The wifi printer has become increasingly popular for offices and for homes as society strives to reduce the cords and cables necessary for technological advancements and computer engineering. As more internet connections become wireless, the popularity will only continue to increase. This will also continue as more and more laptops are sold and replace desktop computers, allowing for more computer mobility like never before.

Connecting a wifi printer to a network will not only allow multiple computers to access the printer, but will allow printing to be done from anywhere in the home. This allows for two advantages: the reduction of necessary cords and cables and the need for only one printer in the home, reducing time used and money spent.

Using a wifi printer takes the hassle out of printing by removing the traditional cords typically used for connection between the printer and the computer. A single computer or multiple computers may connect to a wifi printer within wifi range. In the days where almost every electronic device has wifi built in, it is very likely that most computer users can benefit from having access to a wifi printer. The computer no longer has to be in the same basic vicinity as the printer. Printing can be done from across the hall in another room, on a separate floor, or in just about every area of an office building to one printer. Most printer manufacturers have printers with wifi options. Some printers also come with bluetooth options as well, as many computers are coming bluetooth capable.

This is exceptionally useful in a busy home or office, where there are multiple computers with multiple printing needs. It is no longer necessary to purchase a printer for each machine when every machine in the building can operate off of the same printer. The most important thing in the entire equation is to make sure that all the necessary computers can locate the device. The network administrator must be sure that the wifi printer is properly installed to the network and that other devices can locate the printer without fail.

How to Set Up a Wifi Printer
Turn on the wifi printer. A device must be powered on to be detected by devices on a network and connected. Enter the network name and password if applicable. Most printers have the ability to scan for available networks and connect to the desired wifi connection. Load the drivers for the printer on the machines that will be connecting to the printer. This is doubly important as many users do not realize it is not quite as simple as connecting to a network. Like a printer with cables, drivers are necessary for operation. Drivers are typically distributed on compact disks provided with the printer or on the website of the manufacturer. Now in the control panel of the connecting devices, select the new printer. Test the printer by sending print jobs as usual. Print a different document for each computer and go machine to machine testing the connection and the operation of the printer.

How a Wifi Printer Works
Similar to bluetooth, originally created for mobile phones, wifi sends data over radio waves, operating on the 802.11 set of standards. Each wifi printer has a wifi transceiver built into it for this purpose. It is detected and connected to similar to networking two computers together, which can also now be done wireless. Anyone who has been using computers for a long enough time is familiar with the "Network Connections" option in Windows. Apple computers also have a similar setup.

A wifi printer is no different than any other device connected to the network. It can send information back and forth the same as a computer can, but the information is obviously limited. Print jobs are sent to the printer from connected machines and success or error messages are sent back.

How to Make a Printer Wifi
Even if the printer being used is a USB connected printer, which most printers were until recently, it can still be shared over a wifi connection.

Epson Stylus NX515 WiFi Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer

The printer will still need a host machine to be connected to via USB, but all other connected machines may share it. Make sure all machines are connected to a wifi network. Connect the printer to the host machine via the included USB cable. This host machine will need to stay on for the printer to be accessible through the network. Install any necessary drivers and software to all machines and turn on the printer. Open the "Start" menu or the Apple equivalent and open the printer control panel, named different things depending on the operating system being used. Locate and right-click the icon or name of the desired printer and click the option that allows sharing. A pop-up window should come up with an option to confirm the action. In most Windows applications, users must click on a radio button. Enter a name for the printer in the necessary field. Click "OK" to save settings and enable wireless sharing. Using the name for the printer, other machines connected to the wifi connection should be able to print to the printer through the host device.

Converting a printer to wifi saves time and money where possible and recycles the currently used printer for a longer period of time. These instructions are most applicable for a Windows based operating system, but there is an Apple equivalent that follows similar instructions as computer operating systems are not as different as they seem.

Using Cords with a Wifi Printer
Though most users will never want to do this, the average wifi printer comes with the option to connect via cords, just in case. Most wireless printers come with an ethernet jack, so the printer can be connected to the network via wires if the desired position of the printer is relatively near the modem or router, and then computers can connect to the printer wirelessly. There are all sorts of options here too, which is very important.

Wifi Security
Be sure to consider security when working with wifi. Thankfully, most internet service providers and LAN manufacturers have thought of this and most decent modems and routers come with Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) algorithms in place. If the applicable network has a ten digit password or code to enter in order to connect, the security is already in place. The more popular, expensive, but secure, option is WiFi Protected Access (WPA), which has better encoding and packet transfer, as well as a better password algorithm, and some network devices allow the user to choose his or her own password.

There is a style of wifi printer on the market with a button that facilitates WPA encryption, encrypting connections with other devices with a button push. This allows for a more secure connection between each computer and the printer, along with the wifi network itself. Although this can seem a bit unnecessary, it does provide added protection, and there is no such thing as too much protection. When dealing with wifi, proper security is very important.

Many manufacturers make a wifi printer, so there will be many options out there. As with any important purchase, shop for the best prices, check reviews online, and ask the salesman for assistance. Most technology stores have knowledgeable sales staff ready and willing to help with the purchase. Look for a printer that boasts connection to 802.11 a/b/g/n or as many as possible. These do not sound very important, but keeping these in mind now allows for network switching and backward compatibility. Also look for printers that are capable of supporting network encryption and security, especially those which have their own security features. There is no such thing as too much security.

Also with any other purchase, make sure to keep quality in mind. It is useless to have a bad printer even though it is wireless. Look for a good printer with quality output and a decent amount of pages estimated per ink cartridge in standard print quality. A photo printer is a good option, as well as an all-in-one printer, allowing for scanning and photo printing. The wireless option is just one of many options, and it is important to check out all the different features and intricacies of the printer before actually making the purchase.

Are you looking for the best Wifi Printers?

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