In this article we will demonstrate different options on how to make wired printer wireless. Nowadays due to increase of mobile devices such as Mobile, Tablet and Laptops wireless printing is also become essential.

In home or office everybody wants to print from their device itself, because it is convenient and time saving too. Otherwise, you have to first mail or copy in Cloud the files and then give print from the PC that is connected with the printer, that is too complex process.

If you are having a wired printer USB or Ethernet based network printer, and thinking to invest again for a wireless printer, this post may be useful for you and can save money by investing for second printer.

Some of the methods we have covered in our previous post on how to make wired printer wireless to take print wirelessly from wired printers.

We will demonstrate you here following 4 working solutions that works perfectly to make wired printer as wireless.

• Option-1: By connecting network printer with Wi-Fi router using ethernet cable
• Option-2: By sharing the printer (USB/Network) over Local Area network using windows printer sharing feature
• Option-3: By using Print Server Routers and standalone print servers
• Option-4: Using Cloud printers like Google Cloud print or PaperCut Mobility Print

Lets see these options on how to make a wired printer wireless one by one.

Option-1: How to make Wired Printer Wireless with Ethernet port only

Wired printers can be categorised into two category one is USB port only and other is with ethernet port (network card). Printers those having ethernet port generally also have USB port as well. These printers are called network printers.

Converting an ethernet based printer into wireless is very easy. Just plug in an ethernet cable with your printer and connect other end to your wireless router.

Network printers can be identified by the devices over the Wi-Fi also for printing.

On the laptop or computer follow the instruction on the printer setup driver to recognise the printer over network and connect.

Steps for how to make wired printer wireless with ethernet port

1. Connect printer to Wi-Fi router’s spare RJ45 port (LAN port) using ethernet cable
2. Turn on the printer and wait to initialise
3. Now in Windows Laptop install the driver software of printer
4. At the time of setup, driver will automatically recognise the printer
5. Complete the setup and give a test print to complete the setup

If your printer driver not recognise than you can also add the printer manually by windows add printer option by using IP address.

To find the printer IP, see the printer menu display, navigate to the settings, under network status you can find the IP address of printer. You can also check printer manual or Manufacture’s support section on how to find printer IP address.

Now in PC or laptop, search printers in start menu, in the printer section click on add printer, wait for some time as windows will scan all the printers attached to the network.

Now click on “Printer that I want isn’t listed”, now click on “add a printer using TCP/IP address or host name”.

On the next screen enter the IP address of your printer e.g. 192.168.100.22, and choose device type as autodetect.

In next screen if printers driver available in the windows it will automatically detect the printer manufacturer and name, see the image below:

Now click next to complete the setup.

On mobile install the respective printer’s manufacturer app to enable print from mobile. Generally Android and iOS automatically detect the network printer over Wi-Fi without need of any app. On app you can found another options also like scanning, printer options are also stable over the respective app of manufacturer.

Open any file e.g. pdf file, in the options you can chose print, thereafter select the printer from drop down to print.

How to make Wired Printer Wireless with USB port only

If your printer have USB port only, you can follow the following options for how to make wired printer wireless.

Option-2: Print wirelessly over wired printer using Windows printer share feature

Windows PC having feature to share printers over the Local Area network that may be wired or mix of wireless and wired network. For this you have to share the printer using windows printer sharing feature that is connected over USB.

To share a local printer on network, turn on network discovery and also turn on file and printer sharing. To turn on printer sharing open advanced sharing settings in control panel.

“Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network and Sharing Center\Advanced sharing settings”

To share a printer over network, open printers & scanners setting in PC by searching in start menu.

Now follow these steps for how to make wired printer wireless using printer sharing option:

1. Select the printer, now click on manage, now click on printer properties.
2. In the properties, select sharing, check box share this printer, click apply and ok.
3. Now in another laptop or PC, add this shared printer using add printer settings as described above.
4. In find printer dialog use “select a shared printer by name” than browse for shared printer.
5. You will see the laptop or PC name where printer is shared, click it to see the shared printer name. Double click to install the printer.

