Most of the Home Network Builders find it a Troublesome task to set a Shared Printer. If you spend thousands of dollars in getting a color laser printer, then it is common that you wish to share it with all the computers at home. Today, sharing a printer is very easy if the operating system is Windows. Unlike Linux, you need not spend much time and effort for setting shared printers. Setting shared printer typically involves two steps- The first one is to set up hardware and the second one is to configure software. The first step is vitally important, no matter whether your network connection is wireless or cabled. Setting up hardware is a simple task and it can be done in two ways, depending upon whether the printer is attached to one computer on the network or it uses Network interface card. If it has Network interface card, you can plug the printer to the network easily. The printer gets IP address in this case. In turn, in the first case, the printer does not get any IP address, as it is locally attached to the computer.
The second step in setting shared printer is to configure software. In the case of network attached printer that has IP address, it is important to select any of the range attached with the home network. Suppose if IP address of your main computer is 192.168.0.1 and the other two computers are 192.168.0.2 and 192.168.0.3, then you can select any number in this range like 192.168.0.4 Note: With a wired or wireless network router, there is no need to assign a static IP address like the one's you see above. The router does this for you, by using DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) Thereby reducing workload, and allowing printers and other devices to be added to the network automatically
and usually this is the default option when the router is purchased, but it can be changed if necessary... So the moral of the story is leave it alone, unless you have a specific reason to change to a static IP and believe me there are plenty, Folks. A DHCP server saves lots of time for the admin people Basically your printer or computer sends a request to the server for an IP address, and says,"hey give me an address, the SERVER "says to the printer" okay here it is, now the devices can start to communicate on the network. Don't forget this... When you share a printer just make sure it has a wired or wireless network card (NIC) If it's a wireless shared printer you need a wireless network card. It is essential to remember that the assignment of IP address may vary from printer to printer. It is therefore wise to read the manual before assign the address. However, you need to ensure that you do not assign the same address more than once on your network. This can lead to many problems, as the router and other systems in the network find it difficult to direct the traffic.
If the printer is locally attached, then you simply need a name. You can use control panel/printers and select the printer, which you want to share. Next, click “share the printer” in the tasks pane. Then open the dialog box and click the sharing tab. Next, enter the name of the printer here and click OK. These simple processes can open up the sharing task of the printer. These instructions however may little bit vary depending on the window version you use. Once have connected the network printer, you can then connect it from all computers in your home network. It is advisable to keep the printer in the proper location. You can place it in a closet in order to avoid disturbing noise or you can keep it with the fax and scanner in the home office for easy access. The physical location however is not important for sharing the printer but the IP address or the name is very essential.
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