How To Connect To A Network Printer

There are 2 ways (that i know )of  connecting to a network printer from a windows computer. For printers that are shared over the network by computer it attached to, you can simply open windows run menu ( Windows key + R) and type the IP of the computer. For example \\192.168.2.1 . When the Explorer windows opens, right click the printer you want to connect to and click connect. Sometimes it will require driver installation, for that purpose, a working internet connection is recommended. You can install it manually though.

The second way, can be used both for a standalone network printer that doesn't need the presence of a computer to connect to network, and shared printers. The steps are quite few as follows.

1. Click Start Menu, followed by clicking Device and Printers.
2. Click Add a Printer.
3. Choose Add a network, wireless of Bluetooth printer.
4. A list of available printers in the network will appear. Select the one you wish to connect to then click next. 
   
5. Some printers will need it's driver to be installed first, so it's better to have your printer's driver CD ready when the installation require it to be available. This following picture won't appear if the driver's already available in Windows. Click have disk to continue installation.
   
   
   
   
   
6.  Point to where the driver's .inf file is located by clicking Browse. When you're ready, click OK.
   
7. Your printer type will be shown and selected on the list. Click next to finish the installation. 

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How To Set HP Laserjet Pro MFP M127-M128

Recently just received a new printer at the office. It happened to be an HP Laserjet Pro MFP M127fn.

The big packaging said almost everything about the content. The ability to send fax, scan, network, and of course printing made most of my colleague amazed. It was nothing like "wow" actually, but the fact that they needed that multi function printer and has been waiting for it for years made that moment looked kind of awkward. Simply saying, just like kids getting a new toy.

HP Laserjet Pro MFP M127fn

Didn't take a lot of work to have it up and running. The fax and printing worked just fine. Read the installation manual. You will find almost everything there except for network setting instruction. Needed a tiny little effort for this section, though it wasn't that difficult at all.

Here are the steps I did to set this printer in to the network without PC.

Considering you have already plugged the network cable to the printer's RJ45 port and the other end to a switch.

1. Push the setup button, it's the one with "a wrench" logo on it.
2. Navigate to "Network Setup" using left and right arrow button, then push OK.
3. Choose TCP-IP Config followed by pressing OK button.
4. If you're in a network with DHCP then just use the automatic setting, push OK and you're done.
5. If not, choose "manual", push OK button and follow the next instruction.
6. First of all you need to enter printer's IP and make sure it has the same network Id, otherwise the computer you're going to use won't be able to find this printer. For example, if you're having a computer in the network with IP 192.168.1.20 then the network Id is the digits with blue color. Simply just change the last number (20) with any number between 1 to 254 and is not being used by any device in the network, for your printer's IP. For example, I'm gonna use 192.168.1.99 Using the numeric keypad, enter the IP. There's no dot on the keypad so you have to enter 192.168.001.099 instead of 192.168.1.99 then push OK.
7. The next input process you have to do is entering the subnet mask. Most network use 255.255.255.0 so it will look like 255.255.255.000 on your printer's display. Press OK.
8. Gateway is the next thing you need to enter. Usually, administrator uses [network ID].1 or 192.168.1.1 depends on your network ID. For  example it will look like 192.168.001.001 on your printer's display. Press OK to finish the setup.
9. To make sure that everything is working fine, try to connect a computer to the printer. You can follow the guide here.

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