Network printer ip address

"if a network printer ip address is listed as 192.168.2.238_1, "  that is not an IP address.
Where are you seeing this? I am guessing it is in windows  and not on the printer itself and that it is in fact the Configured port in windows.  This is NOT the port of the Printer but a Virtual Port in windows to Identify that IP Address.

You can also go to the printers properties and go to the Ports tab. There you can click on the Configure Port button and that will give you the printer's IP.

It is possible that you looked under Printer Properties or Configure Port, and saw the Port Name, instead of the IP address. The Port name can be anything, and admins change it to suit themselves. Some like to keep it the same as the IP address, possibly by adding a _1, _2 etc, to designate differently configured drivers as suggested by Ray.

Another way is  if you have physical access to printer you can print out configuration using printer menu or combination of buttons.

192.168.2.238_1 is not a TCP/IP address. It is the name of TCP port which was created to comminucate with printer on network directly. IP address is listed on Ports tab of Printer properties.
If IP address of network was changed after port was created, it is possible, that IP address is not 192.168.2.238.

I agree with Toni. If you check the printer port's properties, you will see the actual IP address for the printer.  But, I think it's a safe bet that the IP is 192.168.2.238.

By default, Windows creates a printer port with the IP address as the name when you add a port for an IP printer.  If a port with that name already exists when you try to add a port, Windows will tell you that the port name is already in use & it will add the port with "_1" appended to the end of the name.

thank you!