Get Connected

If your printer already has a network adapter installed, it is considered network-ready. If your printer is ready for a wired network, you’ll see an RJ-45 jack (which looks like a wide telephone jack), on the back.

You can make non-network printers network-ready using a print server—an add-on network adapter designed specifically for printers. HP print servers are called Jetdirect, and there are several types available depending on the type of printer you have.

• Network-capable printer: Some printers don’t come with the network interface as a standard feature. If that’s the case, they usually include an expansion slot on the back or inside the printer—which is where you can install a Jetdirect card (adds a RJ-45 jack to the printer).

• Non-network: You can still network a printer without a Jetdirect expansion slot using an external Jetdirect box. (Both wired and wireless models are available.) The printer’s USB or parallel interface connects to this box, which then connects to the network. Most Jetdirect boxes support multiple printers, including non-HP printers.

Learn more about Jetdirect print servers.

Your home network probably already includes a router, switch, hub, or wireless access point that connects all network devices. Your printer must be connected to one of these to join the network.

Steps for a wired network:

1. Power off the printer and network box
2. Connect a printer via cable, run a network cable (Category 5 or higher) from the printer’s RJ-45 jack to one of the box’s RJ-45 jacks.
3. Restart the devices.

You connect a printer to a wireless network with software and radio signals, not cables. If your printer supports a wireless LAN connection, called WiFi or 802.11, you can connect it to your home’s wireless network just like a notebook computer.

Steps for a wireless network: 

1. Consult the documentation to see how your printer manages its wireless connections.
2. If your wireless network uses security, obtain a security key from your router, switch or access point.
3. If you don’t remember your key, follow the instructions that came with the wireless box to access its security setup. There might be a Windows-based setup program you can run from a CD, or a webpage.

Once you’ve connected the printer to the network, you have to install a driver for the printer on each PC that be using it. Driver software helps the computer and printer operate efficiently, and comes either on a CD-ROM, or find the latest drivers from HP’s support website.

Learn more about printer drivers

1. Choose Start > Settings > Printers and Faxes
2. Select Add a Printer from the Printer Tasks

3.      Follow the steps in the Add Printer Wizard to connect to your network printer. On the second screen of the wizard, be sure to select a network printer, or printer attached to another computer. This will help the wizard find your printer on the network.

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