How to Install a Network Printer at Boston University (BU)

Connecting to a network printer at Boston University (BU) allows you to easily print documents from anywhere on campus. Whether you are using a BU-owned computer or your personal device, and regardless of your operating system, this guide will provide you with step-by-step instructions to get your Printer Bu setup quickly and efficiently.

Installing a Network Printer with Windows 10 & 11

For BU Domain Computers

If your computer is part of the Boston University domain network, installing a printer bu is a straightforward process. Follow these steps:

1. Ensure your computer is connected to the BU network. You can be connected via a wired connection, wireless (BU Wi-Fi), or VPN if you are off-campus.
2. Open the Start Menu. In the search bar, type \bumc-print and press Enter. This will open the BU printer directory.
3. In the “bumc-print” window, locate the search box in the top right corner. Type in the 6-digit BUMC IT Asset number of the specific printer bu you want to install.

Searching for a specific printer bu by its asset tag in the Boston University network print directory.

4. Once you find your printer bu, double-click on it. This will automatically start the driver installation process.
5. If you need to install additional printers, simply repeat these steps for each printer bu.

For Personal Computers (Non-BU Domain)

If you are using a personal computer that is not connected to the BU domain, you can still install a printer bu by following these steps:

1. Make sure your personal computer is connected to the BU network either through a wired connection, wireless (BU Wi-Fi), or VPN.
2. Open the Start Menu and search for “Printers & scanners”. Click on “Printers & scanners” to open the settings.
3. In the “Printers & scanners” window, click on “+ Add a printer or scanner” button located at the top.
4. The system will start searching for available printers. After a few moments, click on “The printer that I want isn’t listed”. You may need to scroll down to see this option.
5. In the “Add Printer” dialog, select “Add a printer using a TCP/IP address or hostname” and click “Next”.
6. In the “Device type” dropdown menu, choose “TCP/IP Device”.
7. Locate the 6-digit BUMC IT Asset number on the printer bu you wish to install. This number is usually found on a red, black, or orange BUMC sticker attached to the printer.

Identifying the BUMC IT asset tag number on a printer bu, crucial for manual installation.

8. In the “Hostname or IP address” field, enter the printer name using the format: prn9xxxxx.bumc.bu.edu. Replace 9xxxxx with the 6-digit BUMC IT Asset number of your printer bu.

9. You will be presented with two options for driver installation: “Fast” and “Slow”.

   Fast Option (Basic Printing): Choose this for a quicker setup if you don’t immediately need advanced features like double-sided or color printing.

   1. Ensure that the “Query the printer and automatically select the driver to use” checkbox is unchecked. Click “Next”.

   Disabling automatic driver selection to manually choose a basic driver for faster printer setup on a personal computer.

   2. At the “Additional port information required” screen, simply click “Next”.

   Navigating through the port information step in the fast installation process for network printers.

   3. In the “Install the printer driver” window, select “Microsoft” from the “Manufacturer” list on the left, and then choose “Microsoft PCL6 Class Driver” from the “Printers” list on the right. Click “Next”.

   Choosing the Microsoft PCL6 Class Driver as a compatible driver for basic printing in a fast installation scenario.

   4. This driver should work for most printer bu models for basic printing. If you encounter issues or need more specific features, you might need to search for a more appropriate driver online or from the manufacturer’s website. Contact BUMC IT for assistance if needed.
   5. In the “Printer Sharing” screen, select “Do not share this printer” and click “Next”.
   6. You can now click the “Print a test page” button to verify if the printer bu is working correctly. If the test page doesn’t print as expected, you may need to find a more specific driver online or try the “Slow” installation method.

   Slow Option (Full Functionality): Choose this option for a more comprehensive installation that includes full printer functionality like double-sided and color printing.

   1. Ensure that the “Query the printer and automatically select the driver to use” checkbox is checked. Click “Next”.
   2. The computer will now attempt to automatically find and install the correct print driver for your printer bu. This process may take a few minutes.
   3. If the system fails to find the correct driver automatically, revert to the “Fast” option and start from step 3, or contact BUMC IT for further support.

10. The printer installation process will begin. Once completed, you will have the option to rename the printer. It’s recommended to include the asset tag and any other identifying information in the printer name for easy recognition.

Installing a Network Printer on a Macintosh Computer

To install a printer bu on a macOS computer, ensure you are connected to the internet and VPN if you are off-campus. It is advisable to first visit the printer manufacturer’s website to download the latest macOS drivers for your specific printer model. Once you have the drivers, follow these steps:

1. Open “System Preferences”. You can do this by clicking the Apple icon in the top-left corner of your screen and selecting “System Preferences”. In macOS Ventura and later, this may be called “System Settings”.
2. Within “System Preferences” (or “System Settings”), click on “Printers & Scanners”.

Navigating to the Printers & Scanners pane within macOS System Preferences to manage printer settings.

3. In the “Printers & Scanners” window, look at the left sidebar where your installed printers are listed. Click on the plus sign (+) button located below the list to add a new printer.

Initiating the process of adding a new printer by clicking the “+” button in macOS Printer settings.

4. In the “Add Printer” dialog, select “IP” (the globe icon) from the options at the top. For “Protocol”, the recommended option is “AirPrint”. Select “AirPrint”. If “AirPrint” is not available (usually on older macOS versions), choose “Line Printer Daemon – LPD”.

Choosing the IP protocol and specifically the AirPrint option for seamless network printer integration on macOS.

5. Under the “Address” field, enter the printer name in the format: prn9xxxxx.bumc.bu.edu, replacing 9xxxxx with the 6-digit asset number of your printer bu, found on the orange BUMC sticker.
6. The “Name”, “Location”, and “Use” fields will appear below. You can rename the printer in the “Name” field to something descriptive. If the “Use” field does not auto-populate, try selecting “Generic PostScript Printer” to enable basic printing. For advanced features, you may need to select a specific driver for your printer model if you downloaded one in the initial steps.

Configuring printer address and selecting appropriate driver settings during the manual printer addition process on macOS.

7. Click “Add”.
8. Congratulations! You have now successfully installed the network printer. Your newly added printer bu will appear in the list of installed printers in the “Printers & Scanners” window.

Confirmation screen showing successful network printer installation within the macOS printing preferences.

Conclusion

By following these instructions, you should be able to easily install a network printer bu on your Windows or macOS computer, whether it is a BU-owned device or your personal machine. If you encounter any difficulties during the process, do not hesitate to contact BUMC IT for further assistance.