

If you need to connect a network printer via a router to several functional nodes of the local network (computer, laptop, etc.) at once, then a similar setting must be carried out separately on each PC.

For example, consider connecting a printer via wifi to a laptop with Windows7 OS:

1. Go to "Start" -> "Control Panel" -> "Hardware and Sound" -> "Devices and Printers".

2. In this window, select the "Add a printer" section and the "Add a local printer" subsection.

3. At the next step, set the marker to "Create a new port", select "Standard TCP / IP port" from the drop-down list and click "Next".

4. In the next window, in the “Name or IP address” field, enter the IP address of your router (in most cases 192.168.1.1), click “Next” again and wait for the new parameters to load.

6. In the "Driver Installation" window, select the manufacturer and model of your printer.

If there is none, click "Have Disk" and load the driver from the disk (from the basic package of the device).

7. In the next step, enter the name under which your printer will be displayed, click "Next", then again "Next" and "Finish".

If the printer has already been installed on this computer before, to make it available via wifi, you need to:

Go to "Start" -> "Control Panel" -> "Hardware and Sound" -> "Devices and Printers".

Left-click once on the shortcut of this printer and go to the "Print Server Properties" section of the top menu.

In the window that opens, go to the "Ports" -> "Add port" column, here select Standard TCP / IP Port and click the "New port" button.

Further configuration of the printer is carried out according to points 4 - 7 of the previous instructions.

It is common practice in the office and at home to share various peripheral devices, such as scanners or printers, on a network. It is convenient - you can immediately print any document and you do not need to carry files on a USB flash drive from computer to computer or buy a separate printer for each workplace. We will tell you how to properly configure equipment for sharing in this article.

Network Printing

Printing over the network is a common thing, now you will not surprise anyone with it. At the same time, it is still often the case that the shared access to the printer is configured according to this scheme. The printer is connected to one of the computers and is open to other users who can directly send their documents to print. It's simple, you don't have to tinker with the settings. But, in fact, it is not always convenient. The best way to connect a network printer is through a router..

Advantage

The main disadvantage of the scheme described above is the binding of the printer to a specific computer. This computer must be turned on for network printing to work. But what if the employee who works for him gets sick and does not come to work, and access to the computer is password protected? Or is the computer out of order?

Therefore, it is much more convenient when the printer is connected to a router and is always available. But there are nuances here.

Print Server

In order for the printer to work independently on the network without connecting to a computer, a print server is needed. The print server can be software built into a router or printer. Routers equipped with a USB port usually have network printing support. However, it is advisable to check the technical documentation just in case. If your router has a USB port, but there is no print server in it, you will not be able to connect a printer to it.

The printer can have its own built-in print server. These printers are equipped with a LAN port for connecting a network cable or a wireless Wi-Fi module.

If your router does not have a built-in print server and your printer is the most common, you will need a hardware print server - a separate device with a USB port for connecting a printer and a network connector through which the device is connected to the LAN port of the router using a patch cord ...

Connection types

Before setting up a network printer via a router, let's figure out the possible connection options. So, you can connect the printer to the router in the following ways:

• Via USB port... Such a connection is possible if yours and supports printing over the network.
• Via LAN port... If your printer has a built-in print server with a network port, you can connect it to the router using a patch cord.
• Wi-Fi... Some modern printers are equipped with a Wi-Fi module and can communicate with a router over the air. They can also be connected directly from a laptop equipped with a Wi-Fi module.
• Using a hardware print server... This is a separate device to which the printer connects. The print server has a LAN port for connecting to a router.

USB connection

Connect your printer to the USB port of your router using a cable. Both devices must be turned off. Then we turn on the router, wait for it to load. Then you can turn on the printer. By default, the router does not need any special configuration, it should immediately recognize the printing device. You can check this by logging into the device web interface and opening the network map. Your printer model should be displayed there. If not, check the status of the print server. He must be online.

