Access a Printer's Web Interface by IP Address: How To

Almost every network printer sold in the last decade has a small website built in. You access a printer’s web interface by typing its IP address into a browser, and it gives you a full keyboard and screen for settings that are fiddly on a two-line display: Wi-Fi details, Wi-Fi Direct, a fixed IP address, sleep timers, scan destinations and firmware updates. This guide shows how to open it on any brand, get past the browser warning and log in safely.

What the makers call it

The page does the same job everywhere but goes by different names, which helps when you search a manual:

Maker	Name in the manual
HP	Embedded Web Server (EWS)
Epson	Web Config
Brother	Web Based Management
Canon	Remote UI

Epson’s list of network ports shows Web Config served over HTTP (port 80) and HTTPS (port 443), the same ports any website uses, which is why a normal browser can open it.

Step 1: find the printer’s IP address

You need the address the printer has right now:

• Printer screen: look in the network, Wi-Fi or settings menu for an IP address.
• Network configuration report: most printers can print one from the control panel. Brother notes the report also shows the default password on its current models.
• Your router or mesh app: the connected devices list shows the printer and its address.

Our guide to finding a printer’s IP address covers each method on Windows, Mac, phones and the printer itself.

Step 2: open the address in a browser

On a computer, phone or tablet connected to the same network as the printer:

1. Open any browser.
2. Type https:// followed by the address, for example https://192.168.1.20, and press Enter.
3. If nothing loads, try http:// instead. Older printers may not support https; newer ones may redirect you to it.

Brother’s guide adds two alternatives on its printers: a DNS or NetBIOS name instead of the IP address, and a link from its iPrint&Scan and Brother Utilities software. HP, Epson and Canon apps have similar shortcuts to the printer’s web page.

Step 3: the certificate warning

Most printers now protect their web page with https, using a certificate the printer created itself. Your browser does not recognise it and shows a warning such as “Your connection is not private”. Brother says this warning is expected when you use https and that installing a certificate on the computer removes it.

On your own home or office network, with an address you took from the printer’s own report, it is reasonable to choose Advanced and continue. Do not continue if you are on a public network or you are not sure the address belongs to your printer.

Step 4: log in with the admin password

You can usually view status pages without logging in, but changing settings needs the administrator password:

• Newer printers often have a unique password on a label. Brother’s current models have it on the back of the machine marked “Pwd” and on the network configuration report, and Brother recommends changing it when you first log in.
• Other makers may use the serial number, a sticker inside a cover, or a default stated in the manual.
• Older printers may have no password at all. Set one.

CISA’s guidance for network devices lists changing default passwords as a basic step, and it applies to printers too, especially if guests or many colleagues share your network. If you plan to let visitors print, see our guide to letting guests print on a guest Wi-Fi network.

Useful things to set from the web page

• Wi-Fi network and password. Handy after a router change, as long as the printer is still reachable by cable or Wi-Fi Direct. See connect a printer to a new Wi-Fi network.
• Fixed IP address. Either set a static address here or, often simpler, reserve one in the router. Google’s Nest help explains why: computers and printers find each other by IP address, so a changing address can make the printer disappear. Our Ethernet printer guide compares both approaches.
• Wi-Fi Direct. Turn it on or off and change its password; see Wi-Fi Direct printing.
• AirPrint, IPP and Mopria. Some printers let you enable or disable these protocols. If an iPhone or Android phone cannot see the printer, check they are on.
• Sleep and auto-off timers. A printer that switches fully off may vanish from the network.
• Firmware update. Many printers can check for updates from this page.

When you change network or protocol settings, the printer may ask to restart. Brother notes that after changing protocol settings you should restart the machine for the change to take effect.

If the page will not open

• Wrong network. The computer or phone must be on the same network as the printer. A guest network, a VPN, or a phone on mobile data will not reach it.
• Old address. Printers can get a new IP address after a power cut. Print a fresh network configuration report and use the address on it.
• Web page switched off. Some printers let you disable the web interface from the control panel; Brother, for example, has an option to enable or disable Web Based Management there. Turn it back on.
• Browser blocks http. Some browsers warn strongly about plain http pages. Use https if the printer supports it, or allow the page for this one address.
• Printer in sleep mode. A deeply sleeping printer may not answer at first. Wake it with a button press and try again.

Update the firmware from the web page

The web page is often the easiest way to update a printer, especially one without a large screen. Epson’s instructions for Web Config are to open Device Management, then Firmware Update, and click Start to check for a new version; Canon’s Remote UI has a similar firmware option. The page also shows the installed version, so you can confirm the result. Our guide to updating printer firmware covers the precautions: the printer needs internet access, should not be printing, and must stay switched on until it restarts.

Turn off what you do not use

Most web pages list the network protocols the printer has switched on, such as IPP, Bonjour (mDNS), WSD, LPD, raw printing on port 9100 and sometimes FTP. Turning off protocols you never use reduces what is reachable on your network, but keep IPP and Bonjour on if you print from iPhones, Macs or Chromebooks. Our guide to printer network ports explains what each one does. While you are there, check the Wi-Fi security the printer reports; if your router is moving to WPA3, see printer WPA3 Wi-Fi setup.

Finish safely

Click Log out when you are done; some printers log you out automatically after a few minutes. If you changed the IP address, update the printer on each computer: remove it and add it again, as shown in our guides for Windows 11 and Mac.