Having trouble connecting your Macbook to your printer? Don't worry, as there are two ways to connect your devices: via USB or wirelessly. To start, choose the one that is most convenient for you to do.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Connect Using a USB Cable
Step 1. Turn on the printer
To do so, press the power button.
- The location of the power button varies depending on the printer model. If you're not sure, check your printer's user manual.
- If the printer does not turn on even after pressing the power button, make sure it is connected to a power source by plugging the power cord into an electrical outlet.
Step 2. Prepare a USB cable that will allow connection between the printer and the Macbook
When you buy a printer, it comes with two cables: the power cable and the USB cable. Grab the wire with the square-shaped connector.
Step 3. Connect the USB cable to the Macbook
Find a square hole on the side of the Macbook Pro. Insert the printer's USB cable into this hole.
Step 4. Plug the other end into the printer
Once the connection is established, the printer should appear in the on-screen menu. If the printer does not appear, you will need to find and install the correct driver for the printer, but generally the Macbook Pro does not need to install any printer software if it is the first time you connect them.
- To install the driver, simply put the driver CD (which usually comes with the printer) into the CD-ROM drive to start the installation. You can also install the driver by going online and looking for the manufacturer of the printer.
- If you want to know the name and model of the printer, check the side of the printer or its box.
Step 5. Check if the printer is ready
You can check if the printer is ready by looking at the "Print Sheet" when printing or through the "Print & Fax" preferences.
- If the name of the printer is on the list shown on the “Print Sheet”, then you are ready to print. If not, proceed to the next step to add the printer.
- The "Print Sheet" is the printer menu used to check if the printer was detected and available.
Step 6. Add your printer
If your printer is not listed in the "Print Sheet", click "Add Printer" in the same menu. A list of available printers will appear.
Click on the printer you want to add and then "Add." Now you can print with that printer
Method 2 of 2: Connect using Wi-Fi
Step 1. Make sure the Wi-Fi printer has been configured to join the Wi-Fi network
Connecting the printer to your local Wi-Fi network helps save space and has fewer problems than wired connections.
To connect the printer to Wi-Fi, connect it to your router, enable the option to share it on the network, and then add it as a network printer. The user must be an administrator to do so
Step 2. Make sure you have bypassed the access restrictions of the Wi-Fi printer, such as MAC address filtering
Access restrictions have been imposed to prevent the use of the network. Without these restrictions, the security of your device could be compromised, and therefore IT services consider them necessary. Access on the wireless network will be limited to the following ports:
- RealPlayer ports (554, 6970, 7070).
- FTP.
- Lotus Notes.
- SSH.
- Popular instant messaging (Yahoo IM) ports. The webcam is not available through Microsoft applications due to security risks, Yahoo! and Skype do work.
- ArcGIS (earth science application).
- SciFinder Scholar (science and library app) and a few others primarily used for staff purposes.
- Printing (515, 9100, 631).
- Basic web browsing ports (HTTP,
Step 3. Use the printer to connect to the Wi-Fi network
Open any printable file, such as a photo, text document, or PDF. From the "File" menu, choose "Print" (or press "Command + P").
- In the "Print" dialog that appears, see if your printer is in the "Printer" pop-up menu. If it appears, select it and you should be ready to print.
- If your printer does not appear in the "Print" dialog box, choose "Add Printer" from the "Printer" pop-up menu. The "Printer Setup Utility" will open. Click the "Add" button in the printer list window. A list of printers that are available should appear. Select your printer and click "Add."
- After selecting your printer, you should be ready to use it.