Alex Ruben
How To Connect to a Wireless Wi-Fi Shared Printer on Windows 10 Pro 2025
Getting a wireless shared printer set up on Windows 10 Pro 2025 can be a bit of a headache, especially if things aren’t working as expected. Sometimes the printer just doesn’t show up, or the network seems wonky, and you’re left scratching your head, wondering what’s wrong. The whole point is to print without plugging in every device — but Windows can make it kinda tricky. This walkthrough is designed to help troubleshoot and get that printer working across multiple devices, so you’re not stuck copying files to a USB and printing from a single machine. By the end, you’ll hopefully have that shared printer accessible and ready to roll.
How to Fix Wireless Shared Printer Connection Issues in Windows 10 Pro 2025
Set Up Printer Sharing on the Host PC
This first step is crucial because Windows needs to know which printer is available to the network. If the sharing settings aren’t correct, other devices won’t see your printer, or worse, they’ll get permissions errors. This usually applies if your shared printer isn’t showing up or isn’t reachable. You’ll want to be logged in as an admin for this part, and it’s helpful to check the printer is actually installed and working on the host machine first.
- Open Settings by pressing Windows + I. Then go to Devices > Printers & Scanners.
- Select the printer you want to share and click on Manage.
- Click on Printer Properties (not just “Properties”, but the button specifically in the manage window).
- In the new window, flip over to the Sharing tab. Check the box labeled Share this printer. You’ll need to give it a share name — something simple, like “OfficePrinter” or “SharedPrinter”.
- Click OK.
Note: sometimes, if you’re on a domain or certain security setups, permissions can get weird here. Just ensure the sharing is enabled and the network profile is set to Private (not Public).
This makes the printer visible on your network, which is half the battle. On some setups, you might need to restart the PC or the printer for the changes to stick. Because Windows has to do its thing with network sharing, it’s kind of weird how sometimes it acts up.
Configure Network Sharing Settings and Firewalls
Next, Windows has built-in firewall rules and network profiles that can block printer sharing or network discovery. If your devices are on the same Wi-Fi or LAN, but the printer isn’t showing up, it’s probably down to these settings. Fixing this is usually a matter of making sure sharing is turned on, discovery is enabled, and the firewall isn’t blocking anything. This is especially true if you recently upgraded or changed network profiles.
- Open Control Panel, then go to Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center.
- Click on Change advanced sharing settings on the left sidebar.
- Expand the Private profile (assuming your LAN is marked as Private). Turn on Turn on network discovery and Turn on file and printer sharing.
- Scroll down and ensure Turn off password protected sharing is unchecked if you want to allow everyone on the network to access the printer without login. (Not always recommended for security reasons, but sometimes necessary.)
- Click Save changes. You might be prompted for admin permission here.
If you’re still having trouble, check your firewall settings. Sometimes, Windows Firewall blocks network discovery or SMB traffic. To fix that:
- Go to Windows Defender Firewall in Settings or Control Panel.
- Click on Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall.
- Make sure File and Printer Sharing is checked for Private networks.
Find the Host Computer’s Name or IP Address
If the printer doesn’t appear automatically, you might have to connect it manually using the network path. That’s because Windows on different machines sometimes don’t automatically detect shared resources, especially if DNS or NetBIOS issues are involved. To connect manually, you need to know the hostname or IP of the machine sharing the printer. Here’s how to find that:
- On the host PC, open Settings > System > About.
- Look for Device name. That’s the hostname you’ll use.
- If you want the IP address instead (sometimes more reliable), open Command Prompt and type
ipconfig /all. Find the IPv4 address listed under your network adapter.
Just writing down the hostname or IP is key because if the network isn’t working smoothly, direct IPs can sometimes bypass DNS hiccups.
Connect to the Shared Printer from Another Device
Once sharing is enabled and you know the host’s info, connecting from another device is often a matter of manually adding the shared printer, especially if it’s not appearing automatically in Printers & Scanners. Here’s how:
- Open Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners.
- Click on Add a printer or scanner.
- Let Windows do its scan — if your shared printer pops up, great. If not, click on The printer that I want isn’t listed.
- Select Select a shared printer by name. Then type in the network path, which looks like:
\\hostname\share_name
\\HomePC\OfficePrinterOn some setups, this process fails the first few times, especially if network discovery was off or permissions weren’t right. Just don’t give up! Restarting the host PC and the client sometimes helps.
Other Troubleshooting Tips & Common Problems
Here are a few things to check if everything still feels off:
- Make sure both PCs are on the same Wi-Fi or Ethernet network. That sound obvious, but it’s easy to forget or be on different subnets.
- Restart your router or modem if connectivity seems flaky.
- Double-check that the printer is powered on and connected properly on the host PC. Sometimes Windows reports offline even when the printer is fine.
- If the shared printer still isn’t showing up, try temporarily turning off the Windows Firewall or any third-party security software that might block SMB/file sharing.
Summary
Basically, you gotta enable sharing on the host PC, ensure network discovery and firewall rules are correct, find out the PC’s name or IP, and then manually add the printer on other machines. It’s not always smooth sailing, but once it works, it’s all worth it. Just keep an eye on permissions and network profiles, and don’t be afraid to reboot a few times if things seem stuck.
Wrap-up
Fingers crossed, this helps someone get that wireless shared printer working without pulling their hair out. It’s kind of annoying how Windows makes this so convoluted sometimes, but with a little patience, it usually sorts itself out. If it’s still acting up, check the network settings again or look into updating drivers and Windows updates. Good luck, and hopefully, this saves a few headaches!