IT professionals need to have a large skill set to rely on, as there are so many different devices available for them to work on. However, with all of these devices, some are often forgotten and don't receive the necessary recognition required from the IT department. While computers, tablets, notebooks and network hardware usually receive attention, other products, such as printers, fall by the wayside in terms of knowledge and troubleshooting. However, the printer is very important and an essential tool to any office, so if a printer fails to function correctly it might prove extremely difficult for the business to continue on with its work for the day. The printer does run into limited function problems, but even so, it is still necessary to know how to correct these problems and what to do when such a situation arises. It’s also important to check out Ink Technologies for all your specific printer needs.
Connection Issues
IT students need to focus some time on identifying problems with printers. Most office settings only use one or two printers in the entire office, so when the printer goes down it affects the entire office. The first aspect to check out is how the printer is connected. This is a natural first step to start out with when troubleshooting the equipment and the easiest to correct. The printer generally connected to a network port or hub through a USB cable, although it is possible to use a wireless connection. Either way, as an IT student it is very important to determine the cause of the problem.
Updating Drivers
Typically the driver is going to update automatically on computers using the printer, but when this does not occur, it might prevent some computers from using the printer at all. Due to this, one area the IT students need to look at is updating the drivers on all computers on the network using the printer. A simple solution is to just have one of the computers check for updates and, if a driver is available, the computer will detect it and begin to download the information. When this is the case, it might be necessary to perform the download and installation on every single computer. While the driver does install automatically after a download on newer operating systems, older systems are going to require you to approve the download and follow through with a series of prompts to complete the installation. When it comes to updating drivers, it is possible and much easier to just send out a memo through the network so everyone at their computer is going to receive it and know how to correct the situation. This way the update is done faster and doesn't take as long to do.
Understand Error Prompts
Error prompts are common when it comes to computer equipment, so when an individual attempts to use a network printer they might run into a few different issues, all of which are greeted with some sort of a prompt. One of the most common prompts is one that states "Access is Denied." Other messages do occur but it is up to the IT professional to know what this means and how to correct it. There is usually a very simple solution for the situation, but first the reason behind the error message must be known. Without this kind of knowledge you are going to find it incredibly difficult to what to do and how you should go about fixing the situation. It also helps to know where to look when such a problem comes up and you are not sure what the issue is. Navigating over to the printer's manufacturers page should help, as there is a troubleshooting guide for every printer available, as different printers might run into different situations and causes behind why the printer is acting the way it is. Regardless though of the operating system, the kind of printer or the network in use, it is essential to know exactly what is causing these problems and what can be done to fix it.
Wireless Issues
When running a printer on a wireless network there are added problems that can occur. Not only may the driver not be up to date but there could be an issue with both the wireless receiver on the computer and the wireless transmitter on the printer. This information is usually described in the error message, which is why understanding and knowing what the error messages mean is so important. On top of this, knowing what the TCP/IP address is for the printer is also a common issue when configuring everything with the network and the printer(s). These are all issues an IT student needs to focus on, yet generally spends more time looking at the larger hardware. However, there are few devices that can bring an office to a standstill when not working properly and the printer is one such item.
There's a good amount of information an IT student needs to know in order to service an entire office building or group of individuals. This is exactly why an IT student needs to learn as much as possible. If you are studying to become an IT professional, make sure to spend time learning about printers and how to correct the situation. When going in for a job interview the HR representatives are going to be relieved when you know how to correct such an issue, as they have been through it before. 
Marie
