Network Printing
Below, we’ve included instructions for setting up a network printer on four of the most common Operating Systems:
You can print to the college-owned Public Printers from campus computer labs or from the comfort of your own room.
Before printing, you may want to check the Campus Technology Map to make sure that the printer has enough toner and is working properly. If you notice that any toner or paper needs to be replaced, you can call the Helpdesk at x4400 or send us a Hotline.
Also, if you are having trouble adding the printer because the print server (netprinters) is down, you can try printing via the Online Interface.
And, as always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call, e-mail us at [helpdesk], or visit us in the Forum!
Windows XP
1.) To begin, go to your Start Menu and click on the Printers and Faxes icon
If your Start Menu doesn’t look like this, you may be able to find the Printers and Faxes utility under the Settings menu. Alternatively, you can go to the Start Menu, then go to the Run prompt, and type in control printers, like below:
2.) Once you’re here…
You’ll be able to check out the list of available printers. Since the only printer I have is one that’s no longer connected to my computer, I think I’d like to add the printer in Inslab:
3.) Go back to the Start Menu and click on the Run Prompt. Type in \\netprinters
and you should see this window load:
N.B. If you’re connecting through wireless, make sure you’re connected to the GrinnellCollegeWireless network, not GrinnellCollegeGuest; otherwise, you won’t be able to connect to the network printers. For instructions on how to connect to GrinnellCollegeWireless, go here.
4.) Enter your network credentials like the example below, making sure you precede your username with GRIN\
5.) Now, once you enter your appropriate credentials, you should see this windows appear:
6.) Scroll down to the printer labeled INSLAB …
7.) And simply double-click on the printer icon. You should then see this message:
8.) You can click Yes to move past this— a driver is a piece of software that helps your hardware and operating system interact, so without this, you won’t be able to print to the appropriate printer (I can’t vouch for the inappropriate printers, though…).
9.) Now, you should see a small window with a flashlight search for a moment…
and then the Printer Queue should appear:
At this point, you know you’ve successfully added the printer. Just to verify, go back to your Printers and Faxes window and make sure:
10.) Finally, if you’d like to set the printer as your default, simply right click on the printer and choose Set as Default Printer.
Next time you finish a paper, try adding and printing to one of these printers. You won’t even have to touch a computer in the lab. Just walk up to the printer (you may have to ignore the stares of envy from fellow students), Grab, Staple, and Repeat.
If you have any trouble adding a printer, please don’t hesitate to call us here at x4400 .
Windows Vista
1.) To begin, go to your Start Menu and click on the Control Panel icon
Then, click on the link labeled Printer under the Hardware and Sound heading.
This opens up the Printers and Faxes Utility. You can also get here if you go to the Start Menu, and type in control printers, like below:
2.) Once you’re here…
You’ll be able to check out the list of your available printers. Since the only printer I have is the Microsoft XPS Document Writer (which actually isn’t a printer at all…), I think I’d like to add the printer in Inslab:
3.) Go back to the Start Menu and click on the Run prompt. Type in \\netprinters
and you should see this window load:
N.B. If you’re connecting through wireless, make sure you’re connected to the GrinnellCollegeWireless network, not GrinnellCollegeGuest; otherwise, you won’t be able to connect to the network printers. If you have any problems connecting to GrinnellCollegeWireless, feel free to call the Helpdesk at x4400.
4.) Enter your network credentials like the form below, making sure you precede your username with GRIN\
5.) Now, once you enter your appropriate credentials, you should see this windows appear:
6.) Scroll down to the printer labeled INSLAB …
7.) And simply double-click on the printer icon. You should then see this window appear:
… and once your computer connects to the network printer, you’ll see this:
You can click Install driver to move past this— a driver is a piece of software that helps your hardware and operating system interact, so without this, you won’t be able to print to the appropriate printer (I can’t vouch for the inappropriate printers, though…).
8.) Once you click Install driver, you may see a message appear asking you if you’d like to allow the printer driver service to run. This is part of Vista’s User Account Control (UAC) system, and makes sure that it’s you, and not some outside host or Malware that’s trying to install the driver.
Simply click “Yes” to move past the screen, and then the Printer Queue should appear:
9.) At this point, you know you’ve successfully added the printer. Just to verify, go back to your Printers and Faxes window and make sure:
10.) Finally, if you’d like to set the printer as your default, simply right click on the printer and choose Set as Default Printer.
Next time you finish a paper, try adding and printing to one of these printers. You won’t even have to touch a computer in the lab. Just walk up to the printer (you may have to ignore the stares of envy from fellow students), Grab, Staple, and Repeat.
If you have any trouble adding a printer, please don’t hesitate to call us here at x4400 .
Mac OS X v10.4 (Tiger)
These directions outline how to add a network printer in Mac OS X v10.4 (Tiger). If you’re running Leopard (Mac OS X v10.5), you can follow the directions below and try to add a printer (much of the process will be the same), but if you have any questions, you can always call the Helpdesk at x4400.
1.) To begin, click on the Apple button on the top-left corner of the screen…
And go to System Preferences
2.) Under the Hardware heading, choose Print and Fax:
3.) Once you’re into the Print and Fax menu, you’ll see a Plus sign below the list of installed printers:
Click on this to start adding a printer.
4.) Once you’re here:
You should click on the IP Printer button near the top, which will lead you here:
5.) Now, all you need to do is enter the name of the printer in the Address field (a list of Public Printers can be found here), and your computer should automatically recognize it (you’ll know if the Printer Model shows up near the bottom, as in the picture below).
N.B. If you’re connecting through wireless, make sure you’re connected to the GrinnellCollegeWireless network, not GrinnellCollegeGuest; otherwise, you won’t be able to connect to the network printers. For instructions on how to connect to GrinnellCollegeWireless, go here.
6.) Once you’ve entered the name of the printer of your choice, simply click Add near the bottom-right corner of the window, and you should see a window like this appear:
Just click Continue to move on.
7.) At this point, you should see the printer you’ve just added on the list of installed printers, as with INSLAB below:
And now you’re ready to rock and roll!
If you want to set any of the printers you add as the default printer, simply click on the drop-down menu next to Selected Printer in Print Dialogue, and choose the appropriate printer from the list. The checkbox to the left of that printer should then turn slightly grey, indicating the printer is indeed set as the default.
Next time you finish a paper, try adding and printing to one of these printers. You won’t even have to touch a computer in the lab. Just walk up to the printer (you may have to ignore the stares of envy from fellow students), Grab, Staple, and Repeat.
If you have any trouble adding a printer, please don’t hesitate to call us here at x4400 .
Related links:
Printing
Windows
Mac
If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact the Helpdesk by e-mail or at 641–269–4400.
See something that you think should be added to the wiki? Is anything out of date? Send us an e-mail and let us know!
Disclaimer
All content on these pages is provided for reference without a warranty of any kind. Neither Grinnell College nor the Technology Consultants are responsible for any problems or damage encountered when following the advice on these pages. We try to provide the soundest, most reasonable advice we can, and we are fully confident in it, but you can’t sue us.