Printer · Network & Internet

Let several computers on your network use the same printer

A printer connected to Wi-Fi is already shareable by any device on the same network without extra setup, but a USB-only printer can also be shared by enabling printer sharing on the one computer it's plugged into, turning that computer into a print server for the others.

What you should know

  • For a Wi-Fi printer, simply add it on each additional computer through Printers & Scanners (Windows) or Printers & Scanners in System Settings (macOS) — no sharing configuration is needed since every device reaches it directly over the network.
  • For a USB-only printer: on the host computer (Windows), go to Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners → select the printer → Printer properties → Sharing tab → check "Share this printer."
  • On macOS as the host: System Settings → General → Sharing → turn on Printer Sharing, then select the specific printer to share.
  • On each other computer, add the shared printer by browsing the network (Windows: \\host-computer-name; macOS: it should appear automatically under Printers & Scanners as a Bonjour-shared printer) rather than searching for it as a standalone network device.
  • Keep the host computer powered on and awake whenever others need to print, since a shared USB printer becomes unavailable if the host machine sleeps or shuts down.

Sharing a printer this way also shares it with any other device on the same network by default — on a home network with guests or an office with a general Wi-Fi SSID, consider restricting print access via router-level network segmentation if that's a concern.

Why it matters

Not every printer has built-in Wi-Fi, and buying a new one just to let a second computer print is often unnecessary — enabling sharing on the computer it's already connected to gets the same result for free, at the cost of that computer needing to stay on.

Best practices

  • Prefer a Wi-Fi-capable printer over USB sharing when possible — it removes the dependency on a single host computer staying powered on.
  • Give the host computer a clear, memorable network name before setting up sharing, since other computers will need to browse to it by name.
  • Test printing from a second computer immediately after enabling sharing, rather than assuming it worked, since firewall settings on the host can silently block incoming print requests.

Common problems and fixes

Shared printer doesn't appear on other computers
Confirm the host computer's firewall allows File and Printer Sharing (Windows) or that Printer Sharing is toggled on under General → Sharing (macOS), and that all computers are on the same network, not separate guest and main Wi-Fi networks.
Printing works only when the host computer is unlocked
Adjust the host computer's sleep settings so it doesn't fully sleep on AC power, since a sleeping host can't relay print jobs to a USB-connected printer.

Tips and tricks

  • If several people rely on a shared USB printer regularly, a small standalone print server device or a Wi-Fi-capable printer upgrade often pays for itself in avoided "the host computer was off" frustration.

Frequently asked questions

Do guests need my Wi-Fi password to print to a shared printer?

They need to be on the same network the printer or host computer is on — if guests use a separate guest Wi-Fi network, most routers isolate it from your main network by design, which will block printer access unless you specifically allow it.