I'm helping a small non-profit in the UK with around 15 employees. They've asked for recommendations on a printer/scanner (MFD) that can work effectively for remote staff who are working from home. During the pandemic, they purchased some HP consumer MFDs, but it turned into a hassle—users needed admin rights just to connect, which meant I had to remotely log in to get things working. Plus, we're in the process of upgrading everyone to Windows 11, so I want a solution where I can use Intune to push or install drivers without giving users admin rights. However, the issue is they are on unmanaged home networks with different routers and ISPs, and I'm not sure if Universal Print would truly help here. Has anyone come up with a reliable method for supporting home users with MFDs in this type of setup?
4 Answers
Honestly, I feel for you dealing with printers in 2025! Most laser MFPs tend to auto-detect easily on Windows 11, which gets you started with basic drivers. Check if the vendors offer solutions on the Microsoft Store that you can push through Intune. You could also consider deploying LAPS through Intune; giving the password to end users could be risky, though. For a small number of machines, remote access might still be the easiest way to install drivers. I did that for five machines once and it worked fine.
Manageability can be a nightmare with home setups. Honestly, the best approach might be telling users to get USB printers. It's far more practical and you won't constantly have to troubleshoot.
I'd stay away from giving out LAPS passwords. Working with non-profits, I've seen end users complicate things even with simple directions. Printers nowadays can get tricky with their networking protocols like WSD ports and Wi-Fi setups. If budget permits, think about Azure Print Services—it can route prints to local printers if you set them to static IPs.
If you're managing printers, avoid Wi-Fi. Stick to network-connected printers with static IPs. Using something like PrinterLogic can simplify management significantly.
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