Sharing a printer over a network is really easy; it just takes a few simple steps. It is quite an advantage to have a printer on a network that everyone can share, whether it is at home or at the office.

First things first

First off you have to make sure that the printer is tied in to the network with a network cable, but once that is done the rest is just a matter of knowing where to go and what to do when you get there.

For XP Systems

For systems running Windows XP, all you have to do is open the printer you want to share and tell Windows that you want it to become available for sharing.  This availability means that the printer is visible to computers that are connected to your local network, either a home or work network.

• Click on Start


• Then on Control Panel


• Click on Printers and Faxes


• Find the printer you wish to share and right-click on it


• Choose "Properties"


• Open the Sharing Tab

• Then click on the button next to “Share This Printer”


• This will give you the ability name the printer.  We suggest naming it something intuitive like it's brand name or even ‘Main printer’


• Click Apply.


• Click OK

You’re all set now to share the printer with anyone on the network. They will simply need to add the printer to their list of available printers.  Doing this process on Windows Vista or 7 is a little different, but the principal is the same.

For Windows Vista or Windows 7 systems

If you’re running Windows Vista or Windows 7,

• Go to Start


• Control Panel.  Depending on how it's laid out you'll go to Hardware and Sound, and then to Devices and Printers.  This displays a list of not only printers, but all major hardware peripheries on your PC.


• Find the Printer you want to share


• Right-click on the Printer and choose "Printer Options"

• This will bring up the Options dialog, where you can click on the "Sharing" tab.


• As before, you will give the printer a name and opt to share it


• Click Apply then OK

Sharing a printer over a network is a simple task, but is often one of the most integral elements of network maintenance.  The popularity of wireless networking means that you are no longer tied to a printer and that whole communities can use one central printer without the need to run wires.  Use the steps above to even help set up a wireless printer, one specially made to not be connected to a computer.  You can connect it to a mobile device like a laptop; set it up to be shared, and then disconnect.  The Printer will stay available and can be administrated remotely.