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Larger companies use network-interface print devices as network connections transfer data more quickly than printer cable connections. You can add a printer for a network-interface print device by using the Add Printer wizard. The main differences between adding a printer for a local print device and adding a printer for a network-interface print device is that for a typical network-interface print device, you provide additional port and network protocol information.

The default network protocol for Windows XP Professional is TCP/IP, which many network-interface print devices use. For TCP/IP, you provide additional port information in the Add Standard TCP/IP Printer Port wizard.

Printer Terminology

  • Printer: A printer is the software interface between the operating system and the print device.
  • Print Device: A print device is the hardware device that produces printed documents.
  • Printer Driver: A printer driver is one or more files containing information that Windows 2000 requires to convert print commands into a specific printer

Note: Like Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP Professional only allows a maximum of 10 concurrent connections from other computers for file and print services and does not support Apple Macintosh computers or Norvell NetWare clients but does support UNIX computers. If you need to support more than 10 concurrent connections to a printer, you must install the printer on a Windows 2000 server.

Section 5.1: Setting Up Client Computers

You need to set up client computers to use the printer device. All client computers require that a printer driver be installed. Windows XP Professional automatically downloads the printer drivers for client computers running Windows XP Professional, Windows 2000, Windows NT 4 and earlier, Windows 98, and Windows 95. Client computers running other Microsoft operating systems require installation of printer drivers. Client computers running non-Microsoft operating systems require installation of both printer drivers and the print service on the print server. Windows XP Professional, Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows 98, and Windows 95 users only need to make a connection to the shared printer. The client computer automatically downloads the appropriate printer driver if a copy of it resides on the print server.

5.1.1: Using the Add Printer Wizard

Windows XP Professional, Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows 98, or Windows 95 users can use the Add Printer Wizard to connect to a printer. The options that are available in the Add Printer Wizard that allow you to locate and connect to a printer vary depending on the operating system that the client computer is running.

  • Windows XP Professional users can use the Add Printer Wizard to can make a connection to a printer by:
    • Using the UNC name (\print_serverprinter_name) to make connections by selecting Type The Printer Name Or Click Next To Browse For A Printer on the Locate Your Printer page of the Add Printer Wizard
    • Browsing the network for the printer by selecting Type The Printer Name Or Click Next To Browse For A Printer on the Locate Your Printer page of the Add Printer Wizard, leaving the Name box blank, and clicking Next.
    • Using the URL name on the Internet or your intranet by selecting Connect To A Printer On The Internet Or On Your Intranet on the Locate Your Printer page of the Add Printer Wizard.
    • Searching the Active Directory directory services if the computer is a member of a domain.
  • Windows NT 4, Windows 98, and Windows 95 users can use the Add Printer Wizard to can make a connection to a printer by:
    • Using the UNC name; or
    • Browsing Network Neighborhood to locate the printer.

5.1.2: Downloading Printer Drivers

When Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Home Edition, Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows 98, and Windows 95 clients first connect to a printer on the print server, the client computer automatically downloads the printer driver if the print server has a copy of the printer driver. Thereafter, these client computers running Windows XP Professional, Windows 2000 and Windows NT verify that they have the current printer driver every time they connect to the print. For these computers, you need only update the printer drivers on the print server. Client computers running Windows 98 and Windows 95 do not check for updated printer drivers. You must therefore manually install updated printer drivers on these computers.