Do you want to share a USB printer over the internet? If you are working with a USB printer, which doesn’t have a feature Wi-Fi or Ethernet network connectivity, Windows 10 makes it quite easy to turn your PC into a print server by allowing you to share your USB printer in the network for everyone to easily access it with just a few taps.
Printer sharing is a feature that has been part of the OS for a long time, and you can still use it on Windows 10.
If you are trying to use a printer in your office or at home and searching for a way to get the much-desired ability to access your peripheral from a remote PC, then you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, I’ll highlight the simplest methods to share your printer for remote access. You’ll learn the methods to share a printer on Windows 10 over the network without any Homegroup setup. Also, there are efficient software apps that help you to achieve this. Not just this but also you can use the dedicated programs that allow you to share printers from not only Windows but also Linux, Mac, and Android.
Contents
- Software For Sharing Printers Over The Network
Of you want to connect a USB printer to a Wi-Fi network without additional accessories, you can then use Windows 10 “printer sharing”, here are the steps to do so:
Step 1:
Head over to the Settings.
Step 2:
Then tap on Devices.
Step 3:
Choose your printer from the list.
Step 4:
Then tap the Manage button.
Step 5:
Tap the Printer properties link.
Step 6:
Then the Sharing tab.
Step 7:
Tap the Change Share Options button.
Step 8:
Also, view the Share this printer option.
Step 9:
Modify the printer share name as required, but not needed.
Step 10:
Tap on Apply.
Step 11:
Tap OK to fulfill the task.
After you completed the steps, your USB printer can also be available in the network for anyone to use or connect.
Simply install a shared printer on your device. However, it is an easy process, but it’s not quite similar to install a wireless printer.
If you want to install a printer that you’re sharing in the network on another PC, do the following:
Step 1:
Head over to the Settings.
Step 2:
Then tap on Devices.
Step 3:
Tap the Add printer & scanner button.
Step 4:
Tap The printer that I want isn’t listed.
Step 5:
You can then check the Select a shared printer by name option.
Step 6:
Enter the network path to the printer. For instance, \\computerName\printerName. Also, you can use the IP address for the PC sharing the printer if for any reason the name can’t work.
Step 7:
Tap Next.
Step 8:
You can then leave the default printer name.
Step 9:
Tap Next to install the shared printer on your PC.
Step 10:
Tap Finish to end the task.
After completing all the steps, you should share your print jobs through the network, to your PC, and to the USB printer.
Keep in mind that users will only be able to print whenever the PC sharing the printer is enabled.
Software For Sharing Printers Over The Network
As we already mentioned, you can use standard Windows options that enable you to connect your printer to the network only within a local area. So, these software work across any distance and can redirect printers over the network.
FlexiHub
If you don’t know which solution is good to share a USB device over IP, you might use an amazing printer sharing software – FlexiHub. It enables you to access and helps to share a printer on macOS, Windows, Linux, and Android platforms.
Step 1:
Initially, Register to a free FlexiHub account – Link
Step 2:
Then begin a FlexiHub trial after selecting the number of connections.
Step 3:
Then install and open the software on both systems participating in the connection. If you want to log in input your registration e-mail and password.
Step 4:
From the FlexiHub interface find the printer that you want to connect to and tap the “Connect” button.
That’s all!
Pros:
- FlexiHub works through a wireless network
- All connections are secured with advanced encryption
- The app allows you to share any USB and Serial devices – scanners, projectors, web cameras, mobile phones, etc.
Cons:
- The free version can’t enable you to access remote devices
- The software has to be installed on all of your devices that connect to the remote printer.
USB Network Gate
Another effective way to share a printer over the Internet is USB Network Gate. The software is designed to provide remote access to all USB devices. Aslo, it helps with sharing a printer over the network in a couple of taps.
Step 1:
Install or download USB Network Gate. Install it on other PCs’ as well.
Step 2:
After you install it, the shared printer will be shown in the Devices window. If you want to modify the port, add encryption into the encipher data transfer or connection. You can also hit the gearwheel icon located next to Share. After the setup is complete, tap Share. Now you can view the printer on all devices with USB Network Gate.
Pros:
- Trial Version: 14-days trial
- You can also use the app is for Mac and Linux
- Share printers over LAN as well
Cons:
- When the trial period is expired you want to buy a license for $159.95
- You can install it on every PC that wants access to the printer
Wireless Printer
Wireless printer is another essential capability you might find in a modern printer is the built-in networking. It has support for Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or both. This is very efficient, as you don’t want to have your computer enable to access the printer. You can now connect to the printer directly over the Internet.
There are no general steps to configure the networking option on your printer. However, the set up depends on the type of printer you have. But if you are sure that your device compatible this feature simply check the manual that came with your printer.
Conclusion:
Almost some printers have a print server to plug it into a network using an Internet or Ethernet connection. Also, there are many printers that feature parallel cable or USB connectivity. But Windows 10 offers easy steps to turn on you to share a printer with other people over the internet.
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