How to Ping a Printer

Are you conversant with the process of pinging a printer? This article outlines all the necessary steps you need to follow.

Ping is a popular network utility to determine the presence of a response from another device in your network. These devices can be a server, printer, or any other device. With this in mind, you can head to the control panel and select the printers and devices in its hardware section.

If your printer supports a wired or wireless connection, it communicates via an internet protocol with your computer. Nonetheless, suppose it poses challenges printing via Wi-Fi. You can use the ping command to determine whether the printer can communicate with the PC and how long the communication lasts. You’ll find all the instructions on ping a printer from Apple Macintosh with OS X (10. x) and mac OS X.

Instructions on Ping a Printer

Understanding the IP and Network Printers

Internet protocol is the language of computers across internet networks. This connection can be either from home or office networks. The protocol assigns each device a different IP Address, be it a computer, smartphone, printer, or other devices. An example is 192. 168. 0.1. of an IP Address. Computers identify each other with the human-understandable domain with an HTTP; this can be a www. Example.com. The HTTP is ultimately converted into an IP address.

If your computer uses an HTTP protocol to communicate with the printer, you can consider changing this into a local name. This name will be translated into HTTP for a successful printing task and other communication to the printer.

If you are testing whether you access the printer from a particular resource through your network, you’ll need to have an IP Address and check whether it’s accessible from your device. This will help you determine whether you face a network challenge with your PC or a different device.

Find the Printer You Need on Your Network

Most computers support a tool known as “netstat,” where you’ll find all devices on the network. On Windows, type [ cmd] in the search h box from the starting menu on the taskbar, then click the icon to open the Windows com. Type [nestat] to view available connections and identify your printer. Additionally, you can type [nestat-r] to view information about each connected device, including the IP Address of your printer

Nestat command works similarly on Mac, Linux, and other Systems. Check your system from the command line shell to see how it works and identify your printer.

Alternatively, you can use Power Shell to get as much information for the printer as you can find. Identify your printer from PowerShell by typing the command prompt [Get-Printer], then run a [GET-Printer-full] to access detailed information about the printer.

Steps to Ping a Printer

Right-click on any connected device from the control panel to open a new window. Follow the steps below to adjust some settings for the selected device. The settings comprise the port to connect to.

1. Click open the control panel, identify the “print preferences” option and click on it.
2. Click general settings to identify a button “Ports” from the drop list. Click on it to view a list of available ports.
3. Identify the port that matches your computer and select it
4. Access Command Prompt from Windows by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Enter or go to Start, then Run, cmd and then Enter
5. Type in ipconfig/all to get the IP address for your computer

Ping the Printer

A printer is an excellent tool that keeps your work running smoothly in your home or office, without which we would go back to ancient methods of a handwritten documents.

With an IP Address of the printer, you can check whether the printer is connected using the ping command. Open command prompt and type. This prompts the printer to send a message on your computer, which will help you determine the connectivity.

But what should you do when the printer doesn’t function? Let’s figure this out.

You can get your printer up and running without much hustle

Wireless Methods of Connecting a Printer

There are two well-known ways of connecting a printer wirelessly; via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. To connect via Wi-Fi, you’ll need to connect the router to the wireless adapter of the printer and proceed.

For Bluetooth, get an additional device like a mobile phone that supports Bluetooth. Nonetheless, you can use a USB connection, install the software on your PC, and print wirelessly from any device around the house. However, this calls you to set up a Wi-Fi connection for the printer, that is, if you have not done it before.

The USB connection is the easiest, but you’ll incur additional costs as you need cables and hardware installation.

Ping Command

The ping command is a network utility used to test the flow of connectivity between two servers. It works by sending data to another computer and awaits a reply. It can also measure how long it takes to receive a response and record milliseconds’ speed.

This information helps determine routing or connectivity problems between you and the destination device. If there are no delays, you should expect a speed of less than 100ms. Such a speed implies the absence of disruptions on your network. Otherwise, the latency in receiving a response e will be higher in place of a disorder or a blocking in your network.

Finding the IP address of Your Printer

Though you can find the IP address in different ways, our method below requires you to open the browser and follow these steps;

1. You can find it in the printer’s menu or search it online
2. Open the command prompt and key this in “ipconfig.”
3. Type” arp” –a.” This should lead you to identify the IP address of your computer
4. Key in “Ping < enter IP Address>. This should help you reach it from your PC
5. If this fails, you can consider pinging it from a different computer available on the same network. Do that by connecting the printer via the web by simply typing its URL into your browser window. This should solve the situation.

