Microsoft Windows XP offers an Internet printing feature your computer shouldn't work without. With this feature, you use the Web Browser in connecting to shared printers on a print server that runs using Microsoft Internet Information Services.
How does Internet Printing Work
Internet Printing is done through the use of the Internet Print Protocol that is enclosed in the Hypertext Transfer Protocol or HTTP. To connect to a remote printer, you only need to type its Uniform Resource Locator or URL on the browser's Address bar. And once connected, the printing can be done as if the printer is physically connected to your computer.
What's so good about using the Web browser is that it works just like a Web page. There on the page all the printers set up on the print server is displayed or listed. And each of those printers would be displayed on the web page where you'd view all the necessary information you'd need such as printer model and its properties. Moreover, you can pause or abort the printing on the web page. And if you have the permission to manage printers, you can control the actions of the printers. You can make them continue or stop printing even if it wasn't you who commanded it.
Connecting to a Printer Using a Web Browser
1. Launch MS Internet Explorer.
2. There are a couple of methods to use to access a printer using the Address bar. You may choose any of the following:
a) If you happen to know the printer's name, you may type the URL using the format below. Take for instance if the name is Printer1 is the name of the printer and ServerPrint is the name of the print server.
http://ServerPrint/Printer/
b) If you are not aware of the name of the printer you want to get connected to, you may use the following format below. Take for instance if the name of the print server is ServerPrint.
http://ServerPrint/printers/
3. As soon as you hit the Enter key, you will see the properties of the printer on the web page. If you want to view more information of the printer, simply click on the links.
4. To finally connect to the printer, simply click on Connect found in Printer Actions. By this time, Windows will install the corresponding printer driver in your computer. And when the installation is completed, you will notice that the icon belonging to that printer will be found on the Printers Faxes folders in your computer. Like a printer physically attached to your unit, you can utilize and manage the added printer.
Viewing and Setting a Default Printer on your Computer
If you want to check out the different computers available for you to use and to set a default , simply follow these steps.
1. Go to Start and proceed to Printers and Faxes.
2. Using the right button of your mouse, right click on the printer you want as default and then click on Set as Default Printer. You'd know a printer is the default if and only if it has a check mark displayed with its icon.
Use a Web Browser, Connect to a Printer 
