How Do You Find IP Address of Printer? Skip USB Entirely

You find a printer's IP address by printing a network configuration page from the control panel, reading the IPv4 line on an HP or Canon screen, opening Windows 11 Printers & scanners, or checking the router's DHCP client list. Skip the search when the printer is USB-only. Brother's HL-L2300D specification lists Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and no LAN or 802.11 radio, so that machine has no IPv4 address. The eight figures that matter on a networked unit are the IPv4 address, subnet mask, default gateway, DHCP lease duration, MAC address, Wi-Fi signal strength, printer hostname, and firmware version.

RFC 791, edited by Jon Postel at the University of Southern California's Information Sciences Institute in September 1981, fixes IPv4 addresses at four octets (32 bits). A USB-only printer never occupies one of those 32-bit slots. HP's AirPrint troubleshooting page states the same fork from the other direction: "AirPrint is not supported via USB."

When you should not look up a printer IP address at all

A USB-only printer has no network interface, so the IPv4 hunt is the wrong assignment. Brother's interface table for the HL-L2300D family puts Hi-Speed USB 2.0 on every model and restricts 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX and IEEE 802.11b/g/n to the DW and DN siblings.

A dual-interface printer still does not need its IP read if the job already leaves the computer on USB. The USB stack does not use the Ethernet or Wi-Fi address.

A third skip is a printer that already answers as a `.local` name. Stuart Cheshire, then at Apple Computer, and Marc Krochmal of Apple Inc. wrote RFC 6762 (Multicast DNS, February 2013). RFC 6762's worked example is the printer case: "If a user types 'http://MyPrinter.local.' into their web browser, and their simple DNS resolver just takes the first response it receives, and the user gets to see the status and configuration web page for their printer, then the protocol has met the user's needs in this case." Queries for names ending in `.local.` go to 224.0.0.251 on UDP port 5353. When that page already opens, collecting the dotted-decimal IPv4 address is optional.

The fourth skip is an address that starts 169.254. Cheshire, with Bernard Aboba of Microsoft Corporation and Erik Guttman of Sun Microsystems, assigned the 169.254/16 prefix in RFC 3927 (May 2005) and told hosts to pick at random from 169.254.1.0 through 169.254.254.255, 65,024 usable addresses. HP's front-panel Default IP setting names the same fallback as Auto IP, "a link-local IP address 169.254.x.x." Microsoft's APIPA article on Microsoft Learn restates IANA's reservation of 169.254.0.0–169.254.255.255 and pairs it with subnet mask 255.255.0.0. RFC 3927 says those packets MUST NOT be sent to a router. Finding 169.254.x.x is finding an address that cannot reach the rest of the house LAN. The next move is DHCP. A Windows TCP/IP port built on that number will not reach the LAN.

What the eight numbers on a configuration page mean

HP Support's network configuration page splits the printout. The 802.3 Wired block lists IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and hardware address. The 802.11 Wireless block lists hostname, IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and server. Canon USA's PIXMA iP7220 article (ART143014) prints IPv4, IPv4 default gateway, subnet mask, MAC as `XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX`, signal strength 0 to 100 percent, printer name, and ROM version.

IPv4 on a home printer is almost always RFC 1918 private space. Yakov Rekhter of Cisco Systems, Robert G. Moskowitz of Chrysler Corporation, Daniel Karrenberg and Geert Jan de Groot of the RIPE NCC, and Eliot Lear of Silicon Graphics published those blocks in February 1996 as BCP 5: 10.0.0.0–10.255.255.255 (10/8), 172.16.0.0–172.31.255.255 (172.16/12), and 192.168.0.0–192.168.255.255 (192.168/16). RFC 3927 says 169.254/16 SHOULD NOT be handed out by DHCP.

The subnet mask is the second dotted quad. RFC 791's class C format left 8 host bits, 255.255.255.0, the /24 most home routers apply on 192.168.0.0/16. RFC 1918's 16-bit block itself is 192.168.0.0/16 (255.255.0.0) until someone subnets it. RFC 3927 forbids subnetting 169.254/16, so that mask stays 255.255.0.0.

The default gateway is the LAN address of the router. HP's Gigabit Ethernet Modify Configuration help defines it as "the IP address (n.n.n.n) of the gateway or router used for communications with other networks." 192.168.1.1 and 192.168.0.1 are vendor defaults, not a standard. If the printer is in 169.254/16, RFC 3927 says the packet must not go to a router, so the gateway field is unused.

