How to mess with network printers
This is a little hack I used to enjoy doing when I was at school. All the computers and printers were on the same network (much like they are in a lot of schools/colleges/universities/libraries/workplaces/hospitals), and they were readily accessible from an Internet browser just by entering the correct IP address. You can then print anything you want, from any room you’re in.
So, how do I get started?
Well, for a start the printer has to be on the network. If it’s a standalone printer then it’s not going to work. Once you’ve found a suitable printer to use, you need to find it’s IP address. There are several ways of doing this;
- Run a ping-scan of the network using a scanner such as Nmap.
- Physically go up to the printer and look through the menus. The IP might be in there somewhere and there is often an option to display it instead of the default printer name.
- Guess by opening up your browser and entering random local addresses.
The fastest and most efficient method would be the port scan. I used to just walk up to them in school and get the IP address, although you may not have physical access to a printer in your situation so the scan could be your best bet. Once you have access to the printer, you can then print documents and do other things by using the web interface. Where I am located, the interface looks like this…
From here, I can see an overview of the printer which I have accessed. There may or may not be a button which directs you to a list of the printers on the network. In my case, there is! Clicking it takes me to here…
Now I can see a complete list of the printers on the network. I can also gather other information such as printer location, room name and all kinds of cool stuff. I can also click on each printer and go into the administrative sections, allowing me to change things. Have fun!
