How to troubleshoot the printer not showing up on the network problem?

Normally, connecting the printer to the network is a very easy process especially when you are using the Windows operating system that automatically locates your printer in the  ‘Add printer wizard’. But, many times the use of an comes with the query that the printer not showing up on network. Well!  This is a very common problem to occur with the printers and can be resolved with the simple troubleshooting steps.  The list of printers that you see in the ‘Add Printer  Wizard’  is based upon the security access rights you have to the specific printer.  Also,  the trouble with the printer itself and the system configuration errors can also prevent your printer from showing in the network list.  In this post, we are going to share the simple troubleshooting guidelines that can help you to fix this problem and continue printing the document using a printer on the network.

The printer not showing up on the network: Troubleshooting steps to follow

• Check and make sure that your printer is turned on and connected to the internet.  If you want to verify the network connectivity, you can check the network port present on the backside of your printer.   If you are able to see the solid or flashing green light,  it means that your device is connected.
•  Check and make sure that you have access to your printer.  The printer access is not restricted in the smaller networks,  but if you are working for a bigger organization, Your IT  department may handle the printer access ( including the hiding printers from the un-authorized people).
•  You have to make sure that your printing device is actually shared.  You can log into your computer where you have installed your printer ( login to the dedicated printer server,  if possible).  After this, click on the ‘Start’ option, and go to the ‘Devices and printers’ section.  Choose your printer, you must be able to see the icon at the bottom of the window present next to the ‘State’ and indicating that your printing device is being shared.   If your printer is not shared,  you can right-click on the printer and choose the ‘Printer Properties’ option. Click on the ‘Sharing’ tab and check the box present next to the ‘Share this printer’. 
•  Check and make sure that ‘File and Printer sharing and Network Discovery’ are enabled in the computer where you have physically connected your printer or the printer server.  If you have disabled this feature on your printer server,  then nobody in your office would be able to connect or see the printer on the server.  To check, you can simply click on the ‘Start’ option, type ‘Network’ in the search bar, and choose the ‘Network and Sharing Center’ when it shows in the search result. After this, you have to choose ‘Home or Work’ Network profile and click on the ‘Turn On Network Discovery’. Turn on ‘File and Printer  Sharing’, if disabled and click to save the changes. 
• Make sure that you have enabled the ‘Network Discovery’ option on your device.  Network Discovery allows your computer and the other network devices to ‘see’ each other.   You can access the ‘Network and Sharing Center’ Applet with the help of the guidelines mentioned in the step above. Click on the ‘Turn on Network Discovery’, if it is off, and tap to save the changes. 

So, these are some simple guidelines that can help you to troubleshoot the problem “the printer not showing up on the network“.  All the mentioned steps are very simple and easy to execute. But if your problem is not resolved even after following the troubleshooting instructions,  we recommend you to contact the printer experts and take their advice to find and fix the issue. The experts can help you to find the root cause of the problem and share the most effective troubleshooting steps that will help you to connect the printer to the network successfully.