You can share a printer between numerous devices using a print server. It might be a network or printer integration, or it might be a separate device. The print server enables a printer to link to a neighborhood network rather than a single device when it is turned on. The printer can then be used as a "network printer" by various devices, such as Mac and Windows PCs.

There are several types of standalone print printers. The USB connection on the majority of them links straight to the printer's USB socket. However, some print services also allow for simultaneous or Internet connections to printers. While cordless models can link to a Wi-Fi network, wired print servers have an Ethernet connection for attaching straight to a gateway.

Network printers or cordless printers are common names for printers with an integrated print server. These printers could have a built-in Wi-Fi device that allows wireless networking or an Ethernet connection for linking straight to a Router. Wireless printers have grown to be a common method to share a printer with numerous devices because so many households and companies now have wireless networks.

Some networks have print printers built right in. They have standard Internet connections in addition to a USB connector for attaching a printer. A printer becomes a network device and is accessible to other networked devices when it is connected to the gateway.