You need to check the antivirus or firewall settings if shared printer is enable in the settings.

 

Drawback of this option is that you have to keep your PC always on that is connected with the USB printer.

Further Mobile phones such android and iOS does not recognise these shared printer or need some expertise to connect in mobile using third party apps.

Option-3: Make wired printer wireless using print server supported routers and print servers

If your router having USB port, check the router’s manual if it is supported for print server.

In the router’s settings also you can find this that printer having print server or not.

For example in D-link DSL-2750U router, print server is available in Advanced settings -> Network tools-> Printer.

You need to check that your router support the printer driver in print server or not. Not all the printers are supported in print servers. To know how to make wired printer wireless using print server use the following methods.

If your router supports print server, follow these steps to make wired printer wireless

1. Turn on the printer
2. Connect printer with USB cable to router’s USB port
3. Now under print server tab of router your connected printer will be detected if router supports printer driver
4. You can give a name to your printer e.g. HP2050
5. Now an address will be generated for printer like this: http://192.168.100.50:631/printers/HP2050
6. Now in add printer dialog
7. Select printer by name paste this address to configure the printer

The benefit of print server is that there is no need of keep always on your PC as like case of shared printer option.

If your router doesn’t support print server, you can buy print server or print server based routers from Amazon.

Please check with the seller the compatibility of your printer before ordering, you can also search on google and customer reviews regarding support of your printer.

Not all the printers are supported by print printers.

Some of examples of print servers are given below:

1. TP-LINK TL-PS110U

2. D-Link DIR-825 AC 1200 Wi-Fi

3. TENDA D303 Wireless N300

These print servers have USB port and ethernet port, on USB side you can connect your printer and from ethernet port you can connect your wi-Fi router using ethernet cable.

The drawback of print sever is that you cannot print from mobile phones and tablets. That is disappointing for many users.

One thing to mention here that you cannot convert your USB printer to network printer by using USB to ethernet converter as suggested by some of websites.

Option-4: Make wired printer wireless using cloud printers

Earlier Google cloud print was best solution to print wired printer wirelessly over internet. You were also able to print from mobile devices to local printers on USB printers using Google cloud print.

Using Google Cloud print you can print from your mobile to USB printer that is connected with any PC or laptop with the help of Google Cloud app, Chrome browser and your Google account.

As now support of Google cloud print is revoked by Google by Jan’21, you have to opt out other cloud print solution.

We have found that papercut is one of the best alternatives to Google Cloud print, this is most popular and free cloud printing service that works very well to print from mobile, laptop to wired printers. Using Papercut mobility print you can convert your wired printer as wireless. See how to make wired printer wireless using papercut mobility print by given steps.

How to print wirelessly on wired printers using PaperCut mobility print

Steps for setup papercut mobility printer to print from mobile or another laptops

1. Download papercut mobility printer setup file
2. Install mobility printer setup in your PC where wired USB printer is connected
3. Now a webpage will open in browser
4. User Id is admin, set your password
5. In the next windows you will be able to see printers attached with your PC
6. In the list of printers choose your printer and publish by radio button
7. On second option “Discoverable on Local subnet”, leave the settings as it is as it works fine
8. Now in Android install papercut mobility print app and for iOS follow these steps
9. Tap over “ Tap here and check the mobility Print Service is on” on android app
10. In the list of printers chose mobility print
11. You will found your local printer name here
12. Now open any document in the Mobile, print option choose this printer name with papercut logo

 

Papercut works well to print over wired printer from mobile, however printing through remote is not available on iOS and Android platform as like Google Cloud print.

Right now Cloud printing is supported over Chrome browser on Desktop platform.

Conclusion

We have covered various options on how to make a wired printer wireless, hope you are able to configure the same.

We have found that paper cut mobility print is the most convenient options to make wired printer as wireless. Using this option you can also print from Android & iOS mobiles and tabs.