Greetings,
Maybe this will help. Typically an ISP will not provide static IPs' unless the service you are purchasing includes them. This is common for people or business' who are hosting websites. Otherwise its not needed.
Let me help you understand. The dynamically assigned IP address your provider gives your modem or modem router combo is dynamic (not static). This means it can change at any time. This doesn't affect your service negatively in any way.
Setting a static IP for a device behind your modem (modem router) combo is what I am referring to. This is called a LAN (local area network). Think of it this way. Your WAN (wide area network) is the world outside your home. The IP your ISP assigns to your modem is how you can be indentifed or found. Think of it like a house number.
Your LAN (inside) is all of the devices in your home, computers, iPADs, mobile devices, a printer, etc. This is the network you are able to configure and control.These devices connect to your router inside the home (wired or wirelessly).
These devices sit behind a protective barrier called a firewall. This function is built into your router. The firewall protects (shields) the identity of devices inside your home from the outside. So anyone on the outside only sees your home, but they can't see inside. Devices inside your home can comunicate with each other freely. When they send communication requests outside the home, they use the router as a door. One way out and one way in. This is how the router protects your internal network from outside.
Thats another discussion.
Your router allows you to create and control how devices communicate inside the home. You can name the network how you like, and use your own scheme to assign devices with IP addresses. They can be handed out dynamically by your router, or you can tell the router this device gets this IP, this printer gets this IP and my childs Xbox gets this IP, etc. That is what I am referring to when I say assign your printer a static IP. So as you can see, it has nothing to do with your ISP or the IP address they give your modem. I hope this helps.
HI Bob,
You are absolutely correct. The printer must be on the same LAN segment as the router in order to connect and be available for printing.
It should have an IP address in the range of IPs your wireless router is handing out (or you can give it one manually). The subnet mask and gateway will be the same as the router.
Subnet mask (example) 255.255.255.0
Gateway (example) 192.168.1.1
You've probably already found you can get to the routers configuration page using 192.168.1.1 in a browser. You can change the network configuration on the printer using its settings menu.
Good Work!
Now here's what I've done on the R7000 router
Gateway IP is 192.168.1.1
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
My router hands out IP addresses 192.168.1.100 - 192.168.1.124 (so 25 IPs)
I then assigned my printer an IP outside the DHCP pool of IPs the router hands out. 192.168.1.99
I used Address Reservation and assigned the IP x.99 using the printers MAC adress (removed from the image). Then I restarted the printer. When it contacts the router, the router assigns it the x.99 IP address because the printer's MAC is reservered for this IP. The router will never give this IP to another device.
Note: You can give the printer any IP you want, even one within the DHCP pool of IPs the router hands out because it wil only give the device with the MAC address you have reserved the designated IP.
