1. Introduction to Computers
Network Printers

2. Network Printing
Network printing allows us to use our printing resources more efficiently, as opposed to traditional printing
Instead of each computer needing an attached printer, we can have a centrally located printer being shared by multiple workstations
The process is very similar, the computer will process the job through the printer driver, and store it locally on the printer spool, but then instead of sending it to a connection port, it will send the information through a network adapter
With network printing, we first connect all of our workstations to a network through a connecting medium of some type, and then we connect the printer to that network. There are several ways to do this

3. USB/Serial
The first and least expensive way to connect workstations to the network for printing is to use a USB cable, however this is also a less efficient option
Usually in a home or small office situation, you would take a printer and plug it into the back of one of the PCs using a USB cable, and then share it with other workstations
In this configuration, other hosts on the network can send the print job through the network to this workstation, which then sends it on through the USB cable to the printer. This workstation must be on to use the printer
Also, some USB routers have a USB port that can be used to network the printer. You just plug the USB cable into the router to create a network printer
Depending on the age of the printer and computer, you may also be able to use a serial port

4. Ethernet/Wifi
A much more reliable way to share a printer is to use a printer with either an Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection
If your printer has an Ethernet jack and is located near your router,you can plug the printer into your router and install the printer drivers on each of your computers
Setting up an Ethernet connection on a printer is generally easier than Wi-Fi, and you're likely to get a stronger connection than you were if you were to relyon the printer's Wi-Fi antenna
Make sure you are aware of your network configuration when setting up a printer this way. This configuration works best when the printer’s IP address remains static, so use a static IP or IP reservation as opposed to a DHCP address

5. Bonjour
The Bonjour networking technology service will also allow you to share a LAN printer. The technology was created by Apple to allow users to locate and connect to resources on a network without having to manually configure network settings
Bonjour is built in to the OSX operating system and is compatible with Windows. Bonjour is included and automatically installed with certain software like the Apple Safari browser or Itunes. It works as a background service in Windows, and continuously scans the network for compatible devices.
Bonjour print services lets you discover and configure Bonjour-enabled printers using the Bonjour printer wizard. Bonjour print services works with either network printers over Wi-Fi or Ethernet, or USB printers shared using a Mac or AirPort-based station

6. AirPrint and Android
AirPrint is a mobile printing solution included with the Apple iOS. It enables wireless printing capability on iOS devices including the iPhone and iPad. However, AirPrint support requires using a specifically-manufactured printer of the same brand
For example, iOS users can print wirelessly to any ePrint-enabled HP printer connected to the same local wireless network
For contrast, printing through Android lacks a centralized app. A print service from the printer’s manufacturer must be made available and downloaded

7. Cloud Printing
Cloud printing allows you to wirelessly send jobs from internet-connected devices to a printer on a remote network
The printer must be connected to the internet and have software installed to allow cloud printing. Google Cloud Print is one type of cloud printing system. Using Google Cloud Print requires either a specially-manufactured Google Cloud Print-ready printer, or a computer connected to the network printer running the Google Cloud Print connector software
Some companies also provide their own version of cloud printing and scanning software, such as Epson Connect

8. Print Server
Print servers allow us to manage and prioritize network printing jobs
Let's suppose we have a network printer and we have the bad luck that three clients send print jobs to it all at the same time. Which job does the printer take first? Let's say client A sends a 500 page document job, whereas client B wants to print one page. Does B have to wait until A's job is done? The print server can decide priority
The print server saves the jobs in a queue while they're waiting to be serviced by the printer. While the jobs are in the queue, they can be re-prioritized manually. The 500 page job can probably wait for the single page to be printed, but if there are jobs each with a few dozen pages, maybe my large job takes priority. As the printer becomes available, the print server will send the next print job saved in the queue

9. Different Implementations of Print Server
There's many different kinds of print servers implementation:
The operating system running on a workstation with a shared computer can function as a print server. It receives the jobs from the other clients, saves them locally in a directory on the hard drive, and then spools them off to the printer one at a time
Some printers have a built-in print server that's integrated into the hardware of the printer itself. It receives the print jobs from the various clients, queues them up, gives them a priority, and sends them to the printer as it becomes available
Print servers can also be implemented by a server on this network. It wouldn't support a user, its sole job is to provide resources to the network. In this case, the print jobs go to the print server software running on the server
We can also purchase an external print server that has a USB interface that connects to the printer, and a network jack that plugs into our router. It provides all the print server functions of the server here, or the operating system on this workstation, but it's all built into the hardware of the print server itself

10. Data Privacy
With network printing, you should also be aware of data privacy issues when using public devices
When you sent a print job to a network printer, your job is cached to the hard drive and saved there. If you are printing personal information, then you have just saved your personal information to a public network, opening your information up to thieves. Even though the data is stored as a print job, and not as an editable document, it is not encrypted
Be careful and aware about the type of network you are logging into to print from