1st time user. trying to connect my printer to my laptop upstairs the downstairs printer. i have printed out the pages of the printer IE> network summary and device configuration. i have no idea how to get the upstairs laptop to connect to the printer downstairs. I have the T mobile wireless internet up stairs and i do not want to have to run a network cable downstairs. way to long. i do not understand all the configuration modes in new printer setup on linux. i have installed the hp software. The printer is an HP Laserjet professional M1212nf MFP.

I gather this printer does not have wireless capabilities.

Please provide more information. How is the printer connected, to a computer or directly to the network?

You may find this article from the Arch wiki useful in considering your options.

Yes. The printer has no wireless capabilities. It is connect via Ethernet cable to the downstairs laptop. The internet is thru t mobile wireless internet router located up stairs next to the laptop I am trying to get to print to the down stairs

If it's a network printer (that is, one connected directly to your network via ethernet), you should be able to connect to it over the wireless connection from the upstairs computer. That's how I connect to my HP printer from my laptop.

I would suggest that you give the printer a static ip address, if you have not done so already; it makes working with ethernet-connected printers much easier. (If you do, you may have to reconnect to it from the downstairs computer.) Then install HPLIP on the upstairs machine (note that HPLIP often comes with a two packages--the base package, then the GUI (hp-toolbox); it should be in the repos.

Then you should be able to connect to it easily with the following command:

I've found that, when I specify the printer ip address, hp-setup works much more reliably than when I just let it search for the printer.

Here's more about hp-setup.

Thanks a lot, I will try it tomorrow

Thank you I will try it tomorrow. I really like zorin, finally took the plunge into a different os

Good luck! and let us know how it goes.

https://www.amazon.com/HP-LaserJet-M.../dp/B0036TGGJQ

is that your printer? If so, you will be running a cable as it does not support wifi connection.

https://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/p...nf_3.31.10.pdf

That is the spec sheet direct from HP, it is 100% confirmed you do not have wifi support for this device. Sorry msalem but you will be either buying a new printer, or connecting this printer to a switch and get it on your network.

You do not need to connect the laptop directly to the printer, but you do need the printer hard wired into the network at home somehow.

I have a wired HP Printer in the house. It connects to a switch with a static IP. All of my laptops (both MS Windows, OSx, and Linux) are able to see the printer without issue.

Since you are trying to access the printer downstairs from wifi upstairs have you considered adding another wifi router as a repeater then connecting the printer to the ethernet on the repeater. It seems it should work from what I know of networks.

If that works it would avoid running a cable from upstairs to downstairs.

You also said that the laptop downstairs could use the printer. It is possible to configure the downstairs laptop to share the printer and thus when it was connected the upstairs could connect and use the printer. The router/repeater approach would make it 24/7 instead of depending upon the downstairs laptop being available.

I tried it with no luck. It says it cannot find printer. The IP address starts with 169 on the print. Instead of the usual 192.

You would need to configure the printer with the proper IP when it is setup in cups so that the upstairs machine would find it downstairs. You also would need to make sure the firewall on the downstairs machine would allow connecting. I know port 631 needs to be open, but think there is another and I don't remember which.

It is getting a little more complicated this seems beyond my knowledge of computers. It did give me an option for a usb, I will probably try that first. Also, my wife cannot connect to her work computer before I started messing with it. Thank anyway for your help. I will try other things you suggested.

I have given up on connecting my printer. This is way more complicated then I expected. Will prop baby go out after christmas and by a wireless laser jet. Again thanks for trying.

Omg. I just did it . Used iogear gui 637 adaptor Ethernet to wireless to the downstairs computer. Plugged up stairs computer to router and installed printer. When installing it asked for root password, was able to figure it out. Thanks again could not have done this with our you. Merry Christmas. I can now just relax.

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