Setting up a printer is supposed to be simple. Most of the time, it is. But the first time you set up a new printer, there are usually a few things that can make you stop and wonder what to do next.
That’s how I felt with the IJ Start Canon TS5100 Setup.
The printer itself is not difficult. The confusing part is knowing which step to do first, especially when you get to the Wi-Fi connection and driver installation.
IJ Start Canon TS5100 Setup – First Steps
Start by taking the printer out of the box.
Remove the plastic, tape, and other packing materials. Check inside the printer too. I always seem to find one small piece of packing material that I missed the first time.
Connect the power cable and turn the printer on.
The printer should start showing instructions on the screen.
Next, install the ink cartridges.
Open the ink compartment and put each cartridge in the correct slot. They should click into place without much effort.
Don’t force them. If something doesn’t fit, check the position again.
After the cartridges are installed, close the cover.
The printer may make some noise while it prepares the ink. That’s normal. Just let it finish.
Connecting the Canon TS5100 to Wi-Fi
For most home users, I’d go with Wi-Fi.
It’s much more convenient than having a USB cable connected all the time.
From the printer’s control panel, open the wireless setup option.
The printer will search for available networks.
Find your Wi-Fi name and select it.
Then enter your password.
This is probably the part I like the least. Entering a long Wi-Fi password using printer controls can be a bit of a pain.
Take your time here.
If the password is wrong, the printer won’t connect, and it may look like something else is wrong.
Once the connection works, the printer should show that it is connected to Wi-Fi.
At this point, you’re already halfway there.
IJ Start Canon TS5100 Setup on a Computer
Now let’s get the computer connected.
Open your web browser and go to Canon’s official setup website.
Enter TS5100 when asked for your printer model.
You should then see the setup software for the printer.
Download the software for your computer and open the installer.
From there, just follow the instructions.
You may be asked to choose your:
- Country or region
- Operating system
- Connection method
- Printer
- Wi-Fi network
The setup program does most of the work for you.
It may take a few minutes. That’s nothing to worry about.
I wouldn’t start clicking around if the installer seems slow. Just give it a little time.
Setting Up the TS5100 With USB
If the Wi-Fi setup is giving you trouble, try USB.
Sometimes this is actually the easiest way to get started.
Connect the Canon TS5100 to your computer with a USB cable.
Turn on the printer and wait for the computer to recognize it.
You may still need to install the Canon software and driver.
See Also:
Once that’s done, try printing something.
USB isn’t as convenient as wireless printing, of course. But it can be useful when you just want to get the printer working.
It’s also a good test.
If the printer works with USB but not Wi-Fi, you know the printer itself probably isn’t the problem.
Testing Your First Print
Once everything is installed, try a test print.
Don’t start with a huge document. Just print one page.
Open a document or photo and select the Canon TS5100.
Before you press Print, have a quick look at the settings.
Check:
- Paper size
- Paper type
- Print quality
- Number of copies
Then print.
If the page looks good, you’re done with the main setup.
I always like doing a test page at this stage. It takes almost no time and can save you from wondering later why a bigger print job didn’t work.
Setting Up the Canon TS5100 on a Phone
One of the nice things about having a wireless printer is being able to print from your phone.
Make sure the phone and printer are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
Install the compatible Canon printing app on your phone and follow the instructions.
Once the printer is detected, you can select a photo or document and send it to the printer.
For photos, this is especially handy.
I often find it easier to print directly from my phone rather than sending the picture to my computer first.
Pros and Cons of the Canon TS5100
After using the printer, there are things I like and a few things I’m not so crazy about.
What I like:
- Wi-Fi printing is convenient
- Doesn’t take up too much space
- Good for normal home printing
- Can print photos
- Can print from a phone
- Setup isn’t too difficult
What I don’t like:
- Entering the Wi-Fi password is a little annoying
- The printer controls take some getting used to
- Ink costs can add up if you print a lot
- Wi-Fi setup can sometimes be frustrating
- The first setup takes a little time
For light or normal home use, I think the TS5100 is a pretty reasonable printer.
But if you’re printing a lot every week, I’d look at an ink-tank printer instead. The lower running cost can be more important than the cheaper printer price.
A Few Tips Before You Finish
Once the printer is working, there isn’t much else you need to do.
Still, a few simple habits can help.
Keep the printer where it has a decent Wi-Fi signal.
Before printing, check the paper size and paper type. This is especially important when printing photos.
If the printer isn’t used for a long time, print a small page occasionally.
And if something stops working, don’t change lots of settings at once.
Try one thing.
Test it.
Then move on to the next.
It sounds basic, but it makes troubleshooting much less frustrating.
Final Thoughts
The IJ Start Canon TS5100 Setup isn’t really difficult. There are just several small steps, and missing one can make the whole thing seem harder than it is.
The basic process is:
- Take the printer out of the box.
- Remove the packing materials.
- Install the ink.
- Connect the power.
- Connect to Wi-Fi.
- Install the Canon software and driver.
- Print a test page.
That’s really all there is to it.
If Wi-Fi doesn’t work, try USB. Don’t spend an hour getting frustrated over one connection problem.
Once everything is set up, the TS5100 is quite easy to use. Being able to print from both a computer and phone is convenient, especially for everyday documents and photos.
The setup isn’t perfect, but it doesn’t need to be. Get through the first few steps, print a test page, and you’re ready to use the printer.
IJ Start Canon Pixma TS5100 Setup Support OS:
- Windows
- Mac Os X
- Linux
IJ Start Canon Pixma TS5100 Setup Support Languages:
- English – Spanish – German – CA – Czech
- French- Italian – Turkish – Finnish -Portuguese
- Hungarian – Danish – MS – Dutch – Norwegian
- Polish – Arabic – Russian – Northern Sami
- SK – TC – Thai – EU – VN – Chinese
Canon Pixma TS5100 Driver for Windows
Recommended Drivers
- Download ==–>> TS5100 Full Driver Software (Windows)
Optional Drivers
Canon Pixma TS5100 Software for Mac OS X
Recommended Drivers
- Download ==–>> Canon Pixma TS5100 Software Package (Macintosh)
- Download ==–>> My Image Garden for Macintosh
Canon Pixma TS5100 Driver for Linux
Optional Drivers
- Download ==–>> IJ Printer Driver- Source file
- Download ==–>> ScanGear MP Driver for Linux- Source file
- Download ==–>> IJ Printer Driver- debian Packagearchive
- Download ==–>> ScanGear MP Driver for Linux- debian Packagearchive
- Download ==–>> IJ Printer Driver for Linux- RPM Packagearchive
- Download ==–>> ScanGear MP Driver for Linux- RPM Packagearchive