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Q: Why doesn't my wireless printer work on campus?

Context

Some end-user printers have wireless cards allowing them to be used wirelessly. In its current setup, the wireless network at MIT does not support the use of wireless printers. Wireless printers require for multicast and broadcast discovery to be enabled on the wireless network they are on. These are the same services that enable applications such as iTunes and Windows Media Center to share information with minimal configuration. Currently, these settings are disabled as they were the cause of poor wireless speeds and connectivity.

IS&T is currently testing an update to the wireless access points that may resolve the problem. There currently is no ETA on when this testing will be completed.

Answer

Some recommended solutions are detailed below. Be aware that IS&T does NOT support private printers and support can only be provided on a best-effort basis.

  1. Using a USB cable
  2. If the printer has an ethernet jack, connect it via ethernet and request a hostname/static IP address for the printer. More information on static IP addresses and hostnames can be found at http://ist.mit.edu/network/ip-request.
  3. Some, but very few, printers support Dynamic DNS which gives the printer a permanent hostname despite the IP address changing. You will have to check the manual and register for the service at dyndns.org. This option is not run or supported by IS&T.

IS&T Contributions

Documentation and information provided by IS&T staff members


Last Modified:

January 12, 2023

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