Sharing Your Printer

Printing with Windows


Sharing Your Printer

This section describes how to share your printer so that other computers on a network can use it.

The computer on a network can share the printer that is directly connected to one of them. The computer that is directly connected to the printer is the printer server, and the other computers are the clients which need permission to share the printer with the printer server. The clients share the printer via the printer server.


Note:


To connect your printer directly to a network without setting it up as a shared printer, consult your network administrator.


For Windows XP


Setting up your printer as a shared printer

To share a printer that is connected directly to your computer with others on a network, follow these steps.


Click the Start button, and Printers and Faxes.


Right-click your printer icon, and click Sharing. If the following menu appears, click Network Setup Wizard or If you understand the security risks but want to share printers without running the wizard, click here, and follow the on-screen instruction.


Select Share this printer, and type the name in the Share name box.


Click OK.


Note:


Do not choose any drivers from the Additional Drivers list.


Accessing the shared printer

To access the shared printer from another computer on a network, follow these steps.


Note:


Your printer must be set up as a shared resource on the computer to which it is directly connected before you can access it from another computer.


Install the printer driver to the client computer from the software CD-ROM.


Click the Start button, and open Printers and Faxes. Right-click your printer’s icon, and open the Properties for your printer.


Click the Ports tab, and click Add Port.


Select Local Port, then click New Port.


In the text box, type the following information:

\\name of computer that is connected to the printer\name of the shared printer

Then click OK.


Close the Printer Ports dialog box to return to the Ports menu.


On the Ports menu, make sure that the new port is added and the check box is selected. Click OK to close the Properties.


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For Windows Me and 98


Setting up your printer as a shared printer

To share a printer connected directly to your computer with other computers on a network, follow these steps.


Click the Start button, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.


Double-click Network.


Click File and Print Sharing.


Click the I want to be able to allow others to print to my printer(s), and click OK.


In the Network window, click OK.


In the Control Panel, double-click Printers.


Note:

  • If a dialog box requesting the Windows Me or 98 CD-ROM appears, insert the CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive, then follow the on-screen instructions.

  • If a dialog box appears requesting you to restart your computer, do so. Then open the Printer folder, and continue from step 7.


Select your printer, and choose Sharing on the File menu.


Select Shared As, enter the printer information as needed, and click OK.


Accessing the shared printer

To access the shared printer from another computer on a network, follow these steps.


Note:


Your printer must be setup as a shared resource on the computer to which it is directly connected before you can access it from another computer.


On the computer you want to access the printer from, click the Start button, point to Settings, and click Printers.


Double-click Add Printer. The Add Printer Wizard screen appears.


Click Next.


Click Network printer, then click Next.


Click Browse.


Double-click the icon of the computer that is directly connected to the printer. Then click the printer’s icon.


Click OK and follow the on-screen instructions.


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For Windows 2000 and NT 4.0


Setting up your printer as a shared printer

To share a printer that is connected directly to your computer with others on a network, follow these steps.


Click the Start button, point to Settings, and click Printers.


Select your printer, then click Sharing on the File menu.


Select Shared as, and enter the name in the Share Name text box.


Click OK.


Note:


Do not choose any drivers from the Additional Drivers list.


Accessing the shared printer

To access the shared printer from another computer on a network, follow these steps.


Note:


Your printer must be set up as a shared resource on the computer to which it is directly connected before you can access it from another computer.


Install the printer driver to the client computer from the software CD-ROM.


Open the Printer folder from the Control Panel, right-click your printer’s icon, and open the Properties for your printer.


Click the Ports tab, and click Add Port.


Select Local Port, and click New Port.


In the text box, type the following information:

\\name of computer that is connected to the printer\name of the shared printer

Then click OK.


When you enter the information, the Cancel button on the Printer Ports dialog box changes to the Close button. Click Close to return to the Ports menu.


On the Ports menu, make sure that the new port is added and the check box is selected. Click OK to close the printer driver.


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Version 1.00E, Copyright © 2001, SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION