How to Share a Printer Between Computers

Most homes and small offices end up with more computers than printers, and sooner or later everyone wants to print to the same machine. The good news is you almost never need to buy anything or move a cable around. I have set up shared printers in a two-laptop apartment and in a small studio with six machines, and the same handful of steps works either way. In the next few minutes you will learn the three real methods for sharing one printer, how to set each up on Windows and Mac, and how to fix the problems that trip people up most often.

Three Ways to Share One Printer

Before touching any settings, it helps to know which of the three approaches fits your printer. Picking the right one first saves you from redoing the whole thing later.

• Network printer: the printer has its own Wi-Fi or Ethernet and joins your network directly. Every computer talks to it on its own. This is the most reliable option.
• Shared USB printer: a plain USB printer stays plugged into one computer, and that computer shares it with the rest over the network.
• Router or print server: some routers have a USB port that turns a USB printer into a network printer without a host computer. Handy, but support is patchy.

If your printer already has Wi-Fi, use the first method and stop reading the USB section. If it is USB only, the second method is your path. Either way, the goal is the same: one printer, reachable from every computer in the house.

Method 1: Share a Network Printer Over Wi-Fi

This is the approach I reach for first, because there is no host computer to keep running. The printer sits on the network, and each computer simply adds it. Start by getting the printer onto your Wi-Fi using its front panel or the setup app, then add it everywhere else.

1. Connect the printer to your network. Use the printer’s touchscreen wireless setup, or its companion app, to join the same Wi-Fi your computers use. Expected result: the printer shows a connected Wi-Fi icon and gets an IP address.
2. Print the printer’s network page. From the printer menu, print a network or configuration page and note the IP address (something like 192.168.1.45). Expected result: you have the printer’s address written down for later.
3. Add it on the first computer. On Windows, open Settings, then Bluetooth and devices, then Printers and scanners, and click Add device. On Mac, open System Settings, then Printers and Scanners, and click Add. Expected result: the printer appears by name in the list.
4. Select the printer and let the driver install. Click its name and wait for the software to load. Expected result: the printer is added and marked ready.
5. Repeat on every other computer. Do the same Add step on each machine. Expected result: all computers can now see and use the printer independently.

If a computer cannot find the printer automatically, add it manually using that IP address you wrote down. Choose the option to add a printer by TCP/IP address, type the number in, and the rest usually fills itself in. For a wider walkthrough of getting printers onto a network, our complete guide to fixing printer connection problems covers the setup and the snags in one place.

Method 2: Share a USB Printer From One Computer

If your printer only has a USB cable, one computer becomes the host that owns the printer and lends it out. The catch is simple: that host computer has to be turned on and awake for anyone else to print. Here is how to set it up on Windows.

On the host computer

1. Turn on sharing settings. Open Settings, then Network and internet, then Advanced network settings, then Advanced sharing settings. Switch on Network discovery and File and printer sharing for your private network. Expected result: your computer is now visible and can share devices.
2. Open the printer’s properties. Go to Settings, then Bluetooth and devices, then Printers and scanners, click the printer, then Printer properties. Expected result: a properties window with several tabs opens.
3. Share the printer. On the Sharing tab, tick Share this printer and give it a short, simple share name with no spaces, like OfficeLaser. Expected result: the printer is now offered to the network under that name.
4. Note the computer name. Find the host computer’s name under Settings, then System, then About. Expected result: you have the name in the form of a single word to type on the other computers.

On the other computers

1. Start adding a printer. Open Settings, then Bluetooth and devices, then Printers and scanners, and click Add device. Expected result: Windows scans for available printers.
2. Choose the manual option. When it does not appear on its own, click “The printer that I want isn’t listed.” Expected result: a dialog with manual choices opens.
3. Enter the shared path. Select the option to pick a shared printer by name and type it as HostNameShareName, using the computer name and share name from before. Expected result: Windows finds the shared printer and installs its driver.

The first time I did this, I shared an old USB-only laser from a desktop in the study to two laptops in the living room. It printed fine all afternoon, then stopped at night, and it took me a moment to remember the desktop had gone to sleep. That is the trade-off with USB sharing in one sentence.

Sharing a Printer on a Mac

macOS handles this cleanly, and a shared Mac printer can be reached by other Macs and by Windows computers too. As with Windows, the host Mac needs to stay awake.

1. Turn on Printer Sharing. Open System Settings, then General, then Sharing, and switch on Printer Sharing. Expected result: the sharing service becomes active.
2. Pick which printer to share. Click the Printer Sharing info button and tick the printer you want to offer. Expected result: that printer is now shared to your network.
3. Add it on the other computer. On another Mac, open Printers and Scanners and click Add, then choose the shared printer. Expected result: it installs and is ready to print.

You can find more setup walkthroughs like this on our printer connectivity hub whenever you want to compare methods side by side.

Which Method Should You Use?

The right choice depends mostly on whether your printer has its own network connection and how many computers need it. This table lays out the practical differences.

What matters to you	Network printer	Shared USB printer
Printer needs built-in Wi-Fi or Ethernet	Yes	No
A computer must stay on	No	Yes, the host
Setup effort	Add on each computer once	Configure host, then add on each
Reliability	High	Depends on the host
Best for	Most homes and offices	An older USB-only printer
Prints when the host sleeps	Yes	No

If your printer has Wi-Fi, the network method wins almost every time. Reserve USB sharing for the case where the printer genuinely has no network option and you would rather not buy a new one yet.

When Sharing Stops Working

Shared printers are usually steady once set up, but a few problems come back again and again. Here is how to clear the common ones without pulling the whole thing apart.

• Other computers cannot see the printer. On the host, confirm Network discovery and File and printer sharing are both on, and that every device is on the same network, not a guest Wi-Fi.
• The printer shows as offline. For a network printer, this often means its IP changed. Reserve a fixed address in the router, or re-add the printer by its current IP.
• It printed yesterday, not today. With USB sharing, the host likely went to sleep. Set the host to stay awake, or move to a true network printer.
• Windows asks for a password. This usually means password-protected sharing is on. You can add the shared printer using an account that exists on the host, or adjust that setting under Advanced sharing settings.

In my experience, four out of five “it just stopped” calls come down to a sleeping host or a printer that quietly picked up a new IP address. Check those two first and you will save yourself a lot of guesswork.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do all the computers need to be on the same network?

Yes, for both methods the computers and the printer have to share one network. A common trip-up is one laptop joining a guest Wi-Fi while the printer sits on the main one. They will not see each other. Put everything on the same private network and the connection usually appears right away.

Can I share a printer between a Windows PC and a Mac?

Yes. A network printer is the easiest way, since each computer adds it on its own regardless of operating system. If you use USB sharing, macOS can share a printer that Windows connects to, and Windows can share one that a Mac reaches. Mixed setups work, though a shared network printer avoids the fuss.

Does the host computer have to stay on to print?

Only with USB sharing. When one computer shares a plugged-in USB printer, that host must be powered on and awake for others to print through it. A true network printer has no such limit, because it connects to the network by itself. That difference is the main reason to prefer a network printer.

What happened to HomeGroup in Windows?

Microsoft removed HomeGroup from Windows years ago, so you will not find it on current systems. Printer sharing still works fine without it. Use the printer sharing controls in Settings along with network discovery and file and printer sharing, and you get the same result the old feature offered.

Can my router share a USB printer instead of a computer?

Sometimes. Routers with a USB port and print server support can share a plugged-in printer to the whole network, with no host computer needed. Support varies by model and can be limited for advanced features like ink levels. Check your router’s manual, and treat it as a bonus rather than a guarantee.

One Printer, Every Computer, No Fuss

Sharing a printer really comes down to one decision: put the printer on the network and add it everywhere, or let one computer host a USB printer for the rest. The network route is steadier and worth the small effort, while USB sharing is a fine stopgap for an older machine. If you want to understand the plumbing behind it, this plain overview of a print server is a good read, and most brands keep model-specific guides on their own printer support pages. When you want more calm, tested help, you can always read about how the PrinterDojo team tests and writes. Set it up once, and printing from any computer in the house becomes something you stop thinking about.