How to Find Your Printer's IP Address (Every Method Explained)

Your printer has an IP address — a unique numerical label that tells your network exactly where to send print jobs. Whether you're troubleshooting a connection, setting up a static address, or reinstalling a printer driver, knowing how to locate that address is a practical networking skill worth having. The method that works best depends on your printer model, operating system, and how your network is set up.

Why Your Printer Has an IP Address

Any device connected to a network — including printers — gets assigned an IP address so other devices can communicate with it. Wired (Ethernet) and wireless (Wi-Fi) printers both receive IP addresses, typically assigned automatically by your router through a process called DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol). This means the address can change over time unless you've configured a static IP.

Understanding this distinction matters: if your printer's IP address changes after a router restart, print jobs may fail because your computer is still pointing to the old address.

Method 1: Print a Configuration Page Directly from the Printer 🖨️

The most reliable method — and it works regardless of your operating system — is printing a network configuration page directly from the printer itself.

How to do it:

• On most printers, navigate to the control panel or settings menu
• Look for options labeled Network, Network Setup, Wireless Settings, or Reports
• Select Print Network Configuration, Print Network Summary, or a similar option

The printed page will list your printer's IPv4 address, subnet mask, default gateway, and connection status. This works on virtually every network-capable printer from major manufacturers including HP, Canon, Epson, and Brother — though the exact menu path varies by model.

If your printer has no display screen, check for a dedicated information button (sometimes labeled with an "i" icon). Holding it for a few seconds often triggers a configuration printout automatically.

Method 2: Check Through Windows Settings

If you're running Windows 10 or Windows 11, you can find a connected printer's IP address through the operating system without touching the printer at all.

Steps:

1. Open Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners (Windows 11) or Devices → Printers & scanners (Windows 10)
2. Click on your printer's name
3. Select Printer properties
4. Navigate to the Ports tab
5. Look for the port currently in use — if it's a network printer, the port name or description often displays the IP address directly

Alternatively, open the Control Panel → Devices and Printers, right-click your printer, select Printer properties, and check the Ports tab using the same approach.

Note: This method works cleanly when the printer was added as a network device. If it was added via USB or a generic port, the IP address may not appear here.

Method 3: Find It Through macOS

On a Mac, locating your printer's IP address takes just a few steps:

1. Open System Settings (macOS Ventura and later) or System Preferences (earlier versions)
2. Go to Printers & Scanners
3. Click on the printer in the left sidebar
4. The IP address or hostname typically appears in the Location field or under the printer's connection details

If the IP address isn't immediately visible, click Options & Supplies — the address is sometimes listed on the General tab.

Method 4: Use Your Router's Admin Interface

Your router keeps a record of every device connected to your network, including printers. This method works well when you can't access the printer's control panel or print a configuration page.

1. Open a browser and type your router's gateway address — commonly 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 — into the address bar
2. Log in with your router's admin credentials (often printed on a label on the router itself)
3. Navigate to a section called Connected Devices, DHCP Client List, or LAN Clients
4. Look for your printer by name or MAC address

The router will display the IP address currently assigned to that device. This is also where you can reserve a specific IP address for your printer, preventing it from changing in the future — a useful step if you manage a shared office printer.

Method 5: Use the Printer's Built-In Web Interface

Many modern network printers run a small embedded web server that you can access from any browser on the same network. If you already know the IP address (or can find it through another method first), typing it directly into your browser's address bar opens the printer's control panel — where you can view and configure network settings in detail.

This is also sometimes called the EWS (Embedded Web Server) and is especially common on HP and Xerox printers.

The Variables That Affect Which Method Works for You 🔍

A printer shared across multiple users on a business network behaves differently from a home printer connecting to a single laptop. A Wi-Fi printer that was set up years ago under a different router may have connection details stored in outdated driver settings. A printer with no display screen limits your options for on-device navigation.

Each of these factors shapes which method is practical — and whether the IP address you find is the one currently active on your network.