If we need to share a printer so that it can be used by all the PCs on the LAN, we will have to connect it so that it can be "seen" by all the devices, using the modem or router on the network (also wirelessly), by sharing the printer from a Windows PC or by relying on Google Cloud Print, the Internet printing service signed by Google and suitable for a multitude of printers. In this guide we will show you all the steps to follow to configure a network printer shared between PCs, so that you can choose from time to time the best one for the office, for the business network and for the home network.
The only prerequisite is that the printer has an Ethernet port or a Wi-Fi module, so that it can be quickly added to the devices indicated below.
READ ALSO: Share the printer and print from anywhere
Configure a network printer shared between PCs
With modern printers we have several ways to set up a network share, it's up to us to choose the one that best suits our needs.Direct connection to the modem / router
The simplest and most immediate method to add a shared network printer is to connect it directly from the modem or to the router via an Ethernet cable, so as to show itself as a network printer.
Once connected, just turn it on, wait a few seconds then open the PCs with Windows 10 and proceed with the addition of the printer, which can be done by opening the Start menu in the lower left, looking for and opening the Settings app, selecting the Devices menu, pressing on the Printers and Scanners menu and finally clicking on the Add a printer or scanner button .
The search for the new printer will start, which we can integrate into the system by pressing the Add button (the driver will be automatically searched for by Windows).
On Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 we can add the printer by opening the Control Panel, clicking on Hardware and Sound, pressing on Devices and Printers and finally clicking on the Add Printer button.
If our printer is equipped with a Wi-Fi module, the steps to be followed on Windows are identical, only the connection method changes: we will have to access the printer's wireless settings, start the search for networks, select the right Wi-Fi network and enter the access password.
Some printers also have a button for the fast Wifi WPS connection, which allows you to quickly connect the printer to the modem or router without having to manually enter the password (which is very useful on printers without monitors or with reduced information monitors).
Network sharing from a Windows PC
Another method of sharing the printer involves adding it to a single Windows PC and then sharing it as a network printer, so that all other computers or devices can see it. This method is recommended for USB printers and for printers that we want to be used only when the administrator PC is turned on.First we add the printer to Windows as seen in the previous chapter or using the installation disc to add the driver (in particular on USB printers or with a few years on the shoulders); done that go to Control Panel -> Hardware and sounds -> Devices and printers (available on all supported Windows), right click on the name of the printer, select the item Printer properties, go to the Sharing tab and add the check mark next to the Share the printer item .
In the chapter Share name we choose a name that is easy to remember, we put the check mark on Render print jobs on client computers and finally we press down on Apply and OK .
Now the printer is shared on the same network where our Windows computer is connected; for further information, please refer to our guide to sharing files and printers on a network between Windows computers .
Connect to Google Cloud Print
Another very effective method to quickly share a printer on the network involves the use of Google Cloud Print, the web server provided by Google and quickly configurable on any computer.If our printer is compatible with Google Cloud Print, all we have to do is access its control panel (usually just enter the printer's IP in the browser's address bar), open the Google Cloud Print menu and press button Print claim sheet .
A sheet with a personalized link will be printed; within 15 minutes we will have to connect to the link provided (possibly by Google Chrome with our Google account configured), so as to start the recognition of the printer and automatic association with our Google account.
If the printer does not provide direct support to the Google cloud, we can try adding it by opening Google Chrome, typing in the address bar chrome: // devices and pressing the Add printers button.
Select the printer to be added from the list of devices and click on Add printers at the bottom; back in the previous screen, press the Register button next to the name of the printer to add it to the Google Cloud Print.
To learn more about the cloud printing topic offered by Google, please read our guide to sharing a printer with Google Cloud Print on Windows .
How to view the shared network printer on other PCs
Once the printer is connected to the network using one of the methods seen above, we must add the shared printer to all the computers and devices that need its services.In the case of a printer shared on the network directly or through Windows sharing open the Control Panel, go to Devices and Printers and press the top button on Add Printer . Windows scans the network for detectable devices not yet installed on your PC and displays them in the Add a device window. If we see the printer, just click on it to install it.
If we do not see the printer, click below on The desired printer is not listed, we put a check mark on the item Select a shared printer by name, enter the name of the shared printer then press Next to add it.
Alternatively we can check the Add a printer using a host name or a TCP / IP address and enter the IP address of the printer.
In the case of a printer shared via Google Cloud Print, everything depends on the use of the printer: if the network is private and we only use our Google account, just install Google Chrome on all our PCs and log on to them; if the printer is shared in the office with others, simply open the Google Cloud Print web page, click on the printer, press Share and, in the box that appears, enter the Gmail addresses or Google accounts with which to share the printer. Now it is sufficient that on other stations there is Google Chrome with the respective accounts enabled to access the printer.
To allow a person to change the name of your printer or share access, just change the "Can print" privilege to "Management privileges".
Conclusions
Setting up a network printer shared between PCs doesn't take too many steps and should be within reach of anyone who chews a little with networks and with Windows settings. For personal networks we can use both Google Cloud Print and direct sharing, while on a corporate network we recommend authorizing individual Google accounts for cloud printing or sharing the printer directly from the administrator computer, so as to have a greater form of control.In case of problems with the printers, we refer you to the guide to connect the Wifi printer and solve wireless connection problems .
If we have problems with the printer driver, we recommend that you read our article on installing the printer driver and the print management program .
