Printer network settings

[hipsterdoofus]

We've long had our printers set up with static UP addresses and manual entries into DNS. I understand how many places do this though are by simply putting in a dns reservation and allowing dynamic dns updates. How do you do it where you are? I'm in the process of replacing some DNS servers and having to change a lot of manual entries, so it seems to me that doing the reservations may be nice.

[Davit2005]

While a lot of our printers are static I am moving only to DHCP reservations, I have known printers to lose static IP address occasionally.

 

Plus setting a DHCP address for the printers is a lot easier than navigating the menus on various printers.

[CSE_AllanE]

It depends on the size of your network and personal preference but in the end they both achieve the same result. Printer static IP is the tried and tested solution but If there are a lot of printers of various makes and DHCP server already up and running then I tend to lean towards DHCP static IPs as its updates the DNS and cuts down on set up time for new printers plus it means more central and less printer configuration but if there are only a few printers then static IPs

 

Same as Davit2005 said I have met the odd forgetful printer

[hipsterdoofus]

Thanks. I'm in a library environment with about 20 locations and I would think over 100 printers, copiers etc. Almost everything is a static IP, which to me is a bit of a pain as far as having to work through the interface on the printer. I think that would be a big draw with reservations - just change the MAC on the reservation and go from there. Also the fact that if we ever changed our DNS servers, you change them in one place on the DHCP server as opposed to on tons of individual devices. Mainly though I'm trying to make sure I'm not missing any disadvantages to switching to reserved ip's.

[hipsterdoofus]

Long time getting back to this, but it seems to me another big benefit to switching to DHCP reservations would be that it seems then the devices are automatically registered in DNS, whereas if you simply do a static IP, you would also have to do a static DNS entry, is that correct?