How to find your printer's IP address
Your printer has its own address on your network. Here is how to find it in under a minute, whether you are standing at the printer or sitting at your desk.
How to find your printer's IP address
Your printer has an IP address (Internet Protocol address) the same way every other device on your network does. It is the number your computer uses to send a print job to the right machine. When a printer drops offline, when you set one up on a new laptop, or when the support person on the phone asks for it, this is the number they want.
The fastest way to find it is on the printer itself. Most office printers can print their own network settings without you touching a computer at all.
Three ways to find the address
Pick whichever one you can get to fastest. All three give you the same number.
Print a configuration page
On the printer's control panel, open the menu named Reports, Network, or Information, then choose Network Configuration Page or Configuration Report.
Read the printed page for a line labeled IPv4 Address or IP Address. It usually looks like 192.168.1.87.
On printers with no screen, holding the Wi-Fi or Go button for several seconds prints the same report.
Check it on Windows
Open Settings, go to Bluetooth and devices, then select Printers and scanners.
Click your printer, choose Printer properties, then open the Ports tab.
The port your printer uses shows the address in the port name or description.
Check it on a Mac
Open System Settings, choose Printers and Scanners, then click the printer in the list.
Select Options and Supplies, then read the address under the General tab.
An entry ending in .local means the printer was added by name. That prints fine, though print the config page when someone needs the number.
Why the printer IP address keeps changing
Here is the part that frustrates people. Most networks hand out addresses automatically using DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), which means the router assigns an address and can assign a different one later. Your printer works fine for months, the office loses power one night, then everyone's print queue is suddenly broken because the printer came back with a new number.
The fix is a reserved address. Your router can be told to always give that printer the same address, or the printer itself can be set to a static IP address. Once it is reserved, the printer keeps that number through reboots and power outages. It is a ten minute change that saves a lot of Monday morning phone calls.
If you are not comfortable changing router settings, this is worth handing to someone who does it regularly. Wolferdawg IT Consulting sets up address reservations as part of managed IT services and cybersecurity for small businesses, so printers stay where they are supposed to be.
More IP and network help
Check your own address, find your router, or hand the whole network to someone else.
Printer IP address common questions
Plain answers about finding your printer on the network and keeping it there.
How do I find my printer's IP address?
The quickest way is to print a network configuration page from the printer's own control panel. Look for a menu named Reports, Network, or Information, then choose Network Configuration Page or Configuration Report. The printed page lists a line labeled IPv4 Address or IP Address, which is usually a number like 192.168.1.87. On Windows you can also open Settings, go to Printers and scanners, select your printer, choose Printer properties, then read the address on the Ports tab.
Where is the IP address on a printer with no screen?
Printers without a display usually print the same report when you hold a physical button. On many models, holding the Wi-Fi button or the Go button for five to ten seconds prints a network settings page. The label on the back or underneath the printer often lists which button does it. If nothing prints, connect the printer by USB and read the address from the printer settings on your computer instead.
Why does my printer's IP address keep changing?
Most networks assign addresses automatically using DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), so the router is free to hand out a different address after a reboot or a power outage. The printer is working normally, the computers are simply looking for it at the old number. Setting a reserved address on the router, or a static address on the printer, keeps that number the same permanently.
Is my printer's IP address the same as my public IP address?
No. Your printer has a private IP address that only exists inside your office or home network, which is why it usually starts with 192.168 or 10. Your public IP address is the one your internet provider assigns to your whole connection, which is what websites see. You can check your public address with the free IP checker from Wolferdawg IT Consulting.
Can someone print to my printer from outside my network?
Not through the private address, since that address does not exist outside your network. Trouble starts when a printer is deliberately exposed to the internet through port forwarding or a misconfigured firewall, which does happen more often than people expect. Printers exposed that way get found by automated scans within hours. If you are not certain your printer is closed off, that is worth checking.
Do I need the printer's IP address to add it to a new computer?
It helps. You can often add a printer by name, then Windows or macOS will find it automatically on the same network. When automatic discovery fails, adding the printer by IP address almost always works, which is why support teams ask for the number first. Having a reserved address makes this reliable, because the number you write down today still works next year.