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Connecting a printer directly to the network has the advantage of not requiring a computer. All you need is a network connection and this can be wired or wireless. Wi-Fi in printers is increasingly common and it’s even found in budget models. They do need to be configured though and you need to know the SSID (network name) and WPA security key.
Many home routers and printers support WPS (Wireless Protected Setup). Press the WPS button on router, select WPS on the printer’s LCD menu, and the device is automatically configured for network use. Then just install the printer software on the PC. If WPS isn’t available, either the printer’s LCD menu is used to input the network info, or you plug it into a PC’s USB port and install it like a USB printer. During installation it is configured for Wi-Fi and the USB cable is then unplugged.
A few printers, mainly those for office use, have a network port for a wired Ethernet connection. You just connect the printer to your router directly, or use some powerline networking adapters if your router is in a different room. Then, you need to install the printer driver on each computer.
