Last Updated on May 14, 2022 by Carlo Dach
If you are unable to take printouts on a network printer or a connected printer using Ethernet cables, try the two troubleshooting steps at the bottom to resume productive printing. First, eliminate the probability of two causes as explained.
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When a Printer is Frozen, Not Connected, or Off
Crosscheck if the printer is on and a green light at its back denote an active network connection. If a printer is shared in the local network through physical connection cables with another PC, the Windows server system should be at login screen and active in the first place. In case it stays non-responsive or frozen, restart the printer in order to turn it active on the network.
The PC not Connected to LAN
Only if the computer is connected to the LAN network, it will show up in Add Printer wizard under Devices and Printers. If you are trying to print from an office PC, verify it is connected to LAN by examining the cable connections between the PC and the printer’s Ethernet port. If you are trying to print from a remote network, ensure a VPN connection is established between a remote PC and the server system.
Enable Network Discovery
This network setting in Windows that influences if the server PC can find other systems or if other PCs or devices inside a LAN network can find the server PC. If Network Discovery is disabled, though, a remote user may not be able to find the printers available in the network. To enable it in Windows, click Start on desktop, and enter Network and Sharing Center to open it. Once its window opens in Control Panel, click on Change Advanced Sharing Settings to the top left side and expand Home or Work (Current Profile). Under the network profile heading, select Turn on Network Discovery and click on Save Changes if Windows prompts.
Same way, File and Printer Sharing shall be enabled as well on the printer server in order for other PCs to access the printer drivers installed on the server. For that, Turn on File and Printer Sharing under Network and Sharing Center and click on Save Changes upon prompt. If the feature is not enabled, nobody else can connect or view to the printers in the server including LAN printers.