Ping the Printer From an Apple Macintosh With OS X (10. x)

A ping test is ideal for determining the network connectivity, and this requires you to have the IP address. If need be, you can obtain this by printing a Configuration Report. Macintosh OS X supports a Utility application that you can use to troubleshoot IP/TCP network communication errors. The Ping is located in the Network Utility application, and you can use it to perform a ping test.

Important to Note: Older versions of Mac OS call for a third-party utility to necessitate the ping procedure. That is, all versions before OS 10

For successful results, follow these steps from the Mac:

• Double-click on the ‘Hard Drive’ icon and then on the ‘Applications’ folder
• Do the same on the ‘Utilities’ folder, then on the ‘Network Utility’ icon to open this utility application.
• Select the ‘Ping’ tab
• Identify the prompt ‘please enter the  network address and type the IP address of your printer in the section provided
• Identify the ‘Send only’ radio button and click on it, then key in ‘4’ in the provided area.
• Finally, click on the ‘Ping’ button and wait for any of the following responses;

“4 packets transmitted, 4 packets received, 0% packet loss.”

This response implies that the response is successfully by the Mac from the involved network device, be it a computer, printer, etc., with that dispersed IP address.

This response is a clear indication of a smooth connection to the printer. However,  if the ping test is positive but still encounters communication errors with the printer, then this could mean the availability of a duplicate IP address. It could be errors such as print tasks being queued.

To test for the availability of a duplicate IP address, disconnect the Ethernet cable from the printer and ping it once more. Instead of a reply, you should receive four “Requested time out” responses. On the other hand, if you receive a reply, another device on the same network shares the same IP address. Contact a network admin to resolve the IP/TCP problem.

“Unknown host” or “4 packets transmitted, 0 packets received, 100% packet loss.”

This reply implies that the ping command was sent via the network, but no device received the sent reply. Reach out to a network admin to resolve the issue.

Important to Note

Any percentage of packet loss implies a communication error. For instance, the e ping test reply of 20% packet loss shows the existence of a communication error.

Ping the Printer from a Computer With a Microsoft Windows OS

• Click the “Start” icon on your computer and click “Run.” You will access a new window
• Type “cmd” on the new window, then press “OK.” View A DOS Prompt window that will pop up

Important to Note: Type “command” if you are using Windows 98/ Me OS.

• On the DOS prompt, key in the IP address in the format “ping xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx” example ( ping 192.1.1.100″ Ensure to put space between Ping and the numbers. After doing this, the computer will make four consecutive attempts to ping the printer. You should receive any of the following responses.

Responses:

1. “Request timed out.”

This response implies that a response was sent through your network, but no device on your network has received a response. (could be a printer, computer, etc.) Reach out to a network provider to resolve the issue

2.  “Destination host unreachable”

This response indicates that the computer with which you are sending the ping command can’t access the communication network of the printer. Reach out to a network admin to help solve the issue.

3. “Bad Command or Filename”

This can indicate that the command was mistyped or that the computer’s configuration doesn’t support the IP/TCP procedure. A network administrator can help you resolve this issue.

4. “Reply from xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx; bytes=32…”

This is a positive response from a computer with an IP address. It simply implies smooth communication between the two. However, suppose you still get a response but continue encountering communications errors with the printer, like print tasks remaining on the queue. It could signify that another device from the same network is configured with a similar IP address.

To determine the existence of a similar IP address, disconnect the Ethernet cable from the printer and ping it once more. If you receive a response again, it shows another machine (could be a printer or a computer) configured with the same IP address. Reach out to a network administrator for the IP/TCP issue to be resolved.

Why Does My Printer Refuse to Print Even When it’s Connected?

Several reasons could cause the printer to fail to print. One, it’s important to note that your printer needs to be connected to power and the same network as your computer. Ensure your PC does not go to sleep mode as some lose their connection with the printer.

Another cause why your printer may fail to print would be that you have run out of ink or toner. Replace an old cartridge as it could be clogged with dust and debris, hindering the nozzle’s smooth movement across the paper.

Conclusion

As you can see, it’s easy to ping a printer if you follow the procedures correctly. It’s not rocket science, but it calls for utmost keenness. We believe this article offers the best help you may need. If you follow our instructions promptly, you will be sure to Ping your printer in the shortest time possible.