FRITZ!Box 3490 Service - Knowledge Base

FRITZ!Box 3490 Service
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Setting up a printer connected to the FRITZ!Box

You want to set up a printer connected to the FRITZ!Box? ✔ Here you'll find the step-by-step instructions.

You can simply connect your printer to the FRITZ!Box with a network cable, Wi-Fi, or USB cable and thus make it available as a network printer in the entire home network. Since the printer itself accepts all of the print jobs and processes them, you do not have to configure any settings for the printer in the FRITZ!Box.

With the FRITZ!Box USB remote connection software you can even use additional functions of older all-in-one printers without a network connection on Windows computers just as if they were connected directly to the computer.

Which operating mode is best depends on the connection options of the printer and your requirements.

Using a network cable or Wi-Fi to connect the printer

Using a network cable or Wi-Fi for the connection makes sense if

  • you want to use the printer with computers, smartphones, and tablets.
  • you want to use the printer's ink level indicator and additional functions of all-in-one devices such as scanning or faxing.

Just follow these steps: Setting up a printer as a network printer via network cable or Wi-Fi

Connecting the USB printer via USB cable

Using a USB cable for the connection makes sense if

  • the printer is not equipped with a LAN port or Wi-Fi.
  • You only want to use the printer with computers, Android smartphones, and Android tablets. Apple iOS devices (iPhone, iPad) can only use printers with Wi-Fi that use Apple's AirPrint technology.
  • you do not use the printer's ink level indicator and additional functions of all-in-one devices such as scanning or faxing. These functions are not available with USB printers when they are connected to the FRITZ!Box and used as network printers.
  • the printer can process data in RAW format (unidirectional RAW over TCP).

Just follow these steps: Setting up a printer as a network printer via USB cable

Connecting a printer using a USB cable and the USB remote connection

Using a USB cable and the FRITZ!Box USB remote connection software for the connection makes sense if

  • the printer is not equipped with a LAN port or Wi-Fi.
  • you only want to use the printer with computers with Windows 10 / 8 / 7.
  • the printer is a multifunction device, a multifunction printer, or an "all-in-one" device and you also want to use the device for scanning and faxing.
  • you want to use the ink level indicator and other convenience functions of the printer.
  • the printer can only be controlled bidirectionally or using encapsulated data. This is often the case with GDI and LIDIL printers, for example.

Just follow these steps: Connecting a printer to a computer using a USB cable and the FRITZ!Box USB remote connection

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