› How to › How to give a printer a static IP address

How to give a printer a static IP address

If a printer's IP address is not static, the IP address may eventually be changed by your DHCP server. The IP address may change after the printer has been to sleep, been powered off, or disconnected from the network. How quickly it happens depends on the lease time set in the DHCP server.

If the printer's IP address changes, all print queues that point to the network printer will stop working and show the printer as offline.

The above is a universal challenge with network connected printers referenced by IP address. Best practice is to either 1) Reserve the printer's IP address in your DHCP server, or 2) If your network can resolve the printer's hostname, then enter the hostname, and not the IP address, when you add the printer.

Configure your DHCP server to reserve the IP address based on the printer's:

  • MAC address

    Example and different formats:

    F0921C637CA2

    F0:92:1C:63:7C:A2

    F0-92-1C-63-7C-A2

The MAC and IP address appear on the printer's network configuration page. The MAC address is also known as the Physical address or the Hardware address. See the printer manual on how to print its configuration pages. On some printers, you can determine the IP address from its control panel menus.

When you reserve the printer's IP address in the DHCP server, you can choose to give the printer another IP address. If you do so, remember to: 1) Restart the printer so it gets the new IP address. 2) Update the Printer address in Printix Administrator on the Setup tab on the Printer properties page.

  • Large organization

    Probably a person or a team is responsible for the DHCP servers. Contact that person or team, and provide the printer's MAC address so an IP address can be reserved for the printer.

  • Small organization

    Your DHCP server is probably running inside your router equipment. You can access the web interface of most routers through: 192.168.1.1

    See the router manual on how to reserve an IP address. Alternatively, try to search the Internet for instructions, because these will vary. Search for: Static IP address and the router's mark and model.