Subscribe | Alerts via Email
View All Quotes
“The real art of interface design lies in solving the right problem.”
-Jenifer Tidwell
<September 2010>
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
2930311234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293012
3456789
The opinions expressed herein are my own personal opinions and do not represent my employer's view in any way.

©2010 Cal Zant
Sign In
Total Posts: 106
This Year: 5
This Month: 0
This Week: 0
Comments: 2

This article provides step-by-step instructions on how to add a network printer to a computer running Windows Vista.  This example uses "LPR" protocol (stands for Line Printer Daemon) to communicate with the printer.  It's fairly straight-forward, but I just wanted to write down the steps so I didn't have to "re-learn" it every time.

1. Click on the Windows Start Button and then "Printers" 

Add Network Printer By IP Address

2. Click on the "Add a Printer" menu item

Add IP Printer

3. Click the "Add a network, wireless or Bluetooth printer" option

Choose a local or network printer - Add a network, wireless or Bluetooth printer

4. Your computer might be able to discover the printer automatically, but I never had any luck with that ... so I just clicked on "The printer that I want isn't listed" option.

Searching for available printers - The printer that I want isnt listed

5. Choose the "Add a printer using a TCP/IP address or hostname" option

Find a printer by name or TCP/IP address

6. Find the IP Address, TCP Port, and LPR Queue Name for the printer you want to install.  I am using D-Link's DPR-1260 RangeBooster G Multifunction Print Server to host the printers on my network.  However, these instructions aren't necessarily specific to this print server.  You should just find the screen on your print server that provides info like the stuff highlighted in the screenshot below.  These values will be used in the next few steps. 

NOTE: Although my extremely frustrating experience with D-Link's WBR-1310 Wireless G Router has completely shattered any confidence I had in D-Link, I have to admit I haven't had many problems at all with this wireless print server.  It hosts up to four USB printers, and even allows me to still use the scanner on my HP PSC 2100 All-In-One ... although since that particular printer isn't in the compatible multifunction printers list I could only get it to work using "Scan" tab in the D-Link interface shown below.

D-Link Print Server Network Device Info

7. Type the IP Address and Port name in the wizard.

Type a printer hostname or IP address

8. Choose the "Custom" option, and then click the "Settings" button.

Additional Port Information Required - Custom Settings

9.  Set the protocol to be "LPR", and then enter the LPR Queue Name we found in Step 6.

Configure Standard TCP/IP Port Monitor - LPR Settings Queue Name

10. Choose the appropriate printer driver.

Install the printer driver

11. Give the printer a friendly name.

Type a printer name

12. Windows starts installing the printer on the machine.  Wait for it to finish and click Next.

Installing printer...

13.  Choose whether you would like to share the printer with other computers or not.

Printer Sharing - Share name

14.  SUCCESS!!!

Youve successfully added the network IP printer
Sunday, September 23, 2007 12:56:34 PM (Central Standard Time, UTC-06:00)  #