Static IPs

I'm trying to wrap my brain around static IP addresses. I am connecting a printer via ethernet to a router on line 1.
I know I need to issue a static IP address to this printer so that it can be used on the network uninterupted.
Here are my questions. Can I assign my own static IP address to this printer to does my ISP have to give me one?
If I can assign a static IP address, what IP address do I use?
I have recently started to study up on Networking in hopes to gain in the future my CompTIA Network + certification as well as my Security + certification.
Any help would be most appreciated.

 

You need to log into your router and find your DHCP scope.
The scope is the range of IP addresses your router will hand out when a device requests one.
Open a command window (start>run>typecmd [enter]
When the black box pops up type ipconfig [enter]
The gateway address is what you need.
Open a browser type the gateway address in the addressbar ie 192.168.1.1
Log in the router and look for 'services' maybe and DHCP.
Say set the range from 2 to 200 or something like that, then you can use 201-254 for static IPs as needed.
Then using the info from the ipconfig you can setup the static device & not worry about DHCP moving the printers IP address around.

 

Thanks foogoo, that sounds easy enough. So I do NOT have to request a Static IP from my ISP. I can just assign one within the DHCP scope? Only reason I am asking is because doing research I have seen where it says you must get a static IP address from your ISP and there may be an additional monthly charge.

 

In your studies, look at the difference between the public side of a router and the private side. Public IPs are assigned by the ISP. Private IPs are assigned by the router. A router has 2 IPs in the simplest set up. SOHO networks are mainly in the private IPv4 information.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_network

 

I believe You need to assign the printer IP OUTSIDE of the scope, that way it wont try to assign it one automatically.

 

Correct if the scope is 2-200 - 201 is the first static IP.
And you would only need a static IP from the ISP if you need to keep your "public" ip address so you can access a service from the Inet.. or use a free ip service but that is getting ahead of what you've asked.

 

Thanks for all the help. I went into my router settings. This router is a Netgear WGT624 v4. I was unable to find a DHCP IP Scope so I still did not figure out what IP address to assign to it in the HP 7310 settings. I did the ipconfig, got the Dynamic IP, and Gateway IP addresses and added them to the printer and tried a couple of IP addresses in the 201 range as well as the 68 range. When I tried to ping the printer, it came back as not found. I know the light bulb above my head is going to come on eventualy.
I read up on configuring the HP 7310 as well as looking at documentation for the router. No doubt they probably gave me the correct answer I was looking for but with the major lack of understanding Networking to the point of applying static IP addresses I probably read right over it.
Again, I appreciate the help.

 

Ok, if you changed the scope on the router - those are the number you don't want to statically assign to any device - those are for the router to hand out when a device requests an IP on your network.
After you set the static IP on the printer, gateway & DNS, you'll need to change your PC's printer port to the new static IP.
The easiest way would be to re-run any install software that does that for you. If not go to printer properities on the wireless printer (on your PC) select port , then configure and change the IP to the printer static address.
There is no 'one number' to assign to the printer - you pick any outside the scope of the DHCP you just changed (any being less than 255, greater than 2 and not assigned to any other device.)

 

foogoo, I did not change the scope on my router. I could not even find the scope on my router. I have guessed it to be in the 198 range so I gave the printer the IP address of 68.190.1.1 I then tried to ping this router on my laptop with no avail. I understand what you are saying about going into the printer settings on the desk top PC and changing the port. Currently it is set to USB because it's connected that way on the desk top PC. Am I correct in thinking that I would have to make this a network printer for the desk top as well? In other words, it can't be a network printer for the computers that are in the network wirelessly and be a direct USB connected printer for the desk top?
Thanks again.

 

What brand and model router do you have??

You said "I have guessed it to be in the 198 range so I gave the printer the IP address of 68.190.1.1" foogoo's first post explained how to determine what you IP address is. The address you guessed at will definitely NOT work.

GoTo Start > Run > type "cmd" and hit enter.
In the black box (Command Prompt) type ipconfig /all

Now read the information there. It will tell you your default gateway address. Assuming it is 192.168.1.1, you would go to that address in your browser to determine what the settings are in your router.

Again, assuming the default gateway address is 192.168.1.1, if the router is a Linksys, it will have the default range of 50 IP addresses starting with 192.168.1.100 and going to 192.168.1.150 so the static IP's you would assign could be anything in the 192.168.1.??? range except 192.168.1.1 because that is the router address and anything in the 100 to 150 range. The router probably has a Subnet Mask of 255.255.255.0. That means that the first three octets MUST be the same (192.168.1.???). So the static IP's you would be able to assign could be anything in the range of 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.99 and 192.168.1.151 to 192.168.1.254.

 

watching*

 

So you need to go back to:
Open a command window (start>run>typecmd [enter]
When the black box pops up type ipconfig [enter]
The gateway address is what you need. Did you get that far?
Open a browser type the gateway address in the addressbar ie 192.168.1.1
Log in the router and look for 'services' maybe and DHCP.

Here is what my DHCP settings look like on my Router
See my IPs start at 5 and there are 95 available - meaning 101 -254 can be static.

Also all the IPs your using need to be on the same network.

192.168.001.001
255.255.255.000

So for every number you see a '255' below is considered the network, so above is the 192.168.1 network. Every device should start 192.168.1 with the subnet 255.255.255.0.

so 010.010.00.2.001
255.255.000.000
would be the 10.10 network, so all devices would start 10.10.x.x with 255.255.0.0.

Does that help muddy it up?

 

Thanks for all the help and valuable training. When I said the range was in the 198 range I typo'd that meaning 192 range. I have a Netgear WGR614 v4 and I have ran the ipconfig to get the IP, subnet, gateway etc. I entered the router's setting (which I did before when I originally set it up and secured it) and I did not see anywhere where there was DHCP settings to see what the scope was. But I think I have figured that out either way.
Now, here is the other issue that I mentioned in my last post. Can the printer still be set up via USB to the desk top PC AND added to a port as well to use on the network or would the desk top need to access it via the port on the network.
Only reason I am asking is because Wifey does not want ANYTHING changed on her precious computer unless it is broke. Then guess who gets to fix it. :-D

 

I would suspect that it will not work connected to both the USB and the network at the same time.

You can have it connected to the computer by USB and enable sharing for the printer so other network users can print to it.

The default address for the Netgear should be 192.168.1.1

 

shnerdly I hear what you are saying and I appreciate your reply. I tried sharing this printer. Went in, shared the printer, made sure that printer sharing is enabled on the windows firewall and everything. Went in, named the printer and STILL can not see the printer on the network.
This is why I was looking at the static IP route because for the life of me, I can not figure out why the printer is not showing up on the network. The external HD attached to the desk top PC shows up as shared with no problem. But when I go into add a new printer on the laptops and select printers attached to the network, the printer will not show up.
I have done this before with no problem, and kept thinking I was missing an important step but I have gone through each step a dozen times and still no printer showing up on the network even though it shows as shared on the desktop PC.

 

If your running Vista or 7, try disabling the firewall temporarily while you see if it shows up on the network as a shared printer. I have never taken the time time to learn either one but I know sharing hardware is a pain due to the firewall.

 

go to start & run
type: \\name of pc sharing printer & Enter
An explorer window will pop up with all the shares from that PC.
Double click on the printer and it should add it.

As for setting it up networked - try the manufacture install it will find the printer on the network and connect to it.