Sharing Your Epson Printer on a Network: Windows XP and 2000 Guide

This guide explains how to share your Epson printer, enabling multiple computers on your network to print using a single device. Whether you’re using an older operating system like Windows XP or Windows 2000, setting up printer sharing is a straightforward process. This tutorial will walk you through the steps to make your Epson printer accessible to everyone on your local network. While this guide is applicable to various Epson models, the principles discussed are especially relevant if you are looking into solutions like Cara Sharing Scanner Printer Epson L220, or simply need to share any Epson printer on your home or office network.

Setting Up Shared Printing on Windows XP

To begin sharing your Epson printer from a computer running Windows XP, follow these steps:

1. Access Printers and Faxes: Click on the Start button located in the bottom left corner of your screen, and then select Printers and Faxes from the menu.

2. Open Printer Sharing Options: Locate the icon for your Epson printer within the Printers and Faxes window. Right-click on the printer icon. From the context menu that appears, click on the Sharing option. You might encounter a menu prompting you to use the Network Setup Wizard. If so, you can choose to proceed with the wizard or select the option to share printers without it, understanding the security implications. Follow the on-screen instructions as needed.

3. Enable Printer Sharing: In the Printer Properties window that opens, navigate to the Sharing tab. Select the radio button labeled Share this printer. In the Share name text box, type a name for your shared printer. This name will be visible to other users on the network when they search for available printers.

4. Finalize Sharing Settings: Click the OK button to save your sharing settings. Your printer is now set up as a shared printer and is accessible to other computers on your network.

Important Note: Avoid selecting any drivers from the “Additional Drivers” list unless specifically instructed or required for your network environment.

Accessing the Shared Printer from Another Computer (Windows XP Client)

Once your Epson printer is shared from a server computer, other computers (clients) on the network can connect to it. Here’s how to access the shared printer from a Windows XP client machine:

Note: Ensure that the printer has been properly set up as a shared resource on the computer it is directly connected to before attempting to access it from another computer.

1. Install Printer Driver: On the client computer, begin by installing the necessary printer driver. Use the software CD-ROM that came with your Epson printer.

2. Open Printers and Faxes and Access Printer Properties: Click Start, then Printers and Faxes. Right-click on your printer’s icon and select Properties to open the printer properties window.

3. Add a New Port: In the Printer Properties window, click on the Ports tab, and then click the Add Port button.

4. Select Local Port and Create New Port: In the Port Type list, choose Local Port, and then click the New Port button.

5. Enter Network Path: In the Enter a port name dialog box, type the network path to your shared printer using the following format:

\computer_nameshared_printer_name

Replace computer_name with the name of the computer that your Epson printer is directly connected to (the server), and shared_printer_name with the share name you assigned to the printer in the previous setup steps. Click OK after entering the path.

6. Close Printer Ports Dialog: Click Close on the Printer Ports dialog box to return to the Ports menu in the Printer Properties window.

7. Select and Apply the New Port: On the Ports menu, ensure that the newly added port is selected (a checkmark is visible next to it). Click OK to close the Printer Properties window. Your client computer can now print to the shared Epson printer.

Setting Up Shared Printing on Windows 2000

If your printer server computer is running Windows 2000, the process to share your Epson printer is slightly different but equally manageable. Follow these steps:

1. Access Printers Folder: Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click on Printers to open the Printers folder.

2. Open Sharing Options: Select your Epson printer within the Printers folder. Click on Sharing from the File menu located at the top of the window.

3. Enable Printer Sharing: In the Printer Properties window, select the radio button labeled Shared As. Then, in the Share Name text box, enter a name for the shared printer. This name will be used by other network users to identify and connect to your printer.

4. Finalize Sharing: Click OK to apply the sharing settings. Your Epson printer is now shared on your Windows 2000 network.

Important Note: As with Windows XP, it is generally recommended to avoid adding additional drivers from the “Additional Drivers” list unless specifically needed.

Accessing the Shared Printer from Another Computer (Windows 2000 Client)

To use the shared Epson printer from a client computer on a Windows 2000 network, these are the steps you need to follow:

Note: Ensure the printer is already shared on the server computer before proceeding with these steps on the client machine.

1. Install Printer Driver: Begin by installing the printer driver on the client computer using the Epson software CD-ROM.

2. Open Printer Properties: Open the Printer folder from the Control Panel. Right-click on your printer’s icon and select Properties to open the properties dialog.

3. Add a New Port: Click on the Ports tab, and then click the Add Port button to add a new printer port.

4. Select Local Port and Create New Port: In the Port Type dialog box, select Local Port, and then click New Port.

5. Enter Network Path: In the Enter a port name dialog box, type the network path to the shared printer. Use the same format as with Windows XP:

\computer_nameshared_printer_name

Replace computer_name with the server computer’s name and shared_printer_name with the printer’s share name. Click OK.

6. Close Printer Ports Dialog: After entering the path, the Cancel button in the Printer Ports dialog box will change to Close. Click Close to return to the Ports menu.

7. Select and Apply the New Port: In the Ports menu, ensure that the newly created port is selected with a checkmark. Click OK to close the printer driver setup. You can now print to the shared Epson printer from your Windows 2000 client.

By following these detailed steps, you can easily set up and utilize shared printing for your Epson printer on both Windows XP and Windows 2000 networks, streamlining your printing needs across multiple computers.