Patent ID: 7577155

Claim:
A printer that is capable of being connected to a network to which multiple other devices are connected, the printer comprising: a flash ROM in which is stored a program for setting network parameters and settings related to the network parameters, including whether to acquire the network parameters automatically or manually, the program being read each time the printer is turned on; a printing unit configured to print on a printing medium; and an address acquisition unit configured to perform the following steps, automatically and without user intervention acquire a network address by communicating with one or more of the multiple other devices over the network, and cause the printing unit to print the network address when the network address is acquired and when the printing of the network address is enabled; and wherein the address acquisition unit first attempts to acquire the network address by communication with a server in the network that is configured to run a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP), acquires the network address by automatic private internet protocol addressing (APIPA), if acquisition by communication with the DHCP server fails, and acquires the network address from a printer memory if APIPA is not available; and wherein each of the multiple other devices is configured to enable or disable the printing of the network address; and wherein the address acquisition unit is further configured to alternatively acquire the network address manually and to perform the following steps set a network address stored in the printer as an active network address, and cause the printer to enter a normal operation mode without printing the active network address.