MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-270): Installing ...

11-10 Chapter 11 Setting Up, Configuring, and Troubleshooting Printers
Real World Plug and Play Printers
If you have a Plug and Play printer that connects through a USB port, an IEEE
1394 interface, or any other port that allows you to attach or remove devices without
having to shut down and restart your computer, you probably do not need to
use the Add Printer Wizard. If Windows has the drivers for your printer, you can
often connect the printer’s cable to your computer (or point the printer toward
your computer’s infrared port) and turn on the printer. Windows automatically
installs the printer for you.
However, you should always read the installation instructions provided by the manufacturer.
With some printers, you must install the software provided by the manufacturer
before you connect and turn on the printer. This process helps ensure that
Windows has the proper drivers available when it first detects the printer.
How to Add and Share a Network Interface Printer
In larger companies, most printers are network interface printers. These printers offer a
distinct advantage: Because you do not need to connect printers directly to the print
server, you can place printers where you need them instead of where the print server is.
To add a network interface printer, select Local Printer Attached To This Computer on the
Local Or Network Printer page of the Add Printer Wizard. The main difference between
adding a local printer and adding a network interface printer is that you provide additional
port and network protocol information for a typical network interface printer.
The default network protocol for Windows XP Professional is Transmission Control Protocol/Internet
Protocol (TCP/IP), which many network interface printers use. For TCP/IP,
you provide additional port information in the Add Standard TCP/IP Printer Port Wizard.
Figure 11-3 shows the Select A Printer Port page of the Add Printer Wizard, and Table 11-3
describes the options on this page that pertain to adding a network interface printer.
Table 11-3 Options on the Select A Printer Port Page That Affect Adding a Network
Interface Printer
Option Description
Create A New Port This selection starts the process of creating a new port for the print server
to which the network interface print device is connected. In this case, the
new port points to the network connection of the print device.
Type Of Port This selection determines the network protocol to use for the connection.
If you select Standard TCP/IP, it starts the Add Standard TCP/IP Printer
Port Wizard.