What might result in a user being able to print on a local printer but not access the Internet?

The situation describes a common networking issue where a user can print to a local printer but encounters problems accessing the Internet. When a user's default gateway address is missing or incorrectly configured, the PC is not able to communicate with devices outside its local network. The default gateway serves as an access point or IP router for a device to reach other networks, including the Internet.

In this case, the user can still print to the local printer, which likely resides on the same local area network (LAN) as the PC. Since local communications do not require passing through a router or gateway, the printing function remains operational even if the Internet connection is disrupted. The missing or incorrect default gateway prevents accessing external resources, which would explain the user's inability to access the Internet.

The other choices address different scenarios. Incorrectly installed printer drivers would likely impact printing functionality rather than Internet access. If the printer were on a different network, it would not be accessible at all, not just for printing. A firewall blocking Internet access could affect the ability to browse the web but should not interfere with local printing capabilities.