Wi-Fi connection

If your printer is equipped with a wireless Wi-Fi module, then you can connect it to the router over the air without any wires. This can be done in two ways:

• WPS... In the instructions for your printer, we can find out how to activate the WPS function. Then click on the router. We are waiting for the connection to be established (the indicator on the router will stop blinking) and check if your printer appears on the network map.
• WEP / WPA... Manual configuration is similar to setting up the first connection to a wireless network of any Wi-Fi device. We find the network settings in the printer menu, select the network we need and enter the username and password.

LAN port connection

If you happen to be the lucky owner of a printer with a network port, you can connect it to the router via LAN using a regular patch cord. The cable is usually included. If it is not there, you can use a patch cord from the router if you do not have one. Or buy a cable of a suitable length from a store.

In the device menu, you need to set a static IP address for it. It is advisable to do this even if it is configured on your router. The fact is that if the IP address of the printer is constantly changing, it will complicate its search and it will periodically disappear from the list of available devices. There is, of course, an option to reserve the IP address in the DHCP server settings by MAC address.

The printer will then reboot. Then it can be found in the list of network devices.

Install the printer drivers and print a test page.

Using a hardware print server

If your printer is not equipped with a network card or Wi-Fi module, and your router is not equipped with a USB port, you can purchase a hardware print server. As mentioned above, this is a separate device that mediates between the router and the printer.

The budget models have one USB port and one network port. More expensive ones - several USBs, as well as, optionally, an LPT port. Also, the print server can have a built-in Wi-Fi module and connect to the router not by cable, but by air.

First, we connect the print server to the router, and the printer to the print server.

The print server is configured using the supplied proprietary utility... It allows you to find a print server on the network and set an IP address for it. Further configuration is carried out via the web interface according to the instructions. You can enter it by entering in the address bar of the browser the IP that was set for the print server during the initial configuration.

As you can see, there are several ways to connect your network printer to a router, depending on its hardware capabilities.

Computer settings

Regardless of which of the above methods you choose, the settings on the computer are the same in all cases.

You can configure it through the "Control Panel" or through the "Printers and Scanners". The setup is the same.

"Printers and Scanners" was introduced with the latest versions of Windows. This application is suitable for setting up a network printer on Windows 10.

We will configure through the "Control Panel", which is available on all versions of Windows. Particularly suitable for setting up a network printer on Windows 7.

Search for the computer "Control Panel". In the control panel we find the section "Devices and Printers". Click on the item "Add a printer".

The system will try to find the device connected to the computer, but, of course, it will not succeed. Therefore, we will use the item "The required printer is not in the list" at the bottom of the window.

On the next page, select the add item by TCP / IP address or hostname. We press "Next".

In the next window in the drop-down list "Device type" select "TCP / IP device", and below in the "IP address" and "Port name" fields we enter the address, which we get as follows:

• When a printing device is connected via USB to the router, we enter the IP address of your router, which you enter in the browser to enter the web interface. This is usually 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1. It is indicated on a label at the bottom of the device.
• When connecting via LAN, the port with the address set via the menu. In this case, enter this address.
• If the printing device is connected via LAN and receives an IP address from a DHCP server, look at.

It is better to uncheck the checkbox from the poll and driver selection automatically.

In the next window, put a tick in the "Special" item and next to it, click the "Options" button.

In the settings window that opens, select the LPR protocol, and in the "Queue name" field - in our example we wrote "naseti", in fact, any name is written. Click OK and return to the previous page.

You can give the printer a new name, or you can leave the default.

We refuse the offer to allow general access to the printer and click "Next" again.

A message should appear here that everything went well and the printer is ready to work. To verify this, print a test page.

Setting up a print server on a router

If you have any difficulties, you can use the utility to configure the print server on the router. You can download it from the manufacturer's official website by selecting your router model in the "Downloads" section.

To configure the print server on TP-link routers, the proprietary utility TP-Link UDS Printer Controller is used... After you have downloaded and installed the program on your computer, run it and it will automatically find all printers connected to the router. Select the one you want to use for automatic connection.

