Hello everyone! Recently, I've encountered a really frustrating issue for the first time: my Windows Server 2016 seems to be randomly changing the TCP/IP port for one specific printer. It's strange because all other printers connected to the print server app remain unaffected. This particular printer keeps switching to its own IP address port several times a day, despite no apparent triggers — I haven't made any changes for years, aside from regular security updates. I even tried updating the printer driver, but that didn't help. Last, I removed the port with the printer's IP, and it hasn't changed in about a day, but I still feel it's going to happen again. I've enabled the operational logging, but nothing stands out there either. The networking seems fine; no packet loss or issues with communication. Has anyone else faced a similar problem?
2 Answers
Haha, classic Windows antics! Sounds like one of those quirky bugs. Setting a static IP is a good move, and maybe consider rebooting your server too, just to clear things up!
I haven't faced this issue personally, but does it always switch to the same specific port? If that’s the case, it might be worth resetting the printer or assigning a different IP to it. Have you checked Event Viewer for any clues?
Yeah, it always changes to the same port corresponding to the printer’s IP. But there’s nothing in Event Viewer, even in the operational logs for the printer service.
You could try setting a static IP for the printer and keep an eye on Event Viewer. Good luck!
It’s not random; it switches to that specific port every time. The printer already has a static IP. Rebooting didn’t help either. I suspect a Windows update might have triggered this, but the last one was a couple of weeks ago.