How do I add networked office printers in Windows?

Overview

This article provides instructions for adding a networked office printer to a Windows computer using the printer's hostname and an appropriate printer driver.

Important: Most newly procured University-managed computers have common universal printer drivers, such as Ricoh, Canon, and HP, preinstalled. The Software Center and manufacturer driver steps may only be necessary for older computers or situations where the appropriate driver is not already available.

Sections:

• Before You Begin
• Installing Printer Drivers from Software Center
• Adding a Networked Office Printer in Windows
• Obtaining a Printer Driver
• Additional Support

For assistance setting up networked office printers in other operating systems, see our other articles:

• Article - How do I add networked office printers in macOS?

Before You Begin

Before adding the printer, you will need the printer's hostname. You may also need to identify the printer's manufacturer and model if Windows is unable to automatically select an appropriate driver.

Obtain the Printer Hostname and Model

1. Obtain the printer's hostname from your IT support or the printer's documentation.
2. Enter the hostname in a web browser to access the printer's web interface, if available. The web interface can usually be used to identify the printer's manufacturer and model.
   • You can also find the make and model on the printer or copier itself.
3. Do not use the printer's IP address when adding the printer. The IP address may change, which could cause the connection to the printer to stop working.

Installing Printer Drivers from Software Center

Most newly procured University-managed computers have common universal printer drivers, such as HP, Canon, and Ricoh, preinstalled. The following steps may be useful for older computers or situations where the appropriate driver is not already installed.

1. Search for Software Center in the Taskbar, then click it to open.
   
2. Install the driver that matches the brand of printer that you are trying to add. This example is for an HP printer. Common drivers, such as HP, Canon, and Ricoh, are now installed by default on new computers. Check the Installation Status tab on the left to see if the driver is already installed.
   
3. Click Install. Once installed, the printer driver is ready to be used for printers of that brand. 
   

Adding a Networked Office Printer in Windows

1. Ensure that you are connected to a University of Idaho network or the VPN.
2. Open your Settings application. Go to Bluetooth & devices, then Printers & scanners.
3. Click Add device. Wait around 5 seconds until The printer that I want isn't listed appears. Click Add manually.
4. The Add printer wizard should appear. Select Add a printer using an IP address or hostname radio button, then click Next.
5. In the next section, change the Device type to TCP/IP Device. Enter the printer's hostname in the Hostname or IP address field. Check the checkbox next to Query the printer and automatically select the driver to use, as Windows may be able to identify and install the appropriate driver automatically. Click Next.
   Note: do not use the IP address of the printer, as this could change at a later point, causing your computer's connection to the printer to break.
6. If you see a window that says Additional port information required, then this means that your computer could not find the printer. Press the back arrow and make sure that the hostname is entered exactly.
7. If your computer is unable to find a driver automatically by querying the printer, select the model that matches your printer, then select the appropriate driver. Many University-managed computers will already have a common universal driver installed. If the appropriate driver is not available, see Obtaining a Printer Driver below.
8. Select the Use the driver that is currently installed (recommended) radio button, then click Next.
9. Name the printer. The name is arbitrary, so pick whatever is easiest for you to remember. Click Next.
10. In the next section, click Do not share this printer, then click Next.
11. Print a test page to make sure the printer is working. Close the Add Printer wizard and your Settings application.

Obtaining a Printer Driver

If an appropriate driver is not already installed on the computer or available through Software Center:

1. Using a search engine such as Google, search for the printer's manufacturer, model, and the word "driver". For example, search for Ricoh MP 3555 driver.
2. Open the manufacturer's website from the search results and locate the driver download page for the specific printer model.
3. Download the appropriate driver for your operating system. For Windows, the PCL6 driver is generally recommended when available.
4. If the downloaded driver is compressed, extract the files before continuing.
5. Return to Step 7 in the Adding a Networked Office Printer in Windows section and use Have Disk to manually select the downloaded driver.
   • Browse to the extracted driver files and navigate through the folders until the appropriate driver file populates the field, then follow the prompts to install the driver.

Additional Support

If you are unable to add the printer or need assistance determining the appropriate driver, submit a request using the General Hardware Support Request form.