The utility works with Windows and Mac OS.

For D-Link routers, use the proprietary SIUtility... If you have a router from another manufacturer, look for compatible software on the official website.

WiFi Print Server, or as it is also called "print server" - this is a special device equipped with an Ethernet or WiFi module and allows you to easily and naturally integrate any equipment with a USB interface into a local network, which will turn into a network resource for general use.

Today we will consider a print server with WiFi as the most complex of this type of device. Simply put, print server allows you to connect via USB any device that does not have its own wireless module to our office or home network, so that any computer that is included in it can directly download from a USB flash drive, scan with a scanner or print documents. For clarity, I give a diagram of the network with a connected print server.

As you can see from the same diagram, models of cable or wifi print servers can have not only one or more USB connectors, but also a COM port for connecting old-style printers. The classic low-cost sample is shown below and has one USB or COM port, as well as an Ethernet cable outlet for connecting to a router.

More advanced models have several USB so that you can connect not only a printer, but also a scanner or flash drive to use it as a network data storage.

How to set up a print server?

We figured out the purpose of this device, now let's see how to set up a print server. Let me remind you that I have already shown how to connect a printer to the network via a router, which, with a USB port, turned into a kind of print server. Now let's look at the setup using the example of a model from Trendnet, although by and large all basic configurations will be done directly on the client computers.

So, first of all, we look in the instructions or on the sticker on the print server for its default IP address. As a rule, it is 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1, but may differ depending on the model. In order to change this IP for your network, first you need to adjust on your computer to the given IP set by the manufacturer by default. Therefore, we connect the networked print server to the computer using a patchcord, go to the network settings "Local area connections" (TCP / IP protocol) and set an IP address for the PC from the same range, but different from the address of the print server. In my case it will be 192.168.0.2.

After that, we go through the browser to the server address, enter the login and password, which are also indicated in the instructions or on the sticker, and get into the control panel.

Here we find a section where you can change the standard IP address - in my TrendNet interface, this happens in the "Change IP address" item. We go here and set a static free IP from the range of addresses allowed for use specified in the router settings. On my network, addresses like 192.168.1.x are used, so I will do as in the screenshot below. As a gateway (Gateway) we specify the address of the router itself.

We save the settings, reboot the device, disconnect it from the computer and plug it into the LAN port of the router. Now you will need to configure it to work in wireless mode. To do this, first we return the initial parameters for the network connection via the local network on the PC, and then go back to the print server settings - already at the address we specified, 192.168.1.11. We are looking for the section responsible for configuring WiFi (Wireless) and set all the data for connecting to our network - SSID and password.

We save, connect the printer to the server and finish working with the device. Now we will do everything directly on the computer itself, namely, we will add the connected printer to our devices.

Setting up a print server on a computer

To do this, go to "Printers and Faxes" (for Windows XP) or "Devices and Printers" (in Windows 7) and click "Add Printer".

In the next step, we will be asked to indicate the port that the printer uses. We mark the item "Create a new port" and in the "Type of port" field set "Standard TCP / IP port"

Which print server should you choose?

The choice of a print server should be approached from the point of view of how many devices you plan to connect to it. I would take a model with at least 3 USB ports - for a printer, a scanner and a flash drive. Among the manufacturers of print servers, I would like to mention the products of D-Link and TP Link.

That's all for today - if I remember something, I will add more ..)

March 18, 2014 at 01:33 PM

How I made my USB MFP wireless

• Linux setup

Introduction

They say that a child at school will need a color printer and scanner. And I myself wanted to change the crumbling black-and-white laser from 1996 to something. The selection criteria were: color, laser technology (the intervals between prints can be up to months), an automatic document feeder for a scanner and copier, automatic duplex printing and Wi-Fi to put this box in the far corner. According to these characteristics, some whopper was selected for 25+ kilo rubles, which seemed unreasonable. And suddenly at work they gave out a couple of gift cards from a well-known pink store, and the feeling came that I had to buy. Unfortunately, there were only three color laser MFPs in its range, none of which met the last two requirements. Two months later, the assortment was not replenished with anything, but on the contrary, it was reduced to two positions for the whole of Moscow, and I decided to take what was in stock and not on the window.

