‘ Can you print without internet connection ? ‘ Yes. You dont really need an internet connection and here is why it is possble.
Printers are setup on your local area network which are not exposed to the internet. A typical printer setup on a home or office network can either be a network, wireless or USB printer.
In this setup, we assume that the printer is a network printer.
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Understanding the setup
The wireless router is connected to the internet. The network port of the printer is connected to the wireless router. The printer is configured with an IP address. This IP address is a private IP address and is local to the network.
This implies that the printer can be accessed by anyone on the local network, but not from the internet. If you need to connect from the internet, it may not be possible since the IP address is a private IP address and these addresses are not accessible from the internet.
Every system on the network, which needs to print, would have the appropriate printer drivers , which is the software required to print to the specific printer. The IP address of the printer on the network would be configured on this software.
We shall now understand two scenarios , where the internet on the wireless router is on and off.
Internet on wireless router is on
A system on the network, which needs to print , goes to the document and triggers a print request. Since the IP address of the printer is pre-configured, the print request goes to the printer directly. There is absolutely no need of internet connection, since the printer has a local IP address which is not dependent on internet access.
Internet on wireless router is off
Assume that the internet on the wireless router is off. The steps which happens during the printing process would exactly the same as above , since printing is not dependent on the availability of internet connection on the network.
As the IP address is a local IP address , printing would work in the absence of an internet connection. So the answer to the question ‘Can I print without internet connection ‘ is definitely a yes.
Printer recommendation
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FAQ
1. What would happen if the wireless router is switched off ?
In this case, you would not be able to print, since the local network would be down and you would not be able to access the printer.
2. Do you need internet if it was a wireless or USB printer ?
No. irrespective of the type of the printer, you do not need internet connection for printing. In the case of USB printer, you do not even need a router, since your are connecting directly to the printer.
Product recommendation
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