How to Convert an HP All-in-One Printer to Wireless

By B. Steele

Networking a printer enables you to print from anywhere.
i Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images

HP’s line of all-in-one printers are a great value for the money, providing printer, fax, copying and scanning capability in one unit. If you’ve recently gone wireless in your home, or if you’re looking for a way to “cut the cord” and print from any computer in your home, you can usually do so without spending much money, or any at all. You can turn your HP printer into a wireless printer even if it doesn't have a network card.

Using a Router

Step 1

Plug the printer’s USB cable into the USB port on your router. Some wired and wireless routers have a USB port specifically designed to accommodate printers and USB storage devices. If you don’t have a USB port on the router but your printer has its own network card, connect it to the router using an Ethernet cable.

Step 2

Power on the printer and wait a minute or two for it to boot up.

Step 3

Log in to your computer using an administrator account.

Step 4

Click Start and “Devices and Printers.”

Step 5

Click “Add a printer” and “Add a Network, wireless or Bluetooth printer.”

Step 6

Select the printer from the list of networked printers and follow the on-screen instructions to install a driver and connect to the printer.

Creating a Local Printer Share

Step 1

Log in to the computer with the physical printer connection using an administrator account.

Step 2

Open “Devices and Printers” from the Start menu, right-click on the printer and select “Printer properties.”

Step 3

Click the “Sharing” tab, check the box next to “Share this printer” and click “OK.” Any computer in your home will be able to connect to the printer as long as this computer is booted into Windows and has an active network connection. You can connect other computers in your home to the printer by following Steps 3-6 in the “Using a Router” section.

Using a Print Server

Step 1

Purchase a wireless or wired print server. A print server is a stand-alone device which adds networking capability to a USB printer. If you have a wireless router, you can use either a wireless print server or a cabled print server that connects to an available Ethernet port on your router. If you have a cabled router, you’ll need a cabled print server.

Step 2

Connect the print server to your printer via USB. Some devices plug directly into the printer while others use a USB cable.

Step 3

Connect the print server to your router using an Ethernet cable if you’re using a wired device.

Step 4

Turn on the print server and the printer.

Step 5

Connect your computer to the printer following Steps 3-6 in the “Using a Router” section.

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