How to connect a printer to a laptop

We know that the title may be somewhat generic because the difficulty of this connection usually depends on the model or brand of the printer. Thanks to the appearance of the multifunction printers with Wi-Fi or LAN connection, this procedure has been facilitated. It seemed unthinkable to be able to print a document from anywhere in the house, but now it is possible. We teach you how to connect a printer to a laptop.

Index of contents

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In my experience, there are several mistakes that can be made regarding printers and their connection. So I have decided to list and briefly explain certain recommendations:

Install the manufacturer's programs. I know that many of you think that they are useless and that all they do is consume resources. The truth is that, if we do this, we may not enjoy all the functions that the printer software offers us, such as configuring the scanner, knowing how much ink we have left, etc. Disable printer services from "msconfig". It is the famous case in which we are cleaning the Windows startup of programs and services that consume resources. Be careful to disable the printer services because we may have problems when printing. Always read the manufacturer's instructions. Each model is a world, although the main models are configured the same. We can give you certain guidelines, but in the end, it is best to follow the manufacturer's guidelines. Beware of blocking printer programs from Windows Firewall. This can cause the printer we connect to not synchronize well. Notice that the printer's screen shows that it is connected to the network. Otherwise, you will not be able to add it.

Case # 1: via USB cable

In my view, it is the easiest method so far. Simply, we have to connect the printer to the power and then plug it into a laptop via USB. Now all that remains is to let Windows 10 automatically install the relevant drivers, or install the drivers manually using a CD or wizard.

I always advise reading the installation instructions because we may have a somewhat peculiar model that follows other indications. As you can see, there is no difficulty here, it is plugging in and practically working.

Case # 2: via LAN or Wi-Fi connection

Many printers come with an ethernet or RJ45 port, as with a wireless connection. Most are usually multifunction, which means they equip a copier and scanner as fax functions. This is very positive because we can print from any device that has a Wi-Fi connection, see a smartphone or tablet.

In this case, we are talking about connecting a printer to a laptop, so we have to know how to do each step. In principle, it is best to follow the manufacturer's instructions to do it properly. Normally, the process usually involves doing the following:

Connect the printer to the power and turn it on. Follow the start wizard through which we configure the printer. In this same wizard the connection is usually configured, so we will have to know what the SSID (name of our router) and the password are. Some equip touch panels, but in my case it was set with the fax keyboard, it should give you a signal that the printer is correctly connected to our router.

With this , the next step is to install the printer drivers and programs on the laptop. Remember that there is no need to use any CD, since manufacturers have their repository of drivers ready to be downloaded online. Be careful with this: you have to know the model of your printer well and download the correct drivers.

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On the contrary, if you want to connect it via LAN, you just have to connect the ethernet cable and install the printer drivers or programs. Normally, printers have a tool that lets us know if the printer is ready and online, or not.

Case # 3: via Wi-Fi connection and without CD

We are going to put ourselves in the case where we want to connect it via Wi-Fi, but we do not have a CD, nor do we know the model of the printer. We will try to do the installation process using Windows, try the following:

Connect the printer to our router and verify that it is indeed connected. You must be connected to the same router. Open the Control Panel. You can do it from the Start Menu by looking for:

Once inside, go to " Devices and printers " and click on " add a printer ".

When the printer appears, double-click on it and everything will be installed automatically. It will surely tell you to print a test page to verify that it has been connected correctly.

Finally, to tell you that there is no problem that your computer does not have Wi-Fi and you are connected LAN to the router: you can connect to the printer that is connected via Wi-Fi to the same router without problems. In fact, the tutorial was done with a desktop connected via LAN and a printer connected via Wi-Fi, with no cables in between.

We hope it has helped you. If you have any questions, don't go with her and comment below so we can answer you.

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How many do you have printers with Wi-Fi connection? Did it cost you to connect them? Did you follow any of these methods?