Assign a static IP address to your printer or any network device

Assign a static IP address to your printer or any network device.Allowing your router to use DHCP to determine the IP addresses that devices will receive is convenient and easy. We don’t need to choose them, assign them, or better yet, try to remember them.Devices such as printers often have web-based management that can be configured and maintained from anywhere. This makes printers the best candidates for using static IP addresses.

Why Assign a Static IP Address to a Device?

It seems like more work, but it makes life simpler and easier. If the device must be accessible from other devices, it is best to use a static IP address. Imagine a web server whose IP address changes daily. It’s like changing your phone number every day.When we think of other devices that need to be accessible from anywhere, smart TVs, security systems, home automation and camera systems come to mind.Another reason, to a lesser extent, is safety. A router can provide hundreds, if not thousands, of IP addresses. It doesn’t matter whose device it is. By using static IP addresses and limiting the number of available IP addresses, it is more difficult for rogue devices to gain access to the network. This may also help resolve IP address conflicts.

What IP Addresses Can I Use?

The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) has allocated the following blocks of IP addresses for private use. Private use means you can only use IP addresses on a private network. They are not for the outside world. IANA defines the following private IP address ranges:

10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255 – corresponds to 16,777,214 IP addresses.
172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255 – corresponds to 1 048,574 IP addresses.
From 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255 – corresponds to 65534 IP addresses

If the router is already in use, it has a range. It’s easiest to stick to this range. Some routers determine the range in advance.

Make a Static IP Plan

If you have ten or fewer devices connected to your network, you don’t need a plan. Just put them all in one range, like 192.168.2.10 to 192.168.2.19. Skip the rest of this section.If there are more than ten devices on the network, it is wise to make a plan. This is just one way to make a plan. If it doesn’t suit you, change it.

Count all devices that will connect to the network.
Group devices by type. For example, there might be 3 phones, 2 smart TVs, 4 cameras and DVR, 2 IoT devices like smart refrigerators, and a printer.
Assign blocks of IP addresses to each type of device and leave room for growth. If the range 192.168.2.0 to 192.168.2.255 is used, blocks can be assigned as follows:
- Phones and tablets: 192.168.2.20 to 192.168.2.29
- TVs: 192.168.2.30 to 192.168.2.39
- Cameras and DVRs: from 192.168.2.40 to 192.168.2.49
- Internet of Things devices: from 192.168.2.50 to 192.168.2.59
- Printers: 192.168. 2.60 to 192.168.2.69

Some guidelines for using ranges:

Start the device type IP address range with a number ending in zero and end the range with a number ending in 9.
Increase ranges by tens. Anything less can be confusing and you will easily outgrow it. In addition, this allows additional devices of the same type to be used in this range. If the number of devices is already close to 10, make the range span 20 IP addresses, for example from 192.168.2.40 to 192.168.2.59.
Whatever the router’s IP address is, leave its entire block open for adding. network equipment such as other routers, switches, firewalls, etc. For example, if the router uses the address 192.168.2.1, reserve addresses from 192.168.2.2 to 192.168.2.9 for network equipment.

In the spreadsheet, assign the devices their IP addresses. This becomes a device inventory and makes it easier to identify devices on the network. It is recommended to assign the first IP address in the range to controller devices. For example, the DVR is a camera controller, so its IP address will be 192.168.2.50.

If you plan this in a spreadsheet, it might look like this:

How to Assign Static IPs to Devices in the Router

Read our article on how to find your router’s IP address if you’re using a Mac or aren’t comfortable using the command line. Open the Start menu and search for CMD. Command Prompt will be the first result, so select it.

When the Command Prompt window opens, type
```
ipconfig
```
and press Enter.

The default gateway value is the router’s IP address. Write it down somewhere.

Open your web browser and enter the router’s IP address in the address bar, then press Enter. The router management web page will open.

Assign Static IPs – Asus Router

Log into your Asus router, find the LAN button and select it.

Select the DHCP Server tab. This router allows you to remain in DHCP mode while assigning static IP addresses to selected devices. If desired, it can be configured to use only static IP addresses.

Go to the Manual Assignment section. Where it says “Enable Manual Assignment”, select “Yes.”

Select the drop-down list under Client Name (MAC Address) and select the device from the Manually Assigned IP Address in the DHCP list. The list lists all devices currently connected to the router. To view previously connected devices, select Show list of offline clients.

The current IP address of the device will be shown in the IP address field. This can be left as is or changed at this stage. If necessary, add the DNS server IP address to the DNS server field (optional). Click the plus sign button to add the device to the list of manually assigned IP devices. Repeat this for all desired devices.Once all desired devices have been assigned static IP addresses, click the Apply button to apply the changes.

Assign Static IPs – TrendNet Router

Log into your TrendNet router and select the Advanced tab.

From the menu on the left, select Settings, then select LAN Settings.

Scroll down to the Add DHCP Reservation section. Check the Enable checkbox, then enter your device information to get a static IP address. Make sure the details are correct and then click Add.

The newly added device will appear in the DHCP Reservation Ready group. If everything is correct, select “Apply” and the device will be assigned a static IP address.

Assign Static IPs – Belkin Router

Log into your Belkin router and select the Configuration tab. Then, under Connection, select Local Network. Now click on the “DHCP Reservation” button

The DHCP Client Table window displays all currently connected devices. If the device requires a static IP address, select the Select checkbox, then select Add Clients.

In the same window, you can also add clients manually. First enter the device details, then click the “Add” button. Once all devices requiring static IP addresses have been identified, click “Save” to save the changes.

What About Assigning Static IPs on Other Routers?

There are at least a dozen router manufacturers, and each has several router models. There are too many to cover them all. However, after reading the instructions above, you will see that there is a pattern; figure out where to work with the local network, look for something called “DHCP Reservation” and then assign IP addresses. If you have any problems, please let us know. One of our writers or knowledgeable readers probably knows the answer.