Technology
Bringing Your Own Printer to Campus
Last modified 2/14/2025
Students of Illinois State University living in dorms may bring their own printer to campus. Most printers allow you to print, copy, scan, and fax (“All-in-Ones”), depending on the model you choose. Illinois State University offers the option of connecting to your computer via a USB connection or wireless.
Wired Vs. Wireless Printing
With the recent improvements and changes in Illinois State University’s wireless network in residence halls, it may be tempting to connect to your printer wirelessly. There are several things to consider when deciding how you would like to connect:
- Although the use of a wired connection may incur additional costs (for example: the purchase of a USB cable), the safety and security of printing directly outweighs the extra cost.
- As with any wireless device, there are inherent security risks involved that may compromise the printer. This includes the amount of traffic and interference from other people who use a wireless connection.
- Wireless connections may also require additional setup that may be complicated for some and also requires extra security measures to prevent others from using your printer. This may cost you more money in the long run.
- Printers connected via USB have higher speed data connections and are generally easier to install. In most cases, your Operating System (OS) will already have the necessary drivers installed in order to connect and print to the device.
Important
The Technology Support Center does NOT officially support the use of personal wireless printers in university residence halls. If you choose to use your printer wirelessly, you will be responsible for your own configuration and security measures in order to conceal the device on the network. Anything you connect to the wireless network will be visible and potentially accessible to others without the proper security.
If you have questions about purchasing a printer, the TechZone Service Center in the Bone Student Center can be contacted by calling (309) 438-8334 or by visiting them in person on the second level of the Bone Student Center or online at https://techzone.illinoisstate.edu.
How to Get Help
Technical assistance is available through the Illinois State University Technology Support Center at:
- Phone: (309) 438-4357
- Email: SupportCenter@IllinoisState.edu
- Submit a Request via Web Form: Help.IllinoisState.edu/get-it-help
- Live Chat: Help.IllinoisState.edu/get-it-help
Similar Articles
- Bringing Your Own Printer to Campus
- Print to PDF
- uPrint Mobile Printing on Campus
- Reporting a Problem with a Print Workstation in a Computer Lab that uses Pharos/uPrint
- Requesting a Pharos/uPrint Refund
- Requesting Paper and Toner for a Computer Lab that uses Pharos/uPrint
- Student Print Allowance
- Submitting a Print Job via Email
- Submitting a Print Job via Pharos Mobile App
- Submitting a Print Job via the uPrint Web Portal
- Where to pick up and pay for your uPrint print job