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Step 1
Purchase a wireless printer server. Do not be confused or let the salesman talk you into buying a printer adapter. A printer server and an adapter are two different things. A wireless print server, depending upon the manufacturer, allows you to plug your printer and other peripherals into a hub for use with any of the household computers.
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Step 2
Plug in the hardware to ensure that it works. After you’ve plugged in the server, check to make sure that the device is working properly. Many of the manufacturers have a green or red LED light as an indicator that the electricity is in fact going through the device and it is charged and ready to go.
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Step 3
Connect the printer server to the home network. Along with the printer server, manufacturers usually enclose one network cable wire. Use that cable wire and plug it to the existing network router.
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Step 4
Plug the USB printer to the wireless printer server.
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Step 5
Install the printer server software on each computer. In order for the server to work properly, you must install the software that comes along with the hardware. It tells the computer two communicate with the printer server. This software has to be installed on each computer that will be accessing the printer through the device.
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Step 6
Install the printer drivers on each computer. Even though the laptops or the computers are not physically connected to the printer, in order to access it wirelessly, each computer on the home network must have the appropriate printer driver installed. Therefore, in addition to installing the software for the printer server you must install the printer drivers on each computer. If you don't have the original installation disc, visit the website for the manufacturer of your printer and download the appropriate drivers.
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Step 7
Configure the printer management software. Not being able to speak for every type of software available for printer servers, some printer management software such as the software that comes with the Belkin USB printer server only allows one computer to access the printer at a time. Therefore, do not check the box to automatically connect each computer to the printer. The software will connect to the printer on an 'as needed' basis.
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Step 8
Teach the other members who are on the home network how to use the printer server. Sending documents to the printer is a seamless function. However, there are times when a little human intervention is necessary (like adding paper, clearing a jam and changing the print cartridges). It’s best to educate everybody in the household so that one person is not stuck being the printer administrator.
