Locations – Find that Printer!

Can you configure Printer Locations?

Best Practice (Litmus Test)

Professionals make it easy for users to find a ‘printer near them’

Amateurs are ignorant of the Location attribute


Printer Locations

Everyone who masters configuring printer locations really loves this feature.  The best practice of using Locations combines giving users an important printer feature, with technical challenges which are tricky but achievable.

Location is a new property found on printers, subnets and sites.  Your goal is for users to find a printer that is physically near them.  The benefit is that the users can control the print output and thus save paper and frustration.  Technically, printer location works by matching subnets to the location name in the printer properties.

Best practice for using your the Location attribute, printer, site and subnetPrinter location is quite challenging to setup, you need to configure three different areas of Active Directory:

  1. Setup Locations in Active Directory Sites and Services, Subnet. e.g. BlueRoom
  2. Then set the go to the Printer’s General Tab and set the LOCATION.  e.g. BlueRoom\HP5
  3. Edit Group Policy so that the search menu will pre-populate the location.

Testing Printer Locations

  • Test Locations by going to the START (Button) Search (Menu), For Printers
  • Note your Location should be pre-set, and just press – Find Now
  • See More on Printer Locations

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Litmus Tests

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