The lucky one was the HP Laserjet Pro 100 Color MFP M175a, without auto-rotate pages and with a USB-only connection. By the way, it turned out to be not as big as I expected, and not as noisy as they say in the reviews.

Task

While it's almost impossible to add automatic two-sided printing to a printer, it's quite possible to untie it from your computer.

A simple, but not suitable way for me is to connect it to a router that distributes the Internet in the apartment and, possibly, has a USB port. This method implies that, firstly, the MFP will have to stand at a three-meter distance from the router, and secondly, the router will only enable printing, not scanning too (on factory firmware).

The second way is to buy a box for $ 35 ... ... and hope that it can do what it needs to do and suddenly be compatible with Ubuntu on the client side. The manufacturer's representative willingly replies with something unintelligible in wonderful Chinese English. I didn't hope for luck.

The third method, already suitable, allows you to use a device connected via USB to one computer on another computer as if it were connected to the second, using at least a local network, at least the Internet.

Software

There are several implementations, but I immediately chose the one that is included in the Linux kernel in order to save myself in advance from any possible license restrictions, fees, the inability to configure something and other dependencies. It is called usbip.

Iron

You could find an old D-Link in a closet, hoist OpenWRT on it, but it would be cumbersome and with a small share of your own hands, so it was decided to look for something small, omnipotent and inexpensive.

Carambola

The size of a matchbox, has Wi-Fi, USB-host, 320 MHz MIPS processor on board, consumes no more than 1.5W, OpenWRT OS, costs 22 euros.

Raspberry Pi

size 86x56, Wi-Fi will have to buy an external one and plug into USB, a 700 MHz processor, there is a lot on the board that will not be used, consumes at least 3.5W (700mA at 5V), Linux OS to choose from, costs 35 US dollars.

size 120x120, 1 GHz ARM processor, rich peripherals, Linux OS, consumes 4.2W (350mA at 12V), costs 55 euros. My old favorite, size 100x160 or 152x152, 500 MHz i386 processor, no built-in Wi-Fi, OS almost any, consumes 5W, costs from 64 to 78 euros.

As a result, according to the criteria size-power consumption-cost, taking into account the sufficiency of functions, the first option was chosen - Carambola.

Process

Since it was planned to connect only USB and power, there was no need for a development board and case, I ordered only the module itself.


Console discovers on TXD2-RXD2, 115000 8N1.
For USB to work in host mode, 5V must be applied to pin 21 (the module itself works only at 3.3V), and pin 40 must be connected to GND. White wire (D +) to pin 39, green (D-) to 38.
The manufacturer said that the data lines of the USB cable can be connected directly to the module, the Internet suggested that in this case it is better not to use a hot plug, that is, connect and disconnect USB devices when the module is de-energized. This suits me - I'm going to connect the MFP once and for all.
OpenWRT had one of the long-standing Bleeding Edge preinstalled, I immediately updated it to stable 12.09 Attitude Adjustment via the web interface.
Then the usbip package was installed in OpenWRT, which pulled up the necessary kernel modules and utilities. It remains to add a couple of lines to autoload:
/ usr / sbin / usbipd -D / usr / sbin / usbip bind --busid = 1-1 "1-1" I took from the output of the list of connected USB devices in the OpenWRT console: usbip list -l
On the client side of Ubuntu 13.10. Kernel modules are present in the system, for their automatic loading you need to add them (usbip_core, vhci_hcd) to / etc / modules
Userspace utilities, however, are missing. You should not install them from the repositories, there is version 0.1.7-3, it will not work with version 1.1.1 on OpenWRT. You can do this as follows: sudo apt-get install linux-sources tar -jxf /usr/src/linux-source-3.11.0/linux-source-3.11.0.tar.bz2 cd drivers / staging / usbip / userspace /. /autogen.sh ./configure make sudo make install Now, to connect the MFP, I just need to execute sudo usbip attach --remote = 192.168.2.16 --busid = 1-1

