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2.1 Add a Network Printer

Adding a Network Printer

Introduction

So you've got a network. You just finished writing that really long report for your midterm, now what do you do with it? Usually you're going to want to print it out. Next to the actual concept of networking and the internet, it's one of the most powerful tools available to computers: the ability to convert digital to paper and paper to digital.

But you don't want to buy a printer for each computer - that'll get really expensive, really fast. You'll want one (maybe two) printers for your network. Here's how you're going to make it work.

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Types of Printers

There are a lot of printers out there. A lot. What you need to do now is figure out which kind you need. This is based on two things - the amount of printing you're going to doing and what kind of printing you're going to be doing. Ask yourself these questions:

  • Am I going to be printing large quantities of documents?
  • How many people are going to be using the printer?
  • Are the documents going to be graphics intensive?
  • Do I have any special requirements for a printer? (ie printing off large high resolution color photographs on a regular basis)


Of Note If you're not really sure what you need, a pretty safe combination is to have two printers: a color inkjet for pages that need to be in color, and a black and white laserjet for the day to day papers that don't need color. If you only want one: color laserjets are getting more affordable.
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Black and White

Black and white printers are good for printing simple text documents. Because of their simplicity they can print more pages per minute, however they are only really useful for text.

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Color

Color printers usually print fewer pages per minute than black and white printers, this is because of the complexity of printing color images. Think of it like trying to write neatly in pen, versus trying to paint a portrait. One is a lot easier and takes a lot less time, although the time difference isn't quite that extreme with printers. However, I bet you're more than willing to sacrifice a minute more of printing time in order to get a nice color photo than you'd be to sacrifice the color in order to get the print a minute sooner.

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Laser Printers

Rather than using ink - which has to dry - laser printers use toner. Toner is a carbon polymer powder and tends to be much cheaper than ink, this brings down the overall cost per page.

Pros:

  • Lower cost per page
  • Toner is cheaper than ink
  • Generally faster

Cons:

  • The machine is initially more expensive than an inkjet.
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Inkjet Printers

Inkjets utilize small droplets of ink to print a page. Injets have an initially lower cost, which makes them appealing for personal networks.

Pros:

  • Lower initial cost
  • Quiet

Cons:

  • Ink is more expensive than toner
  • The cost per page is higher


Of Note When I say that the ink is more expensive than the toner, I don't mean that it's outragously different, nor does it mean that the toner is dirt cheap. It simply means what it says, the ink has a higher cost than the toner.
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Connecting the Printer

Actually connecting the printer is pretty simple. Really. It is. I promise. Most OSs make things nice and easy when you want a network printer.

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Theory

Every printer has an IP address, just like your computer. This allows you to connect the printer directly into the network without needing to go through a computer. Higher end printers will have a device called a print server, however for the printers you will most likely be using you can buy an external print server. The print server allows you to plug your printer directly into the network the same way you'd connect a computer - through the router.

Or you can install a printer locally. This is probably the easiest way for you to do things. This allows you to install a printer normally, and then share it accross a network via the single computer.

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How It's Done

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Installing Through the Router

  1. Choose the location for the printer
    • Factors you may want to consider: accesiblity, physical space, foot traffic, how loud the printer is
  2. If needed, attach the print server to the printer
  3. Connect the printer (or server) to the router using an ethernet cable
  4. There might be another step here, I can't find it/don't know what it is ((Umm... maybe turning the printer on? --Jstraw 11:45, 1 August 2006 (EDT) ;) ))
  5. Go to a computer on your network.
    1. Click 'Start'
    2. Go to 'Printers and Faxes'
    3. Add printer
    4. Next
    5. Select 'A network printer, or a printer attached to another computer.'
    6. Use either 'Browse' or 'Connect to a printer through the internet or on a home or office network'
    7. Select the printer you want to use
    8. Follow the rest of the step by step directions to complete the installation
  6. Print a test page, just to make sure it's working.
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Installing Through a Compuer

  1. Choose which computer the printer will be connected to (this will act as your print server)
    • You will want to choose this location based on physical space, the amount of foot traffic, the amount of noise the printer produces, and simple convinience
  2. Hook up the printer like you normally would
  3. Go to 'Printers and Faxes'
    1. Click the printer's icon
    2. In the tasks frame click 'Share This Printer'
    • Might deviate here for Windows v Mac - or I might cover other OSs in the Cross Platform chunk.
    • Will provide step by step screenshots in Windows - general directions for at least OS X, maybe another free OS
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Print Server

A print server is usually a small piece of hardware that looks kind of like a switch, the server can either be internal or external. It can also be a file server that is hooked up to a printer. For the most part you are going to be dealing with the small external print servers.

  • I'll put an image in here