Finding the IP address of your printer while using a Mac is a straightforward process that becomes essential for troubleshooting network connectivity or adding a printer to another device. Every printer connected to a network requires a unique identifier, and the IP address serves this purpose, allowing your Mac and other devices to communicate with the hardware. This guide walks you through several reliable methods to locate this numerical label, ensuring you can manage your printing environment with confidence.
Accessing Printers Through System Settings
The most modern and intuitive way to locate your printer's address is through macOS System Settings. This method provides a clean interface where you can see all connected devices and their network details. It works consistently across recent versions of macOS, from Monterey to the latest releases.
Using the Printers & Scanners Menu
To retrieve the information using this method, follow these steps:
Open the Apple Menu located in the top-left corner of your screen.
Select System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS).
Click on Printers & Scanners .
Select your printer from the list of available devices on the left-hand side.
Look for the IP Address field. The address will be displayed in a format similar to 192.168.1.100.
Utilizing the Command Line Interface
For users who prefer efficiency or are troubleshooting deeper network issues, the Terminal offers a direct path to the printer's network configuration. This method bypasses graphical interfaces and retrieves raw data directly from the system's network tables.
Leveraging the lpstat Command
The lpstat command queries the line printer daemon and returns detailed information about the print service. To extract the IP address, you will need to combine this with text processing tools available in macOS.
Follow these steps to execute the command:
Open the Terminal application, which you can find in the Utilities folder within Applications.
Type the following command and press Return : lpstat -v
The terminal will return a list of printers and their device URIs. The URI will look like ipp://192.168.1.100/ipp/print or socket://192.168.1.100 . The number following the double slashes is the IP address you are looking for.
Finding the Address via the Printer's Embedded Web Server
If you have physical access to the printer or the IP address is already displayed on the device's control panel, you can verify the information by accessing the printer's Embedded Web Server (EWS). This interface is a configuration menu built directly into the hardware.
Navigating the Network Settings
The process varies slightly depending on the printer brand, but the general steps are similar across most models.
Locate the Menu or Setup button on the printer's control panel.
Navigate to the Network or Settings section.
Look for an option labeled Embedded Web Server , EWS , or Network Status .
Select this option to view the current network configuration, where the IP address will be listed prominently.