DHCP lease duration is how long that IPv4 address remains valid. RFC 2131 does not pick a default length. It does fix T1 at 0.5 of the lease and T2 at 0.875. Microsoft Learn's Windows Server DHCP pages state that when a scope is created, "the lease duration is set to eight days by default." Microsoft's DHCP product team, on 22 September 2012, recommended 60 days for printers, option 51 = 5,184,000 seconds, and 8 hours (28,800 seconds) for phones. ISC dhcpd's man page disagrees: `default-lease-time` is 43,200 seconds (12 hours); `max-lease-time` is 86,400 seconds (one day).

The MAC address is HP's hardware address and Canon's `XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX`. The IEEE Registration Authority's 3 August 2017 tutorial, Guidelines for Use of EUI, OUI, and CID, defines the OUI as a 24-bit (three-octet) sequence and the common LAN identifier as a 48-bit EUI-48. An OUI is the base for a block of 2²⁴ 48-bit MAC addresses. HP Jetdirect's Network Identification tab uses the last six hex digits of that MAC as the default host-name suffix.

Wi-Fi signal strength is Canon's 0 to 100 percent. IEEE 802.11 defines RSSI as an optional PHY value from 0 through RSSI_Max and does not map those units to dBm. Microsoft's [MS-LLTD] spec, citing IEEE 802.11-2007, tells Windows to send a negative dBm value if the radio has one, "normal range for an RSSI value is -10 through -200," or 0 to 100 if it only has an estimate. NHS England Digital treats primary RSSI at -65 dBm or higher as the target and weaker than -80 dBm as the usable floor. Canon does not publish a conversion from its percent scale to those dBm floors.

The hostname is the field that lets someone skip the IP. HP Jetdirect's Network Identification help states the host name "must start with a letter and can end in a letter or number, and be up to 32 ASCII characters in length. The default name is NPIxxxxxx, where xxxxxx are the last six digits of the LAN hardware (MAC) address." The same page caps the Bonjour service name at 64 alphanumeric characters and forms the Bonjour domain as `<host name>.local`. Canon's iP7220 printout caps the printer name at 15 characters and the Bonjour service name at 52. RFC 6762's form is `single-dns-label.local.`

Firmware version is how to tell whether the stack on the page is still patched. HP's FutureSmart firmware readme for the Color LaserJet Managed MFP E785 series gives Firmware Datecode 20220829 and Firmware Revision 2505404_000081 as the Device Information example. HP Support's FutureSmart list, last verified 29 May 2026, names FutureSmart 5.9.2.3, revision 2509515_000461, date code 20260311, for the Managed M506. Canon prints ROM Version.

Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and USB-only printers compared

Connection type decides whether an IP exists.

| Property | Networked Wi-Fi printer (IEEE 802.11) | Ethernet printer (IEEE 802.3) | USB-only printer | |---|---|---|---| | IPv4 address | Yes, once associated; RFC 1918 on a working LAN, 169.254/16 if DHCP fails | Yes, once the link is up; same address families | None. Brother HL-L2300D lists USB 2.0 only | | How to read it without a PC | Canon's LAN-details page; HP Reports → Network Configuration Report; 802.11 block | Same report; HP 802.3 Wired block | There is nothing to read | | Signal strength | Canon 0–100%; IEEE RSSI 0–RSSI_Max; NHS target -65 dBm | Not a radio metric; 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX on Brother's LAN models | Not applicable | | Hostname / Bonjour | HP NPIxxxxxx.local; RFC 6762 `.local` on 224.0.0.251:5353 | Same mDNS if enabled | No mDNS name | | When to skip the IP hunt | AirPrint or IPP already prints via `.local`; HP: AirPrint is not USB | A working Ethernet queue already has the port | Always. No 32-bit address exists |

A Wi-Fi printer and an Ethernet printer both occupy a 32-bit IPv4 address and a 48-bit MAC. The USB-only unit occupies a USB device address on a cable Brother limits to 2 m.

How to print a network configuration report

Print the report from the printer. That path does not depend on Windows or a working DHCP mapping.

On many HP panels, HP Support's network configuration page article gives the path as Tools → Reports → Status Reports → Network Configuration Report. HP LaserJet Pro P1566 and P1606dn use a button hold: power on, wait until Ready is steady, press and hold Go, release when Ready blinks. FutureSmart panels use Reports → Configuration/Status Pages.

On Canon PIXMA models without a screen, Canon USA's iP7220 procedure is: power on, load A4 or Letter plain paper, press and hold RESUME/CANCEL until the POWER lamp flashes 6 times, then release. The page lists IPv4, gateway, mask, MAC, signal 0–100 percent, printer name, and ROM version. Canon USA's MG3620 article (ART164474) uses a different hold: press and hold Wi-Fi until the ON lamp flashes, then press Wi-Fi again.

