F5F Stay Refreshed Power Users Networks How do I link my computer and a network printer with just one Ethernet wire?

How do I link my computer and a network printer with just one Ethernet wire?

How do I link my computer and a network printer with just one Ethernet wire?

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Nexio_
Member
155
10-25-2026, 07:06 AM
#1
How do I plug a network printer and a PC into one Ethernet cable together? Do I need a switch or just a regular hub? The printer is used often but only prints 1 to 4 pages at a time. While the printer downloads data for printing, will that stop my PC from getting internet access? Can I set aside some of the bandwidth so my PC gets more speed? If none of those ideas work, is there a device that lets the Wi-Fi stay connected while letting the printer pretend it's using an Ethernet cable? It isn't a wireless printer. It's a big commercial All in One called the Kyocera M3655idn.
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Nexio_
10-25-2026, 07:06 AM #1

How do I plug a network printer and a PC into one Ethernet cable together? Do I need a switch or just a regular hub? The printer is used often but only prints 1 to 4 pages at a time. While the printer downloads data for printing, will that stop my PC from getting internet access? Can I set aside some of the bandwidth so my PC gets more speed? If none of those ideas work, is there a device that lets the Wi-Fi stay connected while letting the printer pretend it's using an Ethernet cable? It isn't a wireless printer. It's a big commercial All in One called the Kyocera M3655idn.

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xFunnyman
Member
192
10-25-2026, 10:28 AM
#2
Does your computer have a router attached? Then plug your printer into that exact router too.
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xFunnyman
10-25-2026, 10:28 AM #2

Does your computer have a router attached? Then plug your printer into that exact router too.

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Abbasaurus
Member
209
10-27-2026, 07:34 PM
#3
Yeah, they're all set on one router.
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Abbasaurus
10-27-2026, 07:34 PM #3

Yeah, they're all set on one router.

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HERVVEHH
Member
69
10-27-2026, 09:37 PM
#4
So now you can figure out the printer's IP address by checking your router, then use that info to get connected from your computer.
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HERVVEHH
10-27-2026, 09:37 PM #4

So now you can figure out the printer's IP address by checking your router, then use that info to get connected from your computer.

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anthonyyy388
Member
184
10-28-2026, 05:03 AM
#5
If you are talking about a situation where the router is far away and there is only one internet cable available in the room, then using a switch should work well. Basically, the printer won't take up much of the PC's internet speed even when it is being used. The files that are sent aren't really big, so they will get to the printer pretty quickly.
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anthonyyy388
10-28-2026, 05:03 AM #5

If you are talking about a situation where the router is far away and there is only one internet cable available in the room, then using a switch should work well. Basically, the printer won't take up much of the PC's internet speed even when it is being used. The files that are sent aren't really big, so they will get to the printer pretty quickly.

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MasTerH200
Member
211
10-28-2026, 10:03 AM
#6
Yeah, @punkncat, that feels pretty much like what I'm going through too. You know exactly how things look here because we just have one cable splitting between two gadgets. A big thank you to everyone who took the time to help out.
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MasTerH200
10-28-2026, 10:03 AM #6

Yeah, @punkncat, that feels pretty much like what I'm going through too. You know exactly how things look here because we just have one cable splitting between two gadgets. A big thank you to everyone who took the time to help out.

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captaincorey
Member
51
10-28-2026, 12:47 PM
#7
The home office has three computers, but only two are being used at once, along with a network printer that uses a single CAT5 cable and a switch. Everything works well, and you can even connect to other PCs in the house from here without losing much speed while playing games or using apps. The "main gaming" PC sitting next to those two others isn't often used, so it's not really needed right now. Even if I connected that similarly spec'd PC directly to my router instead of going through the home office setup, I don't notice any big difference in internet speed on these speed test sites.
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captaincorey
10-28-2026, 12:47 PM #7

The home office has three computers, but only two are being used at once, along with a network printer that uses a single CAT5 cable and a switch. Everything works well, and you can even connect to other PCs in the house from here without losing much speed while playing games or using apps. The "main gaming" PC sitting next to those two others isn't often used, so it's not really needed right now. Even if I connected that similarly spec'd PC directly to my router instead of going through the home office setup, I don't notice any big difference in internet speed on these speed test sites.