Setting up a network printer is a good way of increasing efficiency in the office. Efficiency within the workplace must always be a guarantee no matter how big or small the office is. Using a network printer is one good way of cutting back on the time spent in getting printing jobs done, and it also reduces the need for buying individual printers for individual computer users in the office.

How can you set up a network printer without any hassles in the office? Below is a step-by-step solution to get this done.

1.Printer location. The network printer should be set up at a location that makes it easily accessible to the people who will be using it. Not doing so will result in inconvenience for its users and can prevent these people from doing their work more efficiently.

2.Type of connection. Decide on whether or not the network printer will be a wireless printer or if it will be connected to the other computers through local area network. One possible factor that can help you weigh your decision on whether or not you should set up a wireless network printer or connect it via LAN is the physical layout of your office. If the office is small enough and without a lot by the way of dividers and walls, going wireless may be the better option.

3.Enable printer sharing. The network printer must be set up in such a way that it will accept printing jobs that were not queued by the computer acting as its server. In this, you will need to set up administrative protocols. Do not let the term ?administrative protocols? scare you, though. At the basic level, all you need to do is to open your network printer's Properties dialogue box from the Windows Vista Control Panel or from Windows Explorer, and then check on the box that will allow it to print out documents queued by the other computers on the network.

4.Share the printer. A lot of times, it is not enough to just set up the network printer to accept printing jobs from other computers connected to the network. The operating system of the printer server must also be notified that it should allow other computers to make use of the network printer.

5.Continuous maintenance. Because the network printer is shared now, someone among the office team should be made responsible for the upkeep of the network printer. This person does not have to be a whiz at computers; just someone who knows his or her way around a computer will do. This person should also be in charge of what could be seen as the mundane tasks of keeping the paper bin in the network printer filled or making sure that the printer ink cartridges still have ink.

It is not hard to set up a network printer for a small office. Just a little planning will get the job done.