I'm a Linux user who is rather ignorant about Windows. We have a printer at work that is connected directly to the network. It has its own IP address and isn't configured as a printer share on some particular computer. It's a standalone printer.
All our Linux machines can find this printer automatically and connect to it via DNSSD. Now, I'm trying to configure my co-worker's Windows 7 laptop to use the printer, and I'm having trouble.
First, Windows can't seem to find it on the network, even though the Linux machines have no trouble. So, I tried manually add it by IP address. But Windows wants the port name. I know what a port number is, but I've never heard of a port name. At any rate, I don't know what port number the printer is listening on, because my Linux machines hide all that detail behind a single dnssd:// URL that Windows doesn't understand.
How can I set up the printer? (By the way, the printer has no English documentation.)
Best Answer
With most network printers, adding a "Local TCP/IP-Port" is most easy (that's the port name stuff you wrote of, it's not a TCP port, but a virtual printer port). This is usually the preferred way to connect to a network printer as it does not require any software but the drivers.
Though some names have changed from XP to 7, you should be able to follow this tutorial.
If you want to use DNSSD, maybe Apple's Bonjour could help you, it contains some assistant to add a bonjour printer.