Printer Sharing in AD Walkthrough

Adding a printer to AD

Choose a server to be your Print Server. In real life, I would not add it to a Domain Controller. This is a lab, so DC it is! Add the role as follows:

Proceed through selections to Server Roles and choose Print and Document Services. Tick that box.

Choose Next (accept defaults) until you reach this dialog:

Understand that the dialog above means Type 3 drivers won’t automatically install on clients unless a local admin installs them. Type 4 (crappier) will install automatically. Click Next.

Tick the box Print Server (probably is ticked already).

Choose Install.

Success!

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Obtain and place Printer Drivers on the Print Server. In the example, we have a
Brother MFC-L2807DW with IP Address 192.168.0.152 (and it responds on the web at http://192.168.0.152/ so we know it works. Be testing whenever you can!).

We only want the Printer Driver, not all Brother management stuff.

My download is highlighted. I ran it and it added the drivers to the driver store.

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Open Print Management.

In the Printer Address dialog, you need to change most of it. Choose TCP/IP, Add just the IP of the printer, The port should autofill, uncheck Auto detect. Choose Next.

If your driver installed earlier, it may be a choice now. Otherwise, install it as new.

If installing as new, choose it here.

Choose to Share this printer.

Review the choices. Click Next.

Print a test page and Finish.

Finally, List it in the AD Directory:

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Check Properties of the printer and confirm the setting for List in directory. If you have a mixed environment (32 vs 64 bit), add additional drivers.

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On a client, you can now locate and add the printer.

or

Result:

Print a test page.

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In the below post, we’ll do a walkthrough on deploying printers by Group Policy.