Every time you hit print and get that “printer offline” message, your router is probably to blame. Most home and office networks use DHCP, which hands out IP addresses on a rotating basis. When your printer’s address changes after a router reboot or lease expiration, your computer can no longer find it at the old location. The fix is to assign a static IP to your printer so its network address never changes.
In this guide, I will walk you through two proven methods to stop your printer dropping offline: reserving an IP through your router (the recommended approach) and setting a static IP directly on the printer itself. I have used both methods on HP, Epson, Brother, and Canon printers across dozens of home and small office networks, and I will share the exact steps that actually work.
Whether you are dealing with a static IP printer setup for the first time or you have already tried assigning one and the printer still goes offline, this guide covers the full process from finding your printer’s current address to troubleshooting stubborn connection drops.
Why Your Printer Keeps Going Offline (The IP Address Problem)
Printers go offline for many reasons, but the single most common cause is a changing IP address. Here is what happens behind the scenes.
Your router runs a service called DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol). Every time a device joins your network, the router assigns it a temporary IP address from a pool of available addresses. These addresses come with a lease time, often 24 hours, after which the router may assign a different address to the same device.
When you first set up your printer, Windows or macOS records its IP address so it knows where to send print jobs. If the router later gives your printer a new address, your computer keeps trying to reach the old one. The result: the printer appears offline even though it is powered on and connected to Wi-Fi.
This problem is especially common after:
Router reboots or power outages
Printer going into sleep mode and reconnecting with a new address
Adding new devices to the network that shift the DHCP pool
Firmware updates on either the router or the printer
I have seen this exact pattern reported repeatedly on Reddit’s r/printers and r/networking communities. Users describe their printer keeps going offline after every router restart, and power cycling the router temporarily fixes it. The permanent solution is to stop the address from changing in the first place.
How to Find Your Printer’s Current IP Address
Before you can assign a static IP, you need to know the printer’s current address and its MAC address. Here are four ways to find this information.
Method A: Print a Network Configuration Page from the Printer
This is the most reliable method. Most printers have a menu option that prints a network configuration or wireless network test page.
On HP printers, go to the control panel, tap Setup, then Network Setup, then Print Network Configuration Page. On Epson printers, press the Setup button and navigate to Network Settings, then Print Network Status. On Brother printers, press Menu, select Network, then Print Network Configuration.
The printed sheet will show your printer’s current IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and MAC address. Write these down, because you will need all of them.
Method B: Find the IP Address in Windows
Open Settings, go to Devices, then Printers and Scanners. Click your printer and select Manage, then click Printer Properties. Under the Ports tab, the IP address will appear in the port name for network-connected printers.
Alternatively, open Command Prompt and type arp -a. This lists all devices on your network with their IP and MAC addresses.
Method C: Find the IP Address on macOS
Open System Settings, then Printers and Scanners. Click your printer and look at the location or URL field. You can also open Terminal and run arp -a to see all devices on the local network.
Method D: Check Your Router’s Device List
Log into your router’s admin panel (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1) and look for the connected devices or DHCP client list. Your printer will appear there with its IP and MAC address.
Method 1: Reserve a Static IP on Your Router (DHCP Reservation)
This is the method I recommend for almost everyone. Instead of changing settings on the printer, you tell your router to always give the same IP address to your printer based on its MAC address. The printer keeps using DHCP, but the router always answers with the same address.
This approach is safer because if you ever need to change network settings, the printer stays in its default automatic mode. Forum users on r/Ubiquiti and r/networking consistently prefer DHCP reservation over manual IP assignment because it is easier to manage across multiple devices.
Step 1: Find Your Printer’s MAC Address
Use Method A from the previous section to print a network configuration page. The MAC address looks like 00:1A:2B:3C:4D:5E. You need the exact value including colons or dashes.
Step 2: Log Into Your Router’s Admin Panel
Open a web browser and type your router’s IP address into the address bar. Common addresses are 192.168.1.1 (Linksys, TP-Link, many ISPs), 192.168.0.1 (Netgear, D-Link), or 192.168.1.254 (BT, some ISP routers). Enter your admin username and password. If you have never changed these, check the sticker on the bottom of your router.
