Just how important is a fixed IP address for a printer?

[John Gray]

I have a problem at a charity for which I'm doing some work, where the router is handing out IP addresses via DHCP, and an HP Laserjet 4345 MFP is included in this. Only one of four PCs can now access the printer.

I suspect that the printer's IP address has changed, but I'm puzzled how one PC can still access it.

In all previous places I've worked in the printer addresses have been assigned manually, out of the address range assigned for DHCP use (or perhaps right at the top of it!).

Any thoughts from someone more networky than I am, please?

[Rudi]

I'm no more networky that you, but are you able to configure the router?
If so, could you not assign a manual IP for the printer and then set up the three PC's to explicitly use that IP to connect to it.

[John Gray]

Yes, that is how I propose to 'solve' the problem (I would also have to reconfigure the printer, which is always 'fun'), but I'm interested in how one PC can "see" the printer, but the others can't. I have to do some more work in that area later this week, but someone knowledgeable may know the answer.

[Rudi]

In response to your post title: Scan through this info. It seems to suggest Static IP's to be the better choice for printers.
As for your question reg. the 2 PC's not picking up the printer

[John Gray]

Yes, thanks, that reflects my understanding of the subject (such as it is!).

[Rudi]

Another useful step-by-step article for reference.

It mentions:
- Setting the IP address
- Adjusting your firewall security setting (possibly why the other two PC's are not picking up the printer?)
- Checking the wireless security protocol (possibly why the other two PC's are not picking up the printer?)
- Tracking Down Your SSID and Password

[John Gray]

A bit of investigation this morning revealed that the two "non-printing" PCs had "the wrong" port IP address defined for the printer.

The 'printing' PC had a peculiar HP port defined that I've never come across before, which clearly must work off the printer's network name or its MAC address or something, and wasn't affected by the changed IP address of the printer by DHCP.

So I've just set up the printer IP address manually to be outside the DHCP IP address allocation range, and defined a matching TCP/IP port on each of the PCs, following which printing happiness is general.

[Rudi]

I'd say you're pretty "networky" now.