Workplace printers often run into problems. Our support team handle printer problems every day, but the solution may be simpler than you think. These are some of our most asked printer questions.

1. How can I make my local printer available on a remote desktop session?

A local printer is one that is connected directly to your PC or device. while a printer hosted on a remote desktop is connected to the network. To make your local printer available to a remote desktop session host, right click on the server icon in the local resources tab and tick the printer box.

2. Why isn’t my printer isn’t working on a VPN?

Office printers can be accessed remotely when using a VPN but you will first need to have the option to use remote gateways enabled. Find this under the VPN’s advanced configuration tab.

3. DHCP vs static IP addresses for my networked printer

DHCP – The IP address for the printer may be reassigned to other devices during periods of inactivity.

Static – The IP address for the printer is consistent.

For network printers it is preferable to have a static IP address as printers set to dynamic IP may need frequent reconfiguring if they are regularly switched off.

To set a static IP address, you can usually find this setting in the control panel for your printer. Alternatively, you may need to set a DHCP reservation on your DHCP server.

4. WSD ports vs IP port

Printers may come with WSD ports preconfigured. When setting up your printer it is preferable to set a static IP address for it and using this IP when installing printer software. WSD Ports are known for being unreliable and not ideal for networked printers.

5. If your problem isn’t listed here, try these basic troubleshooting steps.

Check that your printer is in a ‘ready’ state.

Have you loaded the paper tray and is the paper the correct size?

Is the control panel displaying any error messages?

If it’s a network printer, are you able to ping it?

Can you right click the printer and print a test sheet?