Set Up a Static IP Address for Your Printer

When a static IP makes sense

Most home and small office networks use DHCP, the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, to assign IP addresses automatically. When your printer joins the network, the router lends it an address from a pool for a set lease time. When the lease expires, the address can change, and on a busy network it often does. For everyday printing that is rarely a problem: print jobs reach the device by name or through automatic discovery, and standards such as IPP Everywhere let computers and mobile devices find printers without vendor-specific software, as the Printer Working Group describes.

A static assignment becomes valuable when something on your network needs to know exactly where the printer lives. Scan-to-folder profiles, a print server, a firewall rule, a port forward, or a monitoring script that points at a fixed address will all break the moment the printer picks up a different address. If you have ever typed the printer's IP into another application, you are a candidate for a static setup. For background on how printers communicate on a network, see the network protocols guide.

• Scan-to-folder or scan-to-email profiles that reference the printer's address
• A print server or shared queue that routes jobs to the printer by IP
• Router port forwards for remote access to the printer's web interface
• Monitoring or inventory tools that poll the device at a fixed address

Find the printer's current IP address

Before you can open the settings you need the address the printer holds today. Most printers can print a network configuration page from the control panel, and that page lists the IPv4 address, subnet mask, default gateway and MAC address. If the printer cannot print that page, log into your router and look at the client list, or use the discovery tool in the printer's own software. The full walkthrough is in the guide to finding a printer's IP address.

As you collect the details, also write down the subnet mask and gateway. On many small networks the mask is 255.255.255.0 and the gateway is the router's own address, but confirm these from the printed page rather than assuming. You will need all three values when you enter the static settings. If the printer connects over Ethernet, confirm it is plugged into the same router you manage; see the Ethernet port guide if you are unsure which port to use.

Open the printer's web interface

Nearly every networked printer includes an embedded web server. Open a browser on a computer that is on the same network as the printer and type the printer's IP address into the address bar. The page that loads is the printer's web interface, and it shows status, supply levels and network settings without any extra software.

The exact layout differs between Brother, HP, Canon and Epson models, but the network menu usually sits under a tab labeled "Network", "TCP/IP" or "Setup". If the page does not load, confirm the address is correct and that the printer is connected to the same network as your browser. For problems getting in, see the printer web interface guide.

Assign the static IP through the web interface

Once you are in the web interface, look for the TCP/IP or network settings page. The exact wording varies, but the method is the same on most printers: change the configuration mode from DHCP to "Static" or "Manual", then enter the address, subnet mask, gateway and DNS server of your choosing. Save the settings; the printer may reboot or ask for confirmation.

Choose an address that sits outside the router's DHCP pool so no other device can be handed the same value. To learn the pool range, open the router's DHCP settings; it is usually a range of addresses within your subnet. Pick a value on the same subnet as the router but outside that range, for example a low number on a network where the router sits at the start of the range. If you choose an address inside the active pool, a future lease could hand that exact address to a phone or laptop and create a conflict. For more on how wired and wireless connections interact, see the connectivity options guide.

• Log in if prompted; the admin password is often printed on the label or listed in the manual.
• Open the network or TCP/IP settings and find the IP configuration mode.
• Switch the mode from DHCP to Static or Manual.
• Enter the static address, subnet mask, gateway and a DNS server. For most home networks, the router's address works as the DNS entry.
• Save the changes and wait for the printer to restart if it does.
• Print a fresh network configuration page to verify the new address.

Use a DHCP reservation as an alternative

A DHCP reservation attaches a fixed address to the printer's MAC address on the router. The printer keeps working in DHCP mode, but the router always offers the same IP whenever the printer asks. This achieves the same stability as a static IP without touching the printer's settings, and it keeps every reservation visible in one place: the router's admin page.

The tradeoff is that the reservation lives on the router. If you replace the router or reset it to factory defaults, the reservations disappear and you must recreate them. A static IP stored in the printer survives a router swap, which is why offices that manage many devices often prefer the printer-side method. Either way you need the printer's MAC address; the MAC address guide explains where to find it.

What a static IP will not fix

A static IP does not speed up printing. Print speed is set by the engine, the driver and the document, not by the network address. It also does not keep a printer online by itself. Printers certified under ENERGY STAR include power management features and sleep modes, and a device that is asleep can take a moment to wake before the first page starts; the same is true of any printer with aggressive power saving enabled.

If a printer disappears from your list of devices, the cause is usually wireless signal, driver or discovery related. Modern printers support automatic discovery protocols: IPP Everywhere, as specified by the Printer Working Group, lets clients find printers without loading vendor-specific drivers, and Mopria-certified devices are designed to be reachable from Android, Windows and Chromebook clients over the network. A changed address can still break a fixed reference, which is exactly the case a static IP solves, but it will not fix a weak signal or a blocked port. For persistent offline problems, see the offline printer guide and the steps for resetting wireless settings.

What to pick for your network

Questions

Does a static IP make printing faster?

No. Print speed is determined by the printer engine, the driver and the document itself. Changing the network address has no effect on how fast pages come out.

Will a static IP fix a printer that keeps going offline?

Usually not. Most offline cases come from wireless signal loss, sleep settings or driver problems. A static IP only helps if the printer disappears because its address changed and another tool was referencing the old one.

Static IP or DHCP reservation, which is better?

A DHCP reservation is easier to manage because it lives on the router and requires no printer-side changes. A static IP stored on the printer survives a router replacement, which is why larger offices tend to use it.

What address should I assign my printer?

Pick an address that is outside the router's DHCP pool but on the same subnet as the router. Check the router's DHCP settings for the pool range, then choose a value that will not collide with anything else.

Can a firmware update erase my static IP?

A normal firmware update should keep your network settings, but a factory reset or a network settings reset will return the printer to DHCP. After any reset, reapply the static values and print a configuration page to confirm.