Step 3: Find the DHCP Reservation Section
The location varies by router brand, but here is where to look on the most common models:
Netgear: Advanced, Setup, LAN Setup, then Address Reservation
TP-Link: Advanced, Network, DHCP Server, then Address Reservation
Asus: LAN under Advanced Settings, then DHCP Server tab, Enable Manual Assignment
Linksys: Connectivity, DHCP Server, then Address Reservation
Ubiquiti/UniFi: Settings, Networks, then DHCP Reservations
Step 4: Enter the MAC Address and Desired IP
Click Add or Add New in the reservation section. Select your printer from the device list (most routers show connected devices), or manually enter the MAC address you wrote down earlier. Then enter the IP address you want the printer to keep permanently.
Choose an address in the same subnet but ideally outside the DHCP pool. For example, if your router uses 192.168.1.x and assigns addresses starting from 192.168.1.100, pick something like 192.168.1.50. More on choosing the right address in the next section.
Step 5: Save and Restart
Click Save or Apply. Then restart your printer and wait for it to reconnect. It should receive the same reserved IP address from the router. Restart your computer as well so it picks up the correct address.
Method 2: Set a Static IP Directly on the Printer
If your router does not support DHCP reservation, or you want the printer to hold its own settings independently, you can configure a static IP directly on the printer. This method works well but requires you to enter network settings manually.
Option A: Via the Printer Control Panel
Most network printers let you change IP settings from the control panel screen. The exact path varies, but here is the general process.
On HP printers with a touchscreen, go to Setup, Network Setup, Advanced Settings, then IP Settings. Change from Automatic (DHCP) to Manual. Enter the IP address, subnet mask (usually 255.255.255.0), and default gateway (your router’s IP address).
On Epson printers, press Setup, navigate to Network Settings, then Advanced, TCP/IP, and select Manual IP. On Brother printers, press Menu, select Network, TCP/IP, then Boot Method and change it from AUTO to STATIC.
Option B: Via the Embedded Web Server (EWS)
If your printer has a web interface, this is often easier than the tiny control panel screen.
Type your printer’s current IP address into a web browser on a computer connected to the same network. This opens the Embedded Web Server or printer web page. Navigate to the Network or TCP/IP settings section. Change the configuration method from DHCP or Automatic to Manual. Enter the static IP, subnet mask, and default gateway. Click Apply or Save.
The printer will restart with its new address. Update the bookmark in your browser to the new IP if you changed it.
Warning About IP Conflicts
When you set a static IP directly on the printer, there is a risk that the router could assign that same address to another device via DHCP. To prevent this, always choose an address outside the router’s DHCP pool. If two devices end up with the same IP, both will have connectivity problems.
How to Choose the Right Static IP Address for Your Printer
Picking the wrong IP address can cause conflicts that are worse than the original offline problem. Here is how to choose a safe address.
First, check your router’s DHCP range. Log into the admin panel and look for the DHCP server settings. You will see a starting and ending address, such as 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.200. This means the router automatically assigns addresses in that range.
Pick a static IP outside this range but still in the same subnet. If your router’s IP is 192.168.1.1 and the DHCP pool starts at 192.168.1.100, you can safely use addresses from 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.99. I typically recommend using addresses in the 192.168.1.10 to 192.168.1.30 range for printers and other fixed devices.
Some newer routers let you reduce the DHCP pool to create a dedicated static range. For example, set DHCP from 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.200 and reserve everything below 100 for static assignments. This is a clean approach for small offices.
Never use an address that another device is already using. If you are unsure, run a quick ping test from Command Prompt: type ping 192.168.1.20 and if you get no response, that address is likely free.
How to Update Your Printer IP in Windows and macOS
After assigning a static IP, your computer still may be looking for the old address. You need to update the printer port or reinstall the printer.
Updating in Windows
For a quick fix, go to Settings, Devices, Printers and Scanners, click your printer, select Manage, then Printer Properties. Go to the Ports tab and click Add Port. Select Standard TCP/IP Port, click New Port, and enter the new static IP address. Windows will create a new port pointing to the correct address.
If the printer still shows offline after updating the port, remove the printer entirely and re-add it. Go to Settings, Devices, Printers and Scanners, click Add a Printer, and select your printer from the list. If it does not appear automatically, choose “Add a printer using a TCP/IP address or hostname” and enter the static IP manually.
