| A small network, which typically consists of fewer than 10 users and only one or two printers, doesn't require a complex printer management solution. A technically savvy employee can share the printers on the network; each printer can be managed separately using basic tools built into the computers' operating system.
|
 |
| For the small office environment, there are three main print connectivity options:
|
|
|
• |
Share a directly connected printer: This solution requires a user's workstation or a standalone PC with a directly connected printer. You then set up printer sharing using the computer's operating system tools, such as the printer sharing feature in Microsoft Windows Vista.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Note: Technically, the direct-attached concept applies to a file and print server setup also. |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
• |
Install a wireless printer on the network: These wireless printers usually come with universal serial bus (USB) and network interfaces, enabling you to configure them locally or over a network. You then install a printer driver on each client and print as needed.
|
|
|
• |
Use a print server: This is a standalone device, an interface built into some printers or a software program that processes print jobs and controls which jobs go to a printer and when. You can use an older model standalone PC as a print server, in a pinch.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
| A print server is an internal or external product that connects one or more printers or multifunction devices to a network so they're accessible to all network users. Print servers, whether internal or external to the printer, provide the benefits of server-attached printing but give you the flexibility to place your printers anywhere in your environment. Print servers mean your printers aren't tethered to a specific server, nor do you need to invest in or maintain a file server specifically to manage printing.
|
|
|
• |
Internal print server: Fits into a special slot in the printer, or is built into the printer by the manufacturer (called embedded). It doesn't need a second power supply and communicates directly with the printer and the network. HP has a robust collection of internal print servers for most types of printers.
|
|
• |
External print server: Adds network capabilities to an existing printer that can't support an internal print server. This is an excellent way to connect legacy printers to a new, more manageable network framework.
|
|
• |
Wireless print server: Plugs into the network using an Ethernet connection but accepts print jobs over a wireless local area network (WLAN) connection from clients.
|
|
|
| HP Easy Printer Care software is designed to help you manage printing on a small network. The software helps you configure and monitor printers, order supplies, troubleshoot problems and update software, drivers and firmware.
|
|
Determining equipment needs |
|
|
|
| If you're creating a simple print network environment (wired or wireless) in a small office, you might only need a small router and switch to build a quick network to share resources. Then you can select one of the following scenarios, based on your technical expertise and budget. |
|
| For printer sharing on a network with a direct-connected printer, you need: |
|
|
• |
A printer directly connected to a computer (standalone or user workstation)
|
|
• |
A cable that matches the printer's interface, such as USB, parallel or FireWire
|
|
• |
A client operating system that supports printer sharing, such as Windows Vista
|
|
• |
A printer driver |
|
|
|
Tip: Make sure that you know which FireWire (400 or 800) or USB (1.0 or 2.0) standards are in use on the computer and printer. A mismatch can negatively impact your performance. |
|
|
| For shared printing to a wireless printer: |
|
|
|
• |
A wireless printer |
|
• |
A USB or network Ethernet cable, depending on the printer's interface, for setup purposes |
|
• |
A network hub or switch, if using an Ethernet cable for setup |
|
• |
A printer driver (from the installation CD/DVD that came with the printer or downloaded from the manufacturer's website) |
|
|
| For a print-server based environment, you need: |
|
|
|
• |
A printer with an internal print server, or a printer with a USB port or network interface that connects to an external print server |
|
|
|
|
• |
A USB or Ethernet cable, depending on the interface
|
|
• |
A printer driver and management software |
|
|
| If you're buying a printer to share, consider a modular model that can be expanded or upgraded; for example, a printer that supports an add-on duplexing unit or higher capacity paper trays. With these types of printers, you can easily move from a simple small office print network to a more robust network servicing print jobs from multiple sources, if needed. HP offers many solutions for the small office environment, such as LaserJet printers, Inkjet printers and multifunction devices. Visit the HP Printers & Multifunction products (MFP) buying guide web page to select the product or products that are perfect for your environment. |
|
Setting up a directly connected printer |
|
|
|
| To install a directly connected network printer using Windows Vista, follow these steps: |
|
|
|
1. |
Click Start > Control Panel. In Control Panel, click the Printer link in the Hardware and Sound category. |
|
2. |
In the Printers window, click Add a printer at the top of the window. The Add Printer Wizard starts. |
|
3. |
In the Add Printer Wizard, select Add a local printer. |
|
4. |
On the Choose a printer port screen, make sure that the Use an existing port option and the recommended printer port are selected, and then click Next. |
|
5. |
On the Install the printer driver screen, select the printer manufacturer and the printer name, and then click Next. Windows Vista installs your network printer. |
|
|
|
Note: If your printer doesn't appear in the list and you have the printer installation disc, insert the disc, click Have Disk, and then browse to the location on the disc where the printer drivers are stored. If your printer isn't listed and you don't have the printer installation disc, click Windows Update, and then wait while Windows checks for available driver software packages. When a new list of manufacturers and printers is displayed, select the appropriate items in each list for your printer. |
|
|
|
6. |
In the Type a printer name screen, the default printer name is displayed. You can rename the printer, if desired, as well as select the Set as the default printer checkbox. When you're ready, click Next. |
|
7. |
In the Printer Sharing screen, provide a share name and location, and a comment (optional). Click Next. |
|
8. |
Click the Print a test page button to check if the printer connection is working properly. If the page prints as expected, click Finish. |
|
|
Sharing a directly connected printer |
|
|
|
| To share a directly connected printer using Windows Vista, select Start > Control Panel, and then click Printer under the Hardware and Sound category. The Printers window displays all currently installed local and network printers. Right-click the printer you want to share, and then select Sharing from the shortcut menu. In the Properties dialog box, on the Sharing tab, make sure the Share this printer checkbox is checked. If you don't check the Render print jobs on client computers checkbox, the computer that's connected to the printer will process jobs, rather than sending them to the printer. Click OK. |
|
|
Setting up a wireless network printer |
|
|
|
| Though this process will vary somewhat from situation to situation, there are some basics that are almost universal. The general steps for setting up a wireless network printer are:
|
|
|
|
1. |
Begin installing the print driver and printer software on each computer. At some point, you'll be prompted to connect the printer. |
|
2. |
Connect the printer to a network port or to a computer via a USB cable. |
|
3. |
Plug in the wireless network printer power cable and turn on the printer. |
|
4. |
Complete the installation process on each computer.
|
|
|
|
Note: To see the steps for setting up printing through a print server, such as HP Jetdirect, see the "Advanced print networking" section of this guide.
|
|
|
Hints for small office print networks |
|
|
|
| The following are general tips for small office print networks:
|
|
|
|
• |
Place a printer or multifunction device anywhere you have a network connection to simplify the networking process. |
|
• |
If your multifunction device and print server includes scanning, share the scanning function over the network to maximize the utilization of this product. When you share scanning, you can take steps toward the mythical "paperless office." Contracts, paperwork and more can be scanned once, saved to a shared network drive, and accessed, stored and protected at will. |
|
|
|
Tip: To learn more about the basic concepts of printing, print networking and cabling, consider taking the Networking 101 class, offered frequently through the HP Learning center. |
|
|
| • |
Next: Advanced print networking |
Printable version
