How to Share a Printer with a USB Hub
Sharing a printer connected to your computer through a USB hub is one of the most powerful benefits of a network. Being able to share printers means not needing to buy a printer for every PC in the network. Sharing a printer through a USB hub is a simple process that will take about five minutes to complete.
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Instructions
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Connect the USB hub to the computer. Ideally, you will want to connect the USB hub to any free USB port on the back of the computer. If you do not have a free port, you can plug the hub into an occupied port and move the displaced component to the USB hub.
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Verify that the USB hub has power. Some USB hubs are powered by their connection to the computer. However, some require a connection to an electrical outlet to receive power.
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Connect the printer to the USB hub. Use any of the open slots on the USB hub to connect the printer.
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Install the printer on your computer's operating system. There is a good chance the printer will be automatically installed. However, if the computer does not already have the drivers installed for the printer, you will need to use the disk that came with the printer to complete the installation of the printer.
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Open the control panel application by clicking on the Start button in the lower left of your screen and then clicking the control panel listing on the right side.
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Open the printers and faxes folder in the control panel. The applications are in alphabetical order.
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Open the properties of the printer you just installed by clicking on the printer listing with your right mouse button. A dialog box will open, and then you can click on "properties" with your left mouse button.
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Click on the tab labeled "Sharing."
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Click the option to share the printer. Select the radio button that says "Share this printer."
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Fill in the field with a name for the shared printer. Label it something that will make sense to people connecting to the printer.
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Click "OK" at the bottom.
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Tips & Warnings
If you do not have the driver disk that came with your computer, you can typically find the drivers online at the manufacturer's website.
Sharing a printer from your computer can result in more processing power being taken away from your tasks for the purpose of printing. Be sure your computer can handle the resources to print for multiple users while still performing your personal tasks.
References
- Photo Credit usb cable image by Horticulture from Fotolia.com
