Find your printer's IP address and fix port problems

A network printer that worked yesterday and now shows Offline may have been given a new IP address by your router. Find the printer's address, check what Windows is using and fix the connection, if you are comfortable changing a setting and writing down a number.

Before you start

An IP address is a set of numbers, such as 192.168.1.25 (an example only), that identifies a device on your network. Your router hands out these addresses automatically and may give a printer a different one after a restart or a router change. A port is the setting that tells Windows where to send print jobs. If the port points to the old address, Windows cannot reach the printer, and it reports Offline.

Try the simpler fixes first. Turn the printer off and on, restart the router, and see printer offline: how to get it back online. Come back here if it is still offline, or if you want to prevent it happening again.

Step 1: Find the printer's IP address

Use the printer itself, which is the most reliable source.

1. On the printer's control panel, open the network or wireless menu. Names differ between makers: look for Network, Wireless or Setup.
2. Look for a status or summary screen showing the IP address. On some printers, touching the Wi-Fi or Ethernet icon on the home screen shows it.
3. If you cannot find it, print a network or wireless report from the same menu. It lists the address.
4. Write down the address exactly, with the dots.

Step 2: Check the printer answers

1. Press Windows + R, type cmd and press Enter.
2. Type ping, a space, then the printer's address, for example ping 192.168.1.25, but with your own number. Press Enter.
3. Replies that show times mean the PC can reach the printer. A message such as "Request timed out" or "Destination host unreachable" means it cannot. In that case check that both are on the same Wi-Fi network and restart both. A few printers do not answer ping even when they work, so judge by the test page in Step 4 as well.

Step 3: See what Windows is using

1. On Windows 11, open Settings then Bluetooth & devices then Printers & scanners. On Windows 10, open Settings then Devices then Printers & scanners.
2. Select your printer. On Windows 10 also select Manage. Then select Printer properties.
3. Open the Ports tab. The ticked port is the one Windows uses.
4. Compare. A port that shows the printer's address (or a TCP/IP port named with it) should match the number you wrote down. A port whose name starts with WSD is a Web Services for Devices port. Windows finds the printer automatically, and these can go offline when the address changes.

Step 4: Create a TCP/IP port with the right address

This fixes a WSD port that keeps going offline, or a port with an old address. It takes about 5 minutes.

1. In the Ports tab, select Add Port. Windows may ask for administrator permission.
2. Choose Standard TCP/IP Port, then select New Port.
3. Enter the printer's IP address in the address box. Windows fills in a port name. Select Next.
4. If Windows cannot detect the device and asks for more information, a common choice is Generic Network Card. Select Next, then Finish.
5. Back in the Ports tab, tick the new port and select Apply.
6. Open the General tab and select Print Test Page. A page should come out.

Step 5: Stop the address changing

The new port only works while the printer keeps that address. Two ways to keep it:

• Reserve the address on your router. In the router's settings, look for DHCP reservation, address reservation or a similar name, and tie the printer's address to the printer. Menu names differ by router, so check its manual. Your router's manual or label tells you how to sign in to it; see also how to find or change your Wi-Fi password.
• Set a fixed address on the printer. Its network menu may offer a manual IP setting. Choose an address that your router does not hand out to other devices. A wrong choice can disrupt other devices on your network, so use this only if you are comfortable with it, and prefer the router method.

If something goes wrong

• Test page does not print, but ping works: remove the printer and add it again. See how to add a printer in Windows.
• Ping fails: restart the printer and router. See how to restart your router and modem the right way.
• Jobs sit in the queue: see printer won't print or the queue is stuck.
• Other devices cannot find the printer either: it may be on a different network, such as a guest network, from the PC. Join both to the same one.

Frequently asked questions