Printer is on network; MacBook is on same network; I can't talk to the printer. What do I do to fix this?
MacBook software version is 10.12.4 (16E195) (Sierra)
Mac Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.3), null
To be active on your network the Printer needs to know its IP address and the password for the network. This also tends to work better when a manual IP address is assigned and is "out of line" with the ones given out automatically by your Router, to avoid collisions.
Do not use the last address in the range (typically .255) -- it is a magic address used for broadcasting to all devices.
assigning the IP address may be done through he printer's "front panel" or with a manufacturer's Utility. HP Printers will sometimes display their current IP address on the "test" pages, and then you may be able to enter that IP address into a browser to talk to them.
The IP addresses are different. Mac is 172.20.10.2. Printer is 172.20.10.13. So that was not the problem. Seems the printer uses a different name. Officejet 4500 for network and HP Officejet 4500 for USB connected. I had to shut down the printer and restart it to get it to work. Thanks for the information, though.
Your printer has asked for and received an Address from your Router via DHCP. that will generally work OK on a small Network.
On a larger network, the IP Address of the Printer can change due to devices coming and going, and a collision with another device's IP address can knock the Printer off the air. That is why I recommend you Manually assign an IP Address much higher in the same range -- then it will never collide with other devices. For your network, giving it something like 172.10.10.200 would match that recommendation.
How do I connect to an HP officejet 4500 wireless printer on my network?