Read the IPv4 line. If it is 169.254.x.x, stop using that number as a Windows TCP/IP port. RFC 3927 and HP Auto IP agree that this is the no-DHCP fallback. If IPv4 is 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x, copy mask, gateway, MAC, hostname, and firmware from the same sheet. HP also prints the Embedded Web Server URL. The idle-timeout default on that configuration menu is 270 seconds.

Where Windows 11 and the router show the same address

Windows 11 is a second look, after the page has confirmed the printer is on the LAN. Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners → the printer → Device information lists the IP when Windows has a network port. Devices and Printers → printer Properties → Ports still shows a Standard TCP/IP Port when one was created. A USB printer listed there will show a USB00x port, not an IP.

macOS System Settings → Printers & Scanners can add by IP, or it can already be using AirPrint over Bonjour, RFC 6762's `MyPrinter.local` path.

The router DHCP client table keys off the MAC, the 48-bit EUI-48 from the IEEE tutorial. Microsoft's DHCP architecture pages, for Windows Server 2008, recommend reservations rather than infinite leases, because an infinite lease never refreshes options.

Should a home-office printer get a DHCP reservation

A reservation is for a printer that already has a working RFC 1918 address and a queue that points at that address. It does not invent an IP on a USB-only machine.

Microsoft's DHCP product team treated printers as the long-lease class: 60 days (5,184,000 seconds) versus the scope default of 8 days. ISC dhcpd, on the default-lease-time of 43,200 seconds, would renew the same printer 120 times in those 60 days. RFC 2131 starts renewal at T1 = 0.5 of whichever lease was granted, so 4 days on a Microsoft default scope and 6 hours on ISC's 12-hour default.

A static address typed into HP's Embedded Web Server under Suggest a Manual IP Address can collide with the DHCP pool. A reservation keeps the printer as a DHCP client and pins the MAC. Microsoft Learn's reservation write-up is explicit: reserve for DHCP-enabled devices that must always have the same IP. For the Brother HL-L2300D, there is no MAC on a LAN, and no reservation to create.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my printer’s IP address not showing up?

USB-only printers never show an IPv4 address: they have no network chip. Brother's HL-L2300D lists Hi-Speed USB 2.0 only, cable no longer than 6 feet (2 m). On Wi-Fi or Ethernet, a blank or 169.254 address means DHCP failed, per RFC 3927 and HP Auto IP. Print the network configuration page from the panel.

Do all printers have an IP address?

No. An IP address exists only on a printer with Ethernet or Wi-Fi. RFC 791 defines IPv4 as 32 bits; USB 2.0 is a different bus. Brother's HL-L2300D specification omits LAN and 802.11. HP's AirPrint page states AirPrint is not supported via USB. Dual-interface models have an IP on the network side only.

Where is the IP address on an HP printer?

On the control panel, open Reports and print the Network Configuration Report; the 802.3 Wired or 802.11 Wireless block lists the IP, mask, gateway, and hardware address. Touchscreen FutureSmart panels also show it under Information → Network. LaserJet Pro P1566 holds Go until Ready blinks. The Embedded Web Server URL on that page is the same IPv4 address.

How can I find the IP address of a Canon printer without a computer?

Print the LAN details from the printer. On PIXMA iP7220, hold RESUME/CANCEL until the POWER lamp flashes 6 times, then release. On MG3620, hold Wi-Fi until ON flashes, release, then press Wi-Fi again. The sheet lists IPv4, gateway, mask, MAC, signal 0–100 percent, and ROM version. PRO-1000 uses Print LAN details.

How can I print a network configuration report?

On HP, use Tools → Reports → Network Configuration Report, or hold Go on LaserJet Pro P1566 until Ready blinks. On Canon PIXMA iP7220, hold RESUME/CANCEL through 6 POWER flashes. On Canon G3290, use Setup → LAN settings → Print details. The page carries IPv4, mask, gateway, MAC, hostname, firmware or ROM version, and Wi-Fi signal.

Should I create a DHCP reservation for a printer?

Yes, once the printer already has a working RFC 1918 address and a queue that points at it. Microsoft's DHCP team set printer leases at 60 days (5,184,000 seconds) versus an 8-day scope default. ISC dhcpd defaults to 43,200 seconds. Bind the reservation to the 48-bit MAC from the configuration page. Skip USB-only units and 169.254.