Flaws

The main disadvantage is that the connection between the usbip server and the usbip client is a one-to-one connection, that is, if one client has connected himself a USB device of the server, then others can no longer connect it to themselves until it is disconnected first. For such a case, you can strain and write a usbip control page in the OpenWRT web interface, but this does not threaten me yet, the MFP will only be used from one workplace.
Another disadvantage may be that, theoretically, the link speed via Wi-Fi is lower than via a USB cable, but in my particular case, the data when scanning is slower through the cable, but these are probably my local problems.

Plans for the future

Now the module is powered using a 12V-to-5V and 3.3V DC-converter:


It is bulky and would take a separate matchbox by itself. It is replaced by a 5V to 3.3V DC converter from China, like this:

It is quite a toddler and will fit in one matchbox with a Carambola (no pins). All this will be powered by an old telephone charger.
The ultimate dream is to put this box inside the case of the MFP, suddenly there is a place there, and find there a 5V source inside, or at least still a place for a converter with AC 220V. But I will decide on this only after the expiration of the warranty repair period.

Development and testing:

(The colors of the power wires are arbitrary)

Result

Two days after writing the topic, quickly as never before (in a couple of weeks instead of the usual four or five) a voltage converter arrived from China, now the project is completed:



Add to OpenWRT web interface to release USB device:

You need to understand what we are talking about

To make it easier to navigate the settings, you need to understand the existing printer interfaces - what are, what they look like and what they are for.

1. USB wired port. The high-speed bus allows the printer to be connected directly to the device. By default, these are computer, laptop and router. The interface cable is unique - on one side there is a rectangular connector for connecting to a PC, on the other side there is a trapezoidal port for connecting to a printer. It is the owners of USB devices who are primarily interested in how to make a network printer in order to print not only from a computer, but also from other mobile devices.
2. Ethernet network port. It is present only in expensive devices and is designed to connect the printer to a network hub. This technology meets the printing needs of all owners of such devices.
3. Wi-Fi wireless technology. Most modern printers are equipped with such a module, but full functionality is not always possible. After all, printing requires proprietary software, which does not always work readily on smartphones and tablets.

Friendship with a router

It is necessary to figure out how to make a USB printer a network printer. The presence of a USB port on a network router without a built-in Print Server module will not give positive connection results. Therefore, it is recommended that you first study the instructions supplied with your network equipment and make sure that the printer has connectivity, right down to the model. And if there is an opportunity, you can safely perform the following actions:

1. Connect the printer and router to the power supply.
2. After connecting the printer to the USB port of the router, you need to make sure that it has "made friends" with the device. To do this, open the web interface of the network device in a browser. The address of the router, login and password can be found in the instructions, but if the wireless point was configured by the provider, then all the questions about connecting the printer directly depend on the person who made the settings for the router.
3. After authorization, the name of the connected printer should appear in the Print Server section.

Correct configuration of the USB connection with the router

1. On a personal computer, go to the control panel and select the "Devices and Printers" tab. Then everything follows the algorithm: "Add a local printer" - "Create a new Standard TCP / IP port".
2. After clicking the "Next" button, you must enter the IP address of the router (192.168.1.1 by default) and be sure to uncheck the box next to the "Select driver automatically" item.
3. After finding the printer, you need to select the device type "Generic Network Card" and click "Next".
4. The driver is installed manually from the disk using the menu of the same name.
5. Re-entering "Devices and Printers", you need to select "Printer Properties" by clicking an alternative mouse button on the newly installed device. Going to the "Ports" tab, you need to go to the settings, install the LPR protocol and set the name.

Having studied a simple description of how to make a network printer by connecting it to a router, it will not be difficult for the user to make all the settings on their own. It will not be superfluous to open the instructions for the router and familiarize yourself with it in detail - very often the manufacturer offers its own algorithm for connecting a printer via USB.

