How Can I Send a Wireless Document to My Desktop Printer?
By Alexis Lawrence
Though the portability of a laptop is part of the draw for most people, the fact that the laptop is not hooked up to your home network can pose a problem when it comes to things like printing on the printer hooked up to your desktop network. If you need to print a document from your laptop to your desktop printer, though, you can easily gain access to the printer through your home's wireless network.
Turn on your desktop computer. Once it has booted up, go to the "Start" menu and select "Control Panel."
Choose the "Printers and Other Hardware" option on Windows XP or older versions of Windows. In Windows Vista or newer versions of Windows, select "Hardware and Sound."
Click on the "View installed printers" or "Printers" link from the menu that comes up. Every printer that is installed to your desktop computer should appear in the list.
Highlight the desktop printer in the printer list and click the "Share this printer" button in Windows XP or older versions of Windows. When the "Share this printer" dialog box appears, click the radio button next to the "Share this printer" option, type in a name for the printer and click the "OK" button. In Vista or newer, right-click on the desktop printer and choose "Sharing" from the menu that appears. Click the "Change sharing options" button, click the radio button next to "Share this printer," enter a name and click the "OK" button.
Power on the laptop. When the laptop is booted, go to "Start" and "Control" panel.
Go to the "Printers and Other Hardware" or "Hardware and Sound" category. When the options for that category appear on the screen, click "Add a printer."
Choose "Add a network, wireless or BlueTooth printer" when the "Add a Printer" box comes up. Click "Next" to display the available printers on the wireless network.
Choose the desktop computer in the list and click the "OK" button. The printer is now available for printing whenever you are connected to the wireless network.
References
Tips
- To set up a wireless printing connection in a Mac, go to the Apple menu and select "System Preferences." Go to "Sharing" and then "Services." Check the box beside "Printer Sharing" to open the printer to wireless access.
Writer Bio
Alexis Lawrence is a freelance writer, filmmaker and photographer with extensive experience in digital video, book publishing and graphic design. An avid traveler, Lawrence has visited at least 10 cities on each inhabitable continent. She has attended several universities and holds a Bachelor of Science in English.