How to connect a printer to a Windows, Linux and MacOS laptop: via usb or wifi

Is it possible to connect a printer to a laptop

Theoretically, the laptop differs from the "big brother" only in the presence of a battery, compact size and, in most cases, the impossibility of expanding the device by installing new modules. Since the days of the dedicated LPT port have sunk into oblivion, all modern models can connect via USB, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. And any laptop is now difficult to imagine without these interfaces.

ATTENTION!

It is worth noting one interesting feature of almost all manufacturers of printing machines. There is always no USB cable included. Apparently, no one knows how to explain this long-standing mystery. Therefore, before connecting the device to the laptop, make sure that the cable is available.

Basic connection methods

Considering the entire array of devices on the market, there are only three main ways that you can connect a device and a laptop:

1. USB. Normal connection using a standard USB to USB “B” cable. The most common way.
2. Wi-Fi. A rare mobile computer is now not equipped with a Wi-Fi module, so connecting the device wirelessly is as easy as shelling pears.
3. Bluetooth. It is present rather as an option than on an ongoing basis, since there is always Wi-Fi. But also found in modern models.

Let's see how the connection of each of the types occurs.

Connecting the Printer via Wi-Fi

Before connecting the printer to a laptop via Wi-Fi, you need to familiarize yourself with several basic methods:

• with the installation of drivers;
• via WPS;
• manually;
• connection to the router via USB.

A typical connection starts with installing the drivers. They usually come in a set on a disc. If not, you can always download it from the official site. During the installation process, there should be a section that is responsible for the method. This is where you need to specify the wireless connection. After the installation is complete, you will have to connect the device to the PC via USB for a while. The system should automatically detect the new device and prompt you to select settings. Here you will need to specify the network to which you want to connect and the password to it. After completing the settings, you can disconnect the USB cable and try printing your first test document.

If the router and printing device support WPS, then before connecting the printer via Wi-Fi, just press the WPS button on both devices and they will be able to connect.

IMPORTANT!

The use of WPS is not completely secure, since the technology is vulnerable and, with proper persistence, an attacker will be able to find the right key.

Manual configuration is the safest way. It is more relevant for models with their own onboard settings and display. Directly from the control panel of the machine, you need to connect to the desired network and enter the password. Then, install drivers and software from the computer. With the help of software, you need to configure a wireless connection.

Routers equipped with their own USB port can use a direct connection and share it on a shared network. There is nothing difficult here either. After connecting the devices, you need to go to the web interface of the router and check if the device is detected. Then, from the operating system, you need to add a new printer over the network, "feed" its drivers to it and print the start page.

USB

This method is so simple that it can be described in literally 4 simple steps:

• connect the device and the PC with a cable;

• turn on both devices;

• install drivers from disk or downloaded from the Internet;

• print a test page.

How to connect a printer wirelessly to a laptop - Bluetooth

Bluetooth is mostly present on modern models as an optional extra. Therefore, it is used extremely rarely. Most often, this function is used to control from a smartphone or tablet.

In general, the whole connection process is not much different from connecting any other device. Bluetooth is turned on on the printer, and on the laptop, too. Then, when the system finds the device among the available ones, you just need to connect it. The necessary drivers are installed and the device is ready for use.

Software installation methods

In order for the operating system to know how to work correctly with the new equipment connected to it, a set of special instructions is required - drivers. They are unique for each device. Sometimes developers can use one common driver for several devices.

Thus, the driver is a kind of adapter with which the system controls the device. Software refers to both drivers and additional software. Typically, it serves to facilitate the user's work, calibration, configuration and testing of the device. You can use the device without drivers (as a forced temporary measure) before the disc is found or the drivers are downloaded. Let's consider connection methods with and without drivers.

Installing drivers from disk or internet

In the first case, everything is simple - you need to load the disc into the CD tray and go through the steps of the installation wizard. It should be noted that it is recommended to connect modern models after installing the drivers. Although, in most cases, everything works like that. It is more difficult when there is no disc with ready-made "firewood". Then there is only one way - the Internet.

ATTENTION!

You need to download the drivers from the official website. First, the most recent versions are always available there. And secondly, it will protect against viruses. If the situation is hopeless and the driver is needed, then when downloading it from a third-party site, it is better to "walk" through it with an antivirus.

Then there can be two ways: the driver has its own installer or not. In the first case, it is enough to run the installation file. But in the second, you will first need to go to the "Device Manager" program, which is located in the "Toolbar". Among the list of equipment, we find the one that was not detected after connection, and right-click on it. Then we select the item "Update drivers". In the window that appears, you need to select the installation of drivers from this computer. Next, we indicate the path to the downloaded file. By the way, the system itself may offer to search for drivers after connection.

How to connect a printer to a laptop without an installation disc

Sometimes it is impossible to install drivers due to a lost disk or for some other reason. In principle, our device can start without drivers, though not always. For this procedure, you first need to connect it to your laptop with a cable. Then you need to get to the system control panel.

Here we are interested in the item "Devices and Printers", in which it is necessary to select the installation.

At this stage, you can select the type of connection - network, wireless, Bluetooth or local. We are considering connecting via a cable, that is, local, so then you need to specify the port, select the manufacturer and model name from the list. At the next step, you can specify the name by which you will refer to it. In theory, after clicking on the "Finish" button, everything should work. If not, you will have to search the network for the driver and download it.