Solving Wi-Fi Problems

Office equipment has recently been equipped with a Wi-Fi module, offering the user to quickly and easily make a network printer. Windows 8, 10, and later versions of Android installed on smartphones and tablets may not always work correctly with the printer wirelessly. The problem lies in the compatibility of the software with the operating system. Very often, users in the post-Soviet space generally do not have the opportunity to fully use printing via Wi-Fi, the module of which is built into the printer.

In such cases, there are two options:

1. Connect the printer to the router using USB according to the previously described instructions.
2. Connect the printer wirelessly WPS. Naturally, the router must have a Print Server, support the existing printer model, and a fast WPS connection must be bound to the print server.

Wired network - a way out of a difficult situation

If it was not possible to connect the printer to the wireless network using the above methods due to the lack of technical support for the equipment, you should not be upset. There is a very easy way to make a regular printer a network printer over a wired interface. To connect, the user needs to purchase a device called Print Server, which can be found in any computer store at a price of 200-300 rubles apiece.

In most cases, a certified print server has factory settings, which the manufacturer indicates in the instructions or on a sticker located on the device. It is enough to connect the printer via USB to the print server, which, in turn, is connected to the router's hub with an Ethernet cable.

The network address of the printer can be found in the settings of the router or found from the PC with special software. Next, the usual installation of the printing device is carried out according to the instructions described above.

An expensive solution

Many users wondering how to make a network printer from a local one are not stopped by the price of the issue, so a wireless print server created for just such purposes should not be out of sight. Only the price can confuse - it is higher than that of most worthy routers with great capabilities. You will have to pay for a miracle device from 4000 to 8000 rubles. Setting up a wireless Print Server is no different from a wired print server. All information on fine-tuning is present in the instructions for the network equipment.

The main feature that attracts the buyer to such a device is support for mobile technology from Apple. For some reason, many manufacturers of wireless printers and routers forget about this brand. Therefore, for iPhone, MacBook and iPad owners, purchasing a wireless print server will be the only solution to the problem associated with printing to the printer.

Sharing the printer

The simplest, but no less effective way to solve the problem of how to make a printer networked, is to share a local computer. The algorithm is quite simple and even a schoolboy can master it.

1. Going into the properties of the printer installed in the Windows system, go to the "Access" tab and check the boxes opposite the "Shared access" and "Rendering tasks" fields.
2. Going to the system properties and going to the "Computer name" tab, make sure that the "Workgroup" is the same for all computers in the local network.
3. To make the printer networked, Windows 7, 8, and 10 require additional network adapter settings. To do this, go to the "Network and Sharing Center" and change the advanced sharing options by checking the boxes next to all the fields that start with the word "Enable".
4. It is recommended to set encryption to 128-bit and disable password protection.

Remote connection to an available printer

After completing the first step in deciding how to make your printer networked, you are ready to connect your shared device to the rest of the computers on your local network. There are only two options - they are different, but the result is the same. The first option is described above, because for the settings there is not much difference what type of connection is used - the main thing is to know the IP address of the printer.

But the second method is suitable for people who are looking for easy ways. In fact, this is an instruction on how to make a network printer local. Going to the "Network Connections", which can be found in the control panel, you must select the "Network Neighborhood" item. An alternative can be to launch the "Network Neighborhood" shortcut from the desktop, if the user has not previously deleted it as unnecessary. Here you need to display the computers that are part of the workgroup - there is a corresponding button for this. Having found the required computer, go into it. The printer will also be displayed in the list of available resources. If you double-click on the device name and agree to all warnings, the printer connects easily.

Finally

Asking the question "how to make a network printer", the user can always find any solution he needs. After all, the options are countless - there would be money and desire. However, many for some reason forget about security when using an unsecured Wi-Fi communication channel. The printer will be visible to all users within the range of the wireless router. Based on numerous reviews from IT professionals, it is not recommended to share your computer over a wireless network, because the safety of personal information is always above any convenience.