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NFC Printer Connections

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Applies To: Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2

Near Field Communication (NFC) Printer Connections Overview

Connecting to printers continues to be one of the most important device-related tasks our customers expect to do. In the enterprise, the increasing mobility of workers and the rise of "bring your own device" make finding the right printer a task that users have to do more often than ever.

NFC printer installation allows users to "tap" a physical print device to facilitate device discovery and connection.

Note

In Windows 8, we introduced support for using NFC to pair with Bluetooth devices. In Windows 8.1, we will allow users to easily connect printers using NFC.

NFC Fundamentals

NFC is a set of short-range wireless radio technologies that typically triggers communication when two devices are brought within close proximity distance of 4 centimeters or less. NFC operates at 13.56MHz frequency and supports data transfer rates between 106Kbps to 424Kbps.

NFC communication always involves an initiator and a target device where an initiator actively generates a Radio frequency (RF) field that can power a passive target device. NFC peer-to-peer communication is also possible, where both devices are powered. Although the communication range and bandwidth of NFC is lower as compared to other wireless technologies, NFC enables target device to take very simple form factors such as tags, stickers, key fobs, or cards that do not require batteries. NFC communication can be triggered with simple tap and that eliminates device discovery and pairing.

NFC range of few centimeters does not ensure secure communications and the applications may use higher-layer security protocols to establish secure channel. However, this provides an ideal mechanism to pair other technologies like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi without any further user interaction.

Hardware Requirements

Scenario 1:

An administrator retrofits any existing printer with an NFC tag.

Requirements:

  • An unlocked (writeable) NFC tag.

Note

NFC tag memory capacity varies. A tag with one kilobyte (1k) of storage is recommended.

  • A mobile device with an active-powered NFC radio.

Scenario 2:

An administrator deploys a physical print device that natively supports NFC.

Requirements:

  • IHV-provided tools to manage the NFC printer information.

  • A mobile device with an active-powered NFC radio.

Supported Connection Types

The following types of connections are supported by NFC printer installation.

  • Universal Naming Convention (UNC)

    This is a connection from the mobile device to a printer share on a print server. (e.g. \\PrintServer\PrinterShare) As a prerequisite, a user must already be connected to the same network as the print server.

  • Web Services on Devices (WSD)

    This is a direct connection from the mobile device to the printer, configured on a WSD port. (e.g. http://PrintDeviceIP) As a prerequisite, a user must be connected to the same network as the physical print device.

  • Wi-Fi Direct

    As a rule, always follow the instructions provided by the OEM to connect Wi-Fi Direct printers. These instructions will fall into one of a few different categories.

    1. The physical print device does not have Windows 8.1 Wi-Fi Direct support. The OEM provides proprietary software that must be run to connect the device.

    2. The physical print device has Windows 8.1 Wi-Fi Direct support. Printer discovery is accomplished using the Add Device wizard.

    3. The physical print device has Windows 8.1 Wi-Fi Direct support and a built-in NFC antenna. The OEM will provide proprietary software to configure their built-in NFC implementation.

Note

Note: NFC tags / stickers are not applicable to Wi-Fi Direct implementations.

Write-PrinterNfcTag Cmdlet

The Write-PrinterNfcTag Windows PowerShell cmdlet allows an administrator to provision an NFC tag with information about a printer.

Note

NFC printer information cannot be rewritten using this cmdlet when a physical print device has built-in NFC support. In this circumstance, the NFC printer information is managed using IHV-provided tools. 

NAME
    Write-PrinterNfcTag
SYNTAX
    Write-PrinterNfcTag [[-SharePath] <string[]>] [[-WsdAddress] <string[]>]
    [[-Lock]] [-CimSession <CimSession[]>] [-ThrottleLimit <int>] [-AsJob]
    [<CommonParameters>]

    Write-PrinterNfcTag [-InputObject] <CimInstance#MSFT_PrinterNfcTag>
    [-CimSession <CimSession[]>] [-ThrottleLimit <int>] [-AsJob]
    [<CommonParameters>]

ALIASES
    None

See also