Reinstalling the driver by IP address often fixes persistent offline issues, as Reddit users in r/techsupport have confirmed. The fresh installation forces Windows to use the correct address.
Updating in macOS
On macOS, open System Settings, then Printers and Scanners. Remove the existing printer by clicking the minus button. Then click the plus button and add the printer again. macOS should detect it at its new static IP address automatically.
If it does not appear, hold the Control key and click the Add button, or select Add Printer, then choose the IP tab at the top. Enter the static IP address, select the correct protocol (usually LPD or IPP), and let macOS download the driver.
Troubleshooting: Printer Still Going Offline After Static IP
Sometimes assigning a static IP is not enough. If your printer still drops offline, one of these issues is likely the cause.
Sleep Mode Disconnects
Many printers enter sleep mode after a period of inactivity and disconnect from the Wi-Fi network to save power. When a print job comes in, the printer takes too long to wake up and your computer reports it as offline.
Fix this by adjusting the sleep or power-saving settings. On HP printers, go to the EWS and navigate to Energy Settings. Set the Sleep Delay to 15 minutes or longer, or disable sleep mode entirely if power consumption is not a concern. On Brother printers, go to General Setup, Ecology, then Sleep Time.
The 169.254.xxx.xxx Self-Assigned IP Problem
If your printer shows an IP address starting with 169.254, it means the printer could not reach the DHCP server. The printer assigned itself a fallback address that does not route on your network.
This usually indicates a Wi-Fi connectivity issue rather than an IP configuration problem. Check that the printer is connected to the correct Wi-Fi network and that the signal is strong. Restart the printer and router. If the problem persists, the printer may be too far from the access point or there may be interference from other devices.
Older Printer Wireless Degradation
I have encountered this personally: printers older than four years often have degrading wireless radios that struggle to maintain a stable connection. Forum users on r/printers report this frequently, especially with HP and older Epson models.
If your printer is older and static IP does not solve the offline issue, consider connecting it via Ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi. A wired connection eliminates wireless interference and is inherently more stable for fixed-location devices like printers.
Print Spooler Issues
On Windows, the print spooler service can get stuck and cause offline errors. Open Services (press Windows key + R, type services.msc), find Print Spooler, right-click and select Stop. Then delete all files in C:WindowsSystem32spoolPRINTERS. Restart the Print Spooler service. This clears corrupted print jobs that can block communication.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I prevent my printer from going offline?
Assign a static IP address to your printer using either a DHCP reservation on your router or manual IP configuration on the printer. This prevents the router from changing the printer’s address, which is the most common cause of printers appearing offline.
Why would you assign a static IP to a printer?
You assign a static IP to a printer because DHCP routers assign changing IP addresses that cause your computer to lose track of the printer. A fixed address means your computer always knows where to send print jobs, eliminating offline errors after reboots or lease expirations.
Why does my printer keep losing its IP address?
Your printer keeps losing its IP address because the router’s DHCP lease expires and reassigns a different address. This commonly happens after router reboots, when the printer wakes from sleep mode, or when new devices join the network and shift the DHCP pool.
Should I give my printer a static IP address?
Yes, you should give any wireless or network-connected printer a static IP address. Printers are fixed-location devices that benefit from a permanent address, and assigning one prevents the most common cause of offline errors.
What should I set my static IP address to?
Set your printer’s static IP to an address outside your router’s DHCP pool but in the same subnet. For example, if your router uses 192.168.1.x and the DHCP pool starts at 192.168.1.100, use an address like 192.168.1.20. Always ping the address first to confirm it is not in use.
Wrapping Up
Learning how to assign a static IP to a printer to stop it dropping offline is one of the most effective fixes for persistent printer connectivity problems. The DHCP reservation method on your router is the cleanest approach because it keeps your printer in automatic mode while guaranteeing it always receives the same address.
If your router lacks reservation features, setting a static IP directly on the printer through the control panel or Embedded Web Server works just as well. Just make sure to choose an address outside the DHCP pool and update the printer port in Windows or macOS afterward.
Remember that a static IP fixes the address-changing problem specifically. If your printer still goes offline after setup, check sleep mode settings, wireless signal strength, and the print spooler service. For older printers with degrading wireless performance, switching to a wired Ethernet connection is the most reliable long-term solution.
Take five minutes to set this up today, and you will stop wrestling with that offline printer for good.