Differences in connection in different OS

There are three main directions in the operating system market: Linux distributions, the Windows series, and the MacOS series. Each of them, in turn, is divided into different versions and releases, the installation on a laptop in which may differ. Let's see how this process takes place in different systems.

How to connect a printer to a laptop on Windows 7

Operating systems of the Windows family are very widespread among users. It was the ease of installation and handling of the system that greatly influenced this. The same goes for the printer. Very often, when you plug it in, the drivers can "pick up" themselves and the device will be immediately ready for use.

If the automatic installation failed, then insert the disc and install from it. If it is not there, then you need to go to "Devices and Printers". This item in Windows 7 can be located directly in the "Start" menu. At the top of the window that opens, the "Install" button should be located. After clicking on it, a new dialog will appear that will offer you to select the type of connection. If you need to do this using USB, then select local, if other methods - the second item. Next, you need to either select a model known to the system from the list, or install from Windows Update. The second method rarely helps, so we select a ready-made driver from the list. Then we write the name of the device, if necessary, select the network access. This completes the installation.

How to connect a printer to a laptop on Windows 10

Several interface changes have been made to the Windows 10 operating system. Therefore, the installation of devices in it is slightly different. In particular, adding a new device is not done through the "Control Panel", but through the "Settings" in the "Start" menu. Next, you need to go to "Devices" and find "Printers and scanners" here. To add a new device, you need to click "Add printer or scanner". Further, similar to Windows 7, the model, name, access is selected and all this is saved.

Installation on macOS

On almost all versions of macOS, this process is the same. First, we physically connect both devices with a USB cable. You will also need drivers to work properly. You can download them on the official website of the manufacturer or from the disc in the kit. Although software for Mac on printer disks is quite rare.

Then in the Dock panel you need to find "System Preferences". Then go to "Printers and Scanners". In the new window, click on the "plus" to add and select your device from the list.

How to install on Ubuntu

This is probably the most interesting connection. It is worth starting long before buying a printer, since not all devices are supported by Ubuntu. You will need to make sure on the manufacturer's website if there are drivers for a specific device for Ubuntu. Then you need to additionally look for information about successful launches from other users.

After you have made sure that everything you need is available, you need to find instructions on how to install a specific brand, since the methods and options are different. In one, you will have to change the configuration files, in the other, you just need to install a couple of applications from the repository. Find general helpful tips and instructions for the most famous brands here - http://help.ubuntu.ru/wiki/принтеры_сканеры_мфу.

Connection instructions for models from different manufacturers

In general, the installation from different manufacturers is not much different, but it is still worth showing how to do this using the example of several well-known brands. Let's take devices from Canon, HP, Brother.

How to connect a Canon printer to a laptop

Regardless of the type of device (laser, inkjet or MFP), be sure to remove all protective stickers before turning on. Well, then everything is in order:

1. Install drivers from disk or download them from the network.
2. We connect the device to the computer using USB.
3. We are waiting for the device to be detected by the system.
4. We print a test page.

If there is no disk, then you can try the technique described just above in the article.

How to connect an HP printer to a laptop

A large number of HP devices can be installed using drivers built into Windows 7, 8, 10 systems. For example, for Windows 10, you can follow a few simple steps:

1. In the search, you need to drive in the phrase "Change device installation parameters" and click on the result.
2. In the window you need to specify "Automatic" and save.
3. Connect the printer to the computer.
4. Go to "Devices and Printers".
5. Click "Add Printer".
6. Select your model in the list and click "Next".
7. The device should install successfully.

How to connect your Brother printer to your laptop

To connect a Brother model you can (following the official guide) follow the steps:

1. Install the cartridge, remove all protective stickers.
2. Install drivers from the supplied disk.
3. During installation, the system will ask you to connect the device to the computer.
4. When finished, click "Finish".

This is how easy it is to install and connect.

How to connect an MFP to a laptop

MFPs are multifunctional devices that can perform several functions - print, scan and copy. The system needs to know how to work with both the printer and the scanner, so the set of drivers is very different from standard machines.

How to choose a cheap and reliable MFP for home use: rating of popular models.In a special publication of our portal, we will tell you in detail what an MFP is and why this device is needed. You will learn the types of MFPs, the main technical characteristics and how to choose an MFP for home use.

How to connect an MFP to a computer via Wi-Fi

This can be done in several ways. Before connecting the MFP to a laptop via Wi-Fi, you can briefly familiarize yourself with them:

• direct connection using the control panel of the machine itself. It is enough to connect to a Wi-Fi network, install the driver in the computer and find it in the list of available network devices;
• connection using WPS. A very fast way. You just need to press the WPS buttons on the MFP and router, and everything will connect by itself.

MFPs are usually equipped with their own stand-alone control unit, with which you can configure many parameters. These are the number of copies, their quality, cancellation of the current task, and connection to the wireless network. Developers try to keep new models up to date and equip them with newfangled WPS.

If you know interesting ways to connect a printer to a laptop via Wi-Fi, USB or Bluetooth from your personal experience, then share them in the comments.