Advertisment

Share a Printer in Windows 2000

author-image
PCQ Bureau
New Update

Creating a print server in Windows 2000 server involves two main steps: Install the printer on the server and then share it with specific users on your LAN.

Advertisment

Go to Control Panel and fire up the add printer wizard. Select Local printer if the printer is directly attached to the server, through the parallel or USB port. Alternatively if it is attached to another system on the network, choose Network Printer. Most workgroup printers can directly be plugged into a network port and assigned an IP. If this is the case with you, attach your printer on the network and give it an IP address. In the wizard select local printer and click next. In the next window, which asks you to specify the port, you want the printer to use, select Create New Port and choose Standard TCP/IP Port.

Specify the IP address of the printer, and your port is now ready for use. In the next window select your printer from the list so that its drivers can be installed. If your model is not there in the list then use the driver CD/floppies that came with your printer. Next give your printer a suitable name.

The printer sharing windows will now pop up, which allows you to share the printer with others on your network. Choose Share as and give your printer a share name.

Advertisment

You can now specify the location of your printer and provide additional comments like printer model, or speed.

That’s it, your printer is now accessible to users on your LAN. All a user has to do now is browse to this specific printer and double-click on it. This can easily be done through your network neighborhood windows. They can also use the Add printer wizard, select network printer and specify the printer’s path.

One of the main advantages of setting up a print server is that each user does not need to provide the driver CD to install the printer. Instead the print server keeps the driver files for multiple OSs, which are automatically downloaded to the client’s machine when he tries to use the printer. To add additional drivers for your printer, right-click on your printer’s icon under

Printers in Control Panel. Select the Sharing tab and click on Additional Drivers. Now just put a tick mark next to the OS for which you want the driver files. Click OK and you’re done.

Advertisment