Odd issue with adding network printer - Network Discovery issue?

Posted by tk42967@reddit | sysadmin | View on Reddit | 14 comments

I'm working on a way to empower users to map network printers that are on my print server (windows 11 workstations; windows print server on prem; workstations are hybrid joined and the server are on prem AD joined).

I go into settings -> Bluetooth & devices -> Printers & scanners -> Add device button

It just sits and spins, eventually I get the link to add the printer manually -> Find a printer in the directory, based on location radio button and it lists my printers.

I've been tasked with making the process work with as few steps as possible for end users. Has anyone seen this before? I suspect it's a policy issue, but I cannot find anything on it when searching.

On my test machine, it seems that network discovery is turned off and I cannot turn it on with local admin creds.

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dfeifer1@reddit

If you are allowing all users to have access to the printers on the print server they have permissions to we just created a shortcut on the users desktop pushed by GP to \\printserver\

Double click on the printer there and it installs on win 10/11 and your set.

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Godcry55@reddit

Second this - push via GPO.

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SlaVKs@reddit

Hi — I can take a $5 first pass on this today. If you share the exact error/screenshot + the 1 result you want, I’ll point to the cause and either send the small fix or clear patch steps.

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BLUCUBIX@reddit

Wouldn't it be simpler adding printers directly from group policy, or am i missing something 😅

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Particular-Way8801@reddit

explorer > \\nameofprintserver
hit enter
you should see all the printers, double click on the needed printer(s)

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tk42967@reddit (OP)

Brilliant. I like this.

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ExceptionEX@reddit

While I would recommend depending on your scale using something like printerlogic or universal print. If that isn't an option for you, if you have your printers shared you can write a simple powershell script for each printer and just run that. and avoid the whole UI process entirely as it is known to hang, and just be problematic

something as simple as

Add-Printer -ConnectionName "\\PrintServerName\PrinterShareName"

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tk42967@reddit (OP)

I've done the PowerShell in the past. I don't need to map the printer to every device. I just need to load the drivers and give the users the option to add the printers they want (within reason).

This is not my design, I'm just the messenger. If I had it my way I would 86 the print server (and printer mapping GPO's) and use Intune to deploy drivers and add printers based on machine name filter and call it a day. If HR wants to print to the Finance printer, they can put in a ticket and be added to the Finance printer app package.

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CeC-P@reddit

I think some printers still use MDNS, LLMNR, Bonjour, NBNS, uPNP, or some equally awful broadcast DNS method from a hundred years ago. A LOT of networks have those entire protocols blocked because any hacked endpoint on your network can reply, saying "Oh yeah, I can answer that DNS query. Trust me. I know where that device is and I'm not lying or man in the middle attacking you."

Or it's just Web Services Devices being defective and inconsistent, as usual.

We just go straight to the IP at our deployment.

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tk42967@reddit (OP)

I don't think that is the issue. If I go to the manually add link, I can see all of my printers and can map to them fine.

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