Where to Find a Printer IP Address (Every Method Explained)

Every printer connected to a network has an IP address — a unique numerical label that tells your router, computer, and other devices exactly where to send print jobs. When that address is unknown or changes unexpectedly, printing stops working. Knowing where to look saves a lot of frustration.

Why Your Printer Has an IP Address

When a printer joins a network — whether over Wi-Fi or a wired Ethernet connection — your router assigns it an IP address, typically in a format like 192.168.1.45. This address is how your computer locates the printer on the local network. USB-connected printers don't use IP addresses in the same way, since they communicate directly through the USB connection rather than over a network.

Dynamic vs. static IP addresses matter here. Most home routers assign IP addresses dynamically via DHCP, meaning the printer's address can change after a reboot or router restart. Business environments often assign a static IP address to printers so the address never changes — which matters a lot when multiple computers or users share one device.

Method 1: Check the Printer's Own Control Panel 🖨️

The fastest method for most modern printers is checking directly on the device itself.

• Touchscreen printers: Navigate to Settings → Network or Wireless Settings → Network Status. The IP address is usually listed under "TCP/IP" or "IPv4 Address."
• Button-only printers: Look for a dedicated Wireless or Information button. Holding it for a few seconds often prints or displays a network status page.
• LCD display printers: Scroll through the menu to find Network Configuration or Printer Info.

The exact path varies by manufacturer, but the IP address is almost always found within the network or wireless settings section.

Method 2: Print a Network Configuration Page

Most printers can print a self-diagnostic or network configuration page that lists full network details, including the IP address, subnet mask, gateway, and MAC address.

How to trigger it depends on your printer brand:

This page is one of the most reliable sources because it reflects the printer's actual current network state — not cached information from your computer.

Method 3: Find It Through Windows

If the printer is already installed on a Windows PC, the IP address is accessible without touching the printer at all.

1. Open Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners
2. Click your printer name, then select Printer properties
3. Go to the Ports tab
4. The active port will often show the IP address directly, or you can click Configure Port to see it

Alternatively, open Command Prompt and type:

or use:

This shows all devices with active ARP entries on your network. Matching the MAC address to your printer (found on the network config page or the printer's label) confirms which entry is the printer.

Method 4: Find It Through macOS

On a Mac with the printer already added:

1. Open System Settings → Printers & Scanners
2. Click your printer in the list
3. Hold Option and click the printer name, or look for an Options & Supplies button
4. The IP address typically appears in the General or Location tab

macOS also supports Bonjour, Apple's network discovery protocol, which means it often identifies printers by name rather than IP — but the underlying IP is still there if you dig into the printer settings.

Method 5: Use Your Router's Admin Interface 🔧

Your router keeps a record of every device connected to your network. Logging into the router admin panel gives you a full list.

1. Type your router's default gateway address into a browser (commonly 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1)
2. Log in with your router credentials
3. Navigate to Connected Devices, DHCP Client List, or LAN Clients
4. Look for your printer by name or MAC address

This method works even when you can't access the printer directly and is especially useful for diagnosing IP address conflicts or confirming whether the printer is actually connected to the network.

Method 6: Use the Printer's Embedded Web Server

Most networked printers run a small built-in web interface called an Embedded Web Server (EWS). Once you know the IP address from any method above, you can type it directly into a browser to access detailed printer settings, ink levels, job history, and more. But this also works in reverse — if you can reach the EWS, you already know the address.

Variables That Affect How Easy This Is

Not every situation is the same. A few factors change how straightforward the process is:

• Printer age and model: Older printers with no display require the network configuration page method almost exclusively.
• Network type: Corporate or enterprise networks may use VLANs or subnets that isolate printers, making router-based discovery less straightforward.
• Operating system version: The menu paths in Windows 10, Windows 11, and different macOS versions aren't identical.
• Dynamic vs. static assignment: On a DHCP network, the address you find today may not be the same one the printer uses after the next reboot — which is worth factoring in if you're setting up a permanent connection.
• Multiple printers: When several printers are on the same network, confirming which IP belongs to which device requires cross-referencing MAC addresses.

Which method works best — and how much effort it takes — depends entirely on the printer model you're working with, the network environment it's on, and how it was originally set up.