Why doesn't window automatically find the right printer port? Is this user error, glitch, or it is not a feature of window to begin with?

[blau]

I have window 10 (but same thing with my other computer with window 7) and I have a wireless brother printer. I don't remember the exact steps of how I orginally set up my printer. But I had set up the wireless connection to my wireless-router and then I load the printer driver in window and it printed fine for a long while until I got multiple computer and was print on them too (I think that is when problem started to happen). But I reconnected the wireless connection to the printer and remove and install the driver printed fine for a while.

But here what I think the problem is. I had(not any more) my brother printer set on auto instead of Static printer ip address. As a result from time to time I will get a different ip address for my printer. As a result I can't print any more on both for my computers. I learned the hard way I can manually go in an manually change the ip address on the printer or the printer driver on the computer and I can print again. And I recent change my printer ip to STATIC (hope that helps).

But the questions remains why is window (or the driver located within window) no going out there and finding the new ip address of the printer. Is it suppose to do that? Is there some settings? Is there some sequence of events that needs to happen? Like the printer have to be on when you boot-up you computer.

Or is this a limitation and it just does not work sometimes and that is why people set printer ip to static.

 

[Tim Locke]

I have had several printers that were awkward to set up wirelessly. The worst was an HP laserjet that claimed it would set up wirelessly but it had to be set up USB first, but the manual made no mention of this. Other HP printers were not too bad. Two Canon printers, the easiest way was to use the front panel to set them up, point to the SSID and enter the network password there...then go to the printer as a web site and redo it all. In my setup I would prefer that the printers had ethernet but it looks as if one has to go up the price range into "office" printers to get a $1 ethernet port on the printer.

I just won't use WPS for these things.

So I am sympathetic but can offer no real help...but it ain't just you has the problem!

 

[Bighorn]

I have had several printers that were awkward to set up wirelessly. The worst was an HP laserjet that claimed it would set up wirelessly but it had to be set up USB first, but the manual made no mention of this. Other HP printers were not too bad. Two Canon printers, the easiest way was to use the front panel to set them up, point to the SSID and enter the network password there...then go to the printer as a web site and redo it all. In my setup I would prefer that the printers had ethernet but it looks as if one has to go up the price range into "office" printers to get a $1 ethernet port on the printer.

I just won't use WPS for these things.

So I am sympathetic but can offer no real help...but it ain't just you has the problem!

Agreed, the Wireless can be problematic. I use an Inkjet and a laserjet, both connected via Ethernet cable to the Router, any computer I install them on can also work with WIreless/Wi-Fi through the Router. Win10 has been getting better in seeing printers and giving basic support, so has Linux, I use Mint 20.