How to link printers to 2nd Mac?

Laser Printers?

The typical way to connect laser printers is directly to your network, using an ethernet cable. Then they become network printers, and any device on your network can use them.

If these were dumb inkjet printers that could not possibly connect to a network, the way to connect them would be to check the [√] shared printer checkbox in their printer setup window on the MacBook Pro. Then when your MacBook Pro is on the network and booted up and not asleep, the MacBook Air could see them. After proper setup the MacBook Air, MacBook Air could use them to print.

In every case, you should be sure that

System Preferences > network > what ever you use...

IPv6 is set to "link-local-Only"

This allows the Mac's Bonjour/Discovery protocol to discover them and makes setup much easier.

OK. I guess that a full-featured drivers solution will be used for both printers when it comes to printing from the Mac computers.

However, in the meantime, you could perhaps run a similar AirPrint test (with the M203-M206) from the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.

Begin by resetting the printing system (see Reset the printing system on your Mac to solve a problem – Apple Support (UK)) on both computers.

After that, you could make an attempt to add the M203-M206 as an AirPrint printer on the network (on both computers).

See Add a printer to your printer list so you can use it on Mac – Apple Support (UK).

About AirPrint – Apple Support (UK)

For the HP LaserJet CP1525nw, drivers from the printer manufacturer will be needed with a "normal" network connection (this printer does not support the AirPrint technology). As I indicated above, the M203-M206 can use drivers with a network connection, which may be preferable later.

Under all circumstances, the printers shall stay connected by Ethernet to the LAN ports (1 and 2) on the router. Do NOT use any USB connection.

There are two main ways you can connect printers:

• One is by making a printer a stand-alone device (like another computer) on your Network. The way users typically do this is by connecting their busiest printer directly to the Router with an Ethernet cable, and disconnecting every other connection to that Printer. Then cycle the power to the Printer, and it should wake up as a network Printer instead of a directly-to-One-computer/printer, and can be set up with a Driver to make it go from ANY computer on your Network.

• For a less-busy printer, you could simply leave it connected with any cable to a single computer, and check the "[√] Share This Printer on the network" checkbox, here:

The downside of leaving it tethered to one computer is, that specific computer must be on and awake to Print, because the print images have to pass through that computer to get the the physical Printer.

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You can use Both approaches for different printers, but you do have to choose one or the other for each Printer.

Hello pwwwayne,

No offence, but changes and the introduction of new elements will not make things easier. Grant Bennet-Alder has clearly described what is required.

If I may suggest how to proceed.

• 1. First of all, do not do anything until you have a Wi-Fi router with four LAN ports (Ethernet). For an existing router with only one LAN port, it may be possible to add ports by using a separate switch. However, you could just as well buy a small, inexpensive (from approx. USD 30) new Wi-Fi router (with a built-in switch) with four LAN ports.

• 2. When you have a Wi-Fi router with four LAN ports:

a) connect the monochrome laser printer by Ethernet cable to LAN port 1 of the router.

b) connect the colour laser printer by Ethernet cable to LAN port 2 of the router.

• 3. Do not connect any cables or adapters to any of the computers. That is, no Ethernet, no USB, no Ethernet-to-USB(-C) adapter.

• 4. Connect:

a) the MacBook Pro wirelessly (Wi-Fi) to the Wi-Fi router.

b) the MacBook Air wirelessly (Wi-Fi) to the Wi-Fi router.

• 5. At this stage, on both computers, you may want to reset the printing system and (re-)add the printers:

Reset the printing system on your Mac to solve a problem – Apple Support (UK)

Add a printer to your printer list so you can use it on Mac – Apple Support (UK)

• 6. Check that everything is correctly configured. Print.

• (7.) Having the printers wired by Ethernet to the router is always a preferred solution, whenever possible (such as in this case). It is often practical to work with notebook computers wirelessly (such as suggested above), but you could of course later choose to wire them by Ethernet to the free LAN ports 3 and 4 on the Wi-Fi router instead.

If you connect them only to a Mac, that Mac MUST be on and awake to print.

To be seen easily and at all times, your printers should be ethernet-connected directly to your Router. Once connected to your Router, the printer(s) should be visible from every Mac on your home network (the network at your home maintained by your Router) whether that computer connects to the Router by Wi-Fi or by Ethernet.

When you connect different devices, like Printers, to your home network, by connecting them to that network with an Ethernet cable from your Router to the Printer, those Printer devices will show up in the Add-a-Printer dialog box:

you can select the printer you want, and your Mac will help you set it up and find a Driver for it.

Power off the cable modem, the router, the printers (if connected), and the MacBook Pro. Connect an Ethernet cable between your MacBook Pro to a free LAN port (for example, LAN3) on the router.

The cable modem should be connected to the WAN port of the router.

Power on the cable modem, the router, the printers (if connected), and the MacBook Pro computer.

Launch a web browser. Enter 192.168.1.1 in the address field.

Log in to the setup page.

Perform and apply the Wi-Fi network name (SSID) and password (key) rewrite/change.

Make sure that WPA2 Personal (AES) security is used.

Check the Network Map.

Logout if everything is OK.

The Ethernet connection should be between each Printer and the Router.

You can have, but do not need to have, an Ethernet connection Macs to Router.

If you did not either delete the instance of the printer connected by USB or 'Reset the Printing System', you may need to do one of those to make progress.

Then look for those printers again on the Add-A-Printer pane.

The PROCESS of adding a Printer on the Mac takes several Minutes, while the Mac does research on what Drivers are available.

Select the printer from the list in the add-printer dialog, then W-A-I-T.

It will show "auto-select" in the Use: box, while it works really hard to select an arbitrary Driver.

After several minutes, you will find it has populated the Use (aka Driver) box.

You may see any of:

AirPrint Driver

HP color laserjet <model-specific> Driver

Generic Postscript Driver

AirPrint - will give you the ability to print many simpler documents,

Generic Postscript -allows more complex documents,

and <model-specific> - will give you ALL great printing PLUS the features of the printer, such as duplexing or paper feeding.

I have intended to suggest at every turn that you connect your Printers to your ROUTER using Ethernet, to make them independent of any particular computer.

On the MacBook Air, you need to use

system preferences > Network

to turn IPv6 to Link-local only on whatever interfaces you are using.

Your home Network is ONE network with multiple media used to interconnect devices. You only need an ethernet connection printer to Router.

You should the see the Ethernet-connected printer show up, and can select it. When choosing a Driver, you must be patient, as it can take a few minutes to find the driver specific to the Printer. Do not let it choose AirPrint or generic Postscript unless you know that is the correct driver.