How to Add and Configure a Wireless Network Printer in Ubuntu

Connecting a home or office printer to an operating system used to be a notoriously painful ordeal requiring manufacturer installation CDs, messy driver downloads, and complex network port configurations. Today, Ubuntu utilizes modern IPP Everywhere (Internet Printing Protocol) and the Common UNIX Printing System (CUPS) to deliver seamless driverless printing. Modern wireless printers from HP, Canon, Brother, and Epson connected to your local Wi-Fi network are discovered and configured automatically in Ubuntu without downloading proprietary drivers.

Before You Begin: Verify Network Connectivity

To ensure Ubuntu can locate your hardware:

• Ensure your wireless printer is powered on and connected to the same local Wi-Fi network as your Ubuntu laptop or desktop.
• Print a network configuration page from your printer’s control panel to confirm its local IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.150).

Method 1: Add a Printer via Ubuntu GNOME Settings (GUI)

Ubuntu includes an automated discovery wizard in the main Settings panel:

1. Open the Settings app from the application grid (or press the Super key and type Printers).
2. Click on Printers in the left navigation sidebar.
3. If your printer is already connected to your Wi-Fi, Ubuntu often adds it automatically under Printers. If so, simply click the gear icon to print a test page.
4. If your printer is not listed, click the green Add Printer… button (or Unlock in the top-right corner to authenticate with your password).
5. Ubuntu will scan your local subnet. Your printer’s model name will appear in the discovered hardware list.
6. Select your printer and click Add.
7. Ubuntu will query the printer over IPP Everywhere and automatically select the generic, driverless PPD profile.

Method 2: Add by Direct IP Address if Auto-Discovery Fails

If network multicast or router isolation blocks automatic discovery:

1. In the Add Printer dialogue, look at the bottom field labelled Enter device address.
2. Type your printer’s local IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.150 or ipp://192.168.1.150).
3. Click Add. Ubuntu will ping the hardware directly and establish the print queue.

Printing a Test Page to Verify Configuration

Once added, click the gear icon next to your printer in Settings, select Printing Options, and click Print Test Page. A clean Ubuntu diagnostic page will print immediately, confirming wireless paper feeding, text rendering, and margin alignment.