How do I set the IP address in my old LaserJet 4050N

[UpstateGary]

I just switched routers and need to set up a new IP address in the machine to match the one in my new router, which I will set in my system preferences. I have gone through all the menu options and the "configuration menu" but cannot find any place for entering the IP address. Printing out the configuration page shows the IP address as my old one for the previous router.

[davidzuts]

If using a MAC it should be real easy.  At the printer turn the power off.  Now press and hold the green button as you turn the printer back on, until you see cold reset appear in the menu.  Release and wait for the printer to come to ready.  Wait about 2 more minutes and then at the printer go to the information menu and print a config page.  Now keep in mind if you changed routers then the old ip address will probably not work now since it is in a different frame then your previous router.  I would just have the MAC search for the printer as it should find it and load it for you.  You can type the ip address you see on the second page into the web browser of your MAC and the web page should come up and allow you to change the ip address from there, but as I said you MAC may not be able to find it with the old address.  The other thing you could do with the web page up is to change the ip address to 192.0.0.192 as MAC's seem to like and can always find printers with that address.

[UpstateGary]

In order for the MAC to find the printer, I'm told i need to change the IP address in the printer itself to something that matches the router, but off by just one end number (.2 instead of .1, for example) so as not to conflict with the actual ip address being used by the computer and the wireless system. I found instructions for doing this on the internet but it has not worked. The instructions do not explain the various other numbers programmed into the printer, such as default gateway and subnet mask, and whether they should also be changed (I tried but the printout shows they were not changed despite two attempts). I'm afraid this needs an expert to properly program but at the $95-an-hour service rate, I think I'll just get a new printer (this one is 19 years old).    

[davidzuts · Accepted solution]

Did you perform the instructions I gave you?  If you did when the printer comes to ready and you wait about 2 minutes and then go to the information menu on the printer and choose the second item of config page and then select it, the printer will print 2 pages.  The second page should have the new ip address of the printer and it also should say configured by dhcp or bootp.  This will be the ipv4 address and should look like something like this 192.168.1.5.  Your numbers will probably be different but should have the same 4 sets.  Do not worry about the other items since they will automatically be configured for you if the printer does in fact perform the cold reset.  The cold reset will find a new address that matches your router if you do it correctly.

[UpstateGary]

Hi -- yes, I did the cold reset and the printout did in fact provided a different IP address for the printer and a default gateway that matched the IP address of my new router, as did the BootP/dHCP server. But my attempts to print still came up with "The printer is not responding" after the computer searched for the printer. I put in both the printer's IP address and the router's in the printer's  settings (in system preferences). Perhaps I need to reboot the computer or the router or both to get some communication going between them. Thanks for your time.

[davidzuts]

I am not a MAC person, but if the printer found a new address then the printer is working fine and so is the router.  Can you delete the printer from the computer, Then turn the computer off and then back on and then have the computer search and find the printer which is should.  I know MACs are a lot better then windows with network printers so I do not know what you are doing unless for some reason you still have the old printer's address instead of the new.  That is why removing and rebooting should be able to find the new address.

[UpstateGary]

Excellent -- I deleted the old printer and then went into the system to add a new one with the IP address I obtained from the cold reset. It immediately found the printer — without even need to reboot the computer — and I was able to print both from my desktop and the internet so it appears to be working and working well. Thanks so much.