I have a USB thermal printer connected to my work PC and I'd like to share it wirelessly so that my colleagues can print to it without needing a direct connection. The router is too far away to connect the printer directly to it. Is there a way for my PC, which is linked to the printer, to act as a medium to make the printer available on the network? Any advice on how to set this up would be appreciated! My setup includes a DELL Windows PC and the printer is from CITIZEN.
3 Answers
Look for a Network Print Server or a Wireless Print Server. This will allow you to network-enable your USB-only printer. Alternatively, sharing through Windows works, but remember, that way only Windows devices can print to it.
Generally speaking, yes! You can share your USB printer connected to your PC over the network. Just keep in mind that your PC needs to stay on for others to use it. Check out Microsoft's support page on sharing printers for detailed steps on how to do it effectively.
I tried to set it up following that page, but it's still not showing as a shared device. Any thoughts on what I might be missing?
You might want to check out a "USB Print Server". It’s like a little box (kind of like a router) that connects to your printer via USB and lets it join your network. Make sure to look for models that fit your needs since there are tons out there. It could make your printer wireless without needing to change any existing connections!
Also, don't forget that your computer can act as a print server too! If it’s on, others can print through it as well.
If I share through Windows, will it limit printing to only other Windows devices based on what the support page suggests?