Nobody likes printers. Including us. But your business needs them, and they need to work without requiring a sacrifice to the IT gods every Monday morning. Here’s how we manage printers so they stop being your team’s #1 frustration.
Common Printer Problems We Fix (Permanently)
“The Printer Won’t Connect”
Usually caused by: wrong drivers, printer on a different network segment, Windows update broke the driver, or the printer’s IP changed. We configure printers with static IPs, deploy drivers via policy, and put them on the correct VLAN so they’re always reachable from business devices.
“It Prints from My Computer But Not Hers”
Driver inconsistency. We deploy print drivers centrally through our RMM (Syncro) so every device has the correct, current driver. No more per-machine troubleshooting.
“The Printer Is Incredibly Slow”
Usually a network issue (printer on WiFi instead of ethernet, wrong duplex settings) or spooler problems. We connect printers via ethernet where possible and configure spooler settings properly.
“Scanning Doesn’t Work” / “Scan to Email Stopped”
Microsoft and Google regularly change authentication requirements. Scan-to-email breaks when the SMTP relay settings need updating. We configure scan destinations using modern authentication methods that don’t break every time Microsoft changes a policy.
How We Set Up Printers Right
- Static IP assignment – Printer always at the same address. No more “printer offline” because DHCP gave it a new IP.
- On its own VLAN – Printers are IoT devices with terrible security. Keep them segmented from your business network.
- Wired connection – Ethernet, not WiFi. More reliable, more secure, faster.
- Centrally deployed drivers – Pushed to all devices via policy. New employee? Printer works on day one.
- Scan-to-email/folder configured properly – Using app-specific passwords or modern auth so it doesn’t break.
- Supply alerts – We get notified when toner is low (on managed printers) before you run out mid-print job.
When to Replace a Printer
- Constant paper jams that cleaning won’t fix
- Print quality degrading despite new toner
- Manufacturer no longer provides driver updates for current OS
- Cost of toner/maintenance exceeds lease cost of a new machine
- Security vulnerabilities with no firmware fix available
We don’t sell printers, but we’ll tell you when yours needs replacing and recommend models that work well in your environment.
Need IT help? Seashore IT provides managed IT for businesses with 5-250 computers across the Western US. Flat monthly rate, 30-60 minute response, 24x7x365. Call (833) 997-6886 or email info@seashoreit.com.
Seashore IT – Your transparent IT partner, aligned to your goals, embedded in your success.