Choose wireless or a cable
Decide how your printer should connect, and know what each way gives you.
A cable joins one computer to the printer, and never wavers. Wireless lets the whole house print.
Wireless is why a phone can print, and why a printer vanishes when the router restarts.
Key points
- A cable serves one computer and never drops out
- Wireless serves every device on your home network, phones included
What to remember
- The printer must share your phone’s network.
- A phone prints only to a printer on its own network.
Try this
Look behind your own printer. If only the power lead is plugged in, it is wireless.
Practice: Choose wireless or a cable. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.