Most printers are close to a computer, so that you can just login with your PSU account and print from there. However, it is often rather inconvenient to copy files across when you could also directly print from your computer. Moreover, you can even print remotely from home and just pick up the sheets when you arrive at university. This is possible because most printers are network printers and can be directly accessed via their IP address. However, in order to connect to the printer you will often need to be part of the physics network. If you login into normal wifi you are usually in the general PSU network, but not in the physics one – therefore you will need to use VPN (even if you are on campus and connected via wifi). This works in particular for the printer in the first years office (114 Osmond).

The following instructions shall help you to set up a printer on your personal computer:

1. First, you need to connect to VPN using the instructions available.
2. Now you need to find the printer IP address. Usually, you can just go to the printer and print out a sheet called configuration (or similar) using the menu on the printer display. Sometimes you can also look up the IP on a PSU computer on which the printer is already setup. Either way, you will find an IP address of the form x.x.x.x (where x can be an integer between 0 and 255). Instead it is also possible to find a host name which is just word. There is also a list of known IP addresses / hostnames at the end of the article (in particular the printer in the first year office).
3. Using IP address or hostname you can setup the printer manually. Most operating systems (Windows, OSX, Linux) have standard procedures to add a printer – make sure to choose an option where you use the TCP/IP or hostname. If you have problems finding the right procedure for your operating system the web will have plenty of ressources if you search for “Setting up printer IP [your operating system]”. Make sure that you are connected to VPN, so that your computer can connect to the printer.
4. Please don’t print a testpage (to save paper), but rather try to print something that you actually need.

Known printers

The following IP addresses / hostnames are already known. Please feel free to add or update.

• Printer in first years office (114 Osmond)
  HP LaserJet P3005 PCL 6 | hostname: os114hp3005
• 215 Osmond
  HP LaserJet P4515 PCL 6 | IP address: 172.31.109.172
• 5 Osmond
  HP LaserJet P205X PCL 6 | IP address: 172.31.109.45

University Printing

Occasionally one needs to use a printer from the university provided by ITS (as opposed to the physics department). The following gives information on printing labs, quota and remote printing options available to all Penn State students.
http://clc.its.psu.edu/printing/

In particular, here is a list of color printers. The closest ones to Davey & Osmond are in Boucke 103.