Are you having trouble connecting your new printer to your Mac? No problem, this article shows two ways you can connect a printing device to a Mac: direct connection via USB cable or wireless connection via Wi-Fi network. Choose the method that is most convenient for you, based on your needs, and read on.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Connect Using USB Cable
Step 1. Turn on the printer by pressing the appropriate "Power" button
- The power button is located in different positions, depending on the make and model of the printer. If you can't find it, refer to your device's user manual.
- If the printer does not turn on after pressing the "Power" button, make sure it is properly connected to the mains by checking that the power cord is firmly plugged into a working power outlet.
Step 2. Prepare the USB cable, which will be used to directly connect the printer to the Mac
Printing devices typically include two cables in the box: the power cable and the USB cable. The latter is equipped with two thinned rectangular connectors.
Step 3. Connect the USB cable to the Mac
Check the sides of the Mac for a USB port (remember that the latter has a tapered rectangular shape). Insert the USB cable connector into a free port on your Mac.
Step 4. Now connect the other end of the cable to its port on the printer
After connecting, the printer should be automatically detected by the computer and a small menu should appear on the screen. Otherwise, the relevant driver must be installed manually. However, normally when using a Macbook Pro you shouldn't need to install any additional software even on the first connection.
- To manually install the printer drivers, simply insert the CD included in the package into the optical drive of the Mac. Alternatively, you can download the digital version of the drivers by connecting to the website of the manufacturer of the printing device and using its model as search key.
- To find the make and model of your printer, carefully check the outside of the box or the device itself.
Step 5. Verify that the printer is ready to print
This can be done through the print job dialog box that appears when you choose the "Print" command or through the "Printers & Scanners" or "Print & Fax" section of the "System Preferences" window.
- If the printer name is displayed in the list shown in the print window, it is ready for use. If not, go directly to the next step of the method to manually add the printing device.
- When printing, a small window relating to the printing process of the device appears, which can also be used to check if the printer is online and active.
Step 6. Manually add the printer
If the latter was not detected automatically and does not appear in the list in the print dialog, press the "Add printer" button. This will display a list of available printers.
Select the printing device you wish to install and press the "Add" button. You should now be able to use the printer without any difficulty
Method 2 of 2: Connect Using Wi-Fi
Step 1. Make sure the Wi-Fi printer is properly configured to access the wireless network
Connecting the printing device to the local LAN via the Wi-Fi connection helps to save cables by saving useful space and helping to keep the environment tidy.
To connect the printer to your home Wi-Fi network you will need to connect it to the router / modem, enable device sharing via the network and then install it on your computer as a network printer. To be able to perform the entire procedure, you must have a user account that is a system administrator
Step 2. Make sure the printer is not subject to any restrictions on accessing the wireless network, such as MAC address filtering
This type of access control is enabled to prevent the network and connected devices from being breached by hackers and criminals. Without these types of restrictions, the security of network devices could be compromised requiring professional intervention. Wireless network access in a public or corporate setting should be limited to the following set of communication services and ports:
- RealPlayer (ports 554, 6970, 7070);
- FTP protocol;
- Lotus Notes;
- SSH protocol;
- The ports used by major instant messaging programs (for example Yahoo Messenger): the webcam used by some Microsoft applications cannot be activated due to the security risks it would entail, therefore a program like Skype will not be able to use it;
- ArcGIS (application for creating maps);
- SciFinder Scholar (school application) and other core management programs used by staff;
- Printing services (ports 515, 9100, 631);
- Useful ports for web browsing (HTTP and HTTPs protocols).
Step 3. Use the printer to print files and documents directly over the Wi-Fi network
Access the content you want to print in print. This could be an image, a text document, or a PDF. Select the program's "File" menu and choose the "Print" option (in most cases you can also use the key combination "Cmd + P").
- In the dialog box that appears relating to printing, make sure that the printer you have just configured is present in the "Printer" drop-down menu. If so, select it and you should be ready to print.
- If your printer is not displayed in the "Printer" menu of the print job dialog, choose the "Add Printer" option. A new window for installing the device will appear. Press the "Add" button at the bottom of the list of printers already installed on the system. A list of all devices available for installation will be displayed, including the one just connected to the network. Select it and press the "Add" button.
- After selecting the printer you should be ready to print.
