How to run a Bambu Lab printer in LAN-only mode

To run a Bambu Lab printer in LAN-only mode, turn on LAN Only in the printer’s settings and note the access code it shows. Then select the printer in Bambu Studio and enter that code. Prints, monitoring and the camera then work over your local network with no internet connection. You lose remote printing from outside your network, the Bambu Handy app and print history.

This guide follows Bambu Lab’s own documentation as of October 1, 2026. Menu names move between firmware versions, so match each step to what your screen shows.

What is LAN-only mode on a 3D printer?

LAN-only mode is a setting that keeps a networked printer on your local network instead of the maker’s cloud. Bambu Lab describes it as a feature that lets its printers “work in a local area network, and communicate with the slicer for sending files and monitoring without requiring internet access.” Your slicer talks to the printer directly.

Bambu Lab’s privacy notice states that “when LAN Only Mode is enabled… all the printing task-related data stays within your local area network.” Its remote control guide adds that in LAN mode “no print information and files will be transferred to cloud server.”

Can Bambu Lab printers work without the cloud?

Yes. Bambu Lab documents LAN Only mode for its H2, P2S, X, P1 and A series printers, and offline firmware updates from a memory card or USB drive. Three features stop working, according to Bambu Lab’s LAN mode guide:

• “Cannot start prints remotely from outside the local network”
• “Bambu Handy app is not available when using LAN Mode.”
• “Print History feature is not available”

Some features keep running on the printer but stop getting cloud updates. Bambu Lab notes that spaghetti detection on the X1 “uses local processing”, but without the cloud it relies on “the information it has in the latest firmware”, which “might be outdated”.

How to enable LAN-only mode

The setting sits in a different menu on each printer series. Turn it on, then note the access code shown on the same screen, because Bambu Studio needs it.

Printer series	Where to find LAN Only
H2 series, P2S, X series	Settings, then LAN Only. Turn on LAN Only mode, and choose whether to enable LAN mode liveview.
P1P, P1S	Settings, then WLAN, then LAN Only Mode. Confirm with “Yes”.
A series	Settings, then scroll to page 3 for Lan Only Mode. The button turns green when it is on.

On the X1, Bambu Lab’s guide adds that “it is indeed necessary to insert an SD card on the right side of the printer’s touch screen” to start a new print job from Bambu Studio in this mode.

The X1 menu has moved before. Bambu Lab’s X1 release notes for firmware 01.07.00.00 describe “relocating the LAN Only mode option from the Network page to the General page”. If you do not see it under Settings, check the General page.

The access code

The access code is how Bambu Studio proves it may control the printer. You can refresh it from the printer’s screen. Bambu Lab’s P1 release notes warn that “after a refresh, Bambu Studio will disconnect and needs the new access code to connect to the printer again.”

How to connect Bambu Studio in LAN mode

Open the Device page in Bambu Studio, pick the printer from the printer list, and enter the access code. Bambu Lab’s guide says the printer in LAN-only mode “will have a lock icon in front of its name”, and that connecting “can take between 20 seconds to 60 seconds”.

1. Open Bambu Studio and go to the Device page.
2. Open the printer list and select the printer with the lock icon.
3. Enter the printer’s access code and click Confirm.
4. To see the camera, turn on LAN Only Liveview.

Logging in to Bambu Studio is optional. Its quick start guide labels the step “optional, but strongly recommended” and lists binding “via IP address and access code” for “isolated networks or environments without internet access”. Install the Bambu Network plug-in while you still have internet. Bambu Lab says the plug-in “requires Internet connection” to install, and without it “the “Device” page will be unavailable.”

If the printer is on another subnet or VLAN

When the printer sits on a different VLAN or subnet from your computer, connect by IP address instead. Read the printer’s IP address and access code on its LAN Only page. In Bambu Studio, choose Device, then “No Printer”, then “Bind with Access Code”, and enter both.

Bambu Studio does not remember the IP address. Bambu Lab’s guide says you “will need to re-enter both pieces of information… every time you restart Bambu Studio.”

Developer Mode and third-party software

Developer Mode is a LAN-only setting that lets third-party software control the printer without Bambu Lab’s authorization checks. Bambu Lab added it after its January 2025 authorization control update, which put checks on operations such as “initiating a print job (via LAN or cloud mode)”. Developer Mode lifts those checks on your local network.

Bambu Lab’s integration guide says Developer Mode “functions the same as in previous firmware versions and does not require authorization verification”, and that “third-party software will continue to work without any modifications.” It “will not allow the printer to be connected to Bambu Cloud”, so it works only in LAN mode.

To turn it on, enable LAN Only first, then turn on Developer Mode on the same page and confirm the notice. On P series printers, Bambu Lab’s guide says to scroll down on the LAN Only page to find it. Bambu Lab warns that enabling it “will open the MQTT channel, live stream, and FTP, giving you full control over your printer and its network security.”

Developer Mode arrived in firmware 01.08.05.00 on the X1, 01.08.02.00 on the P1, 01.05.00.00 on the A1 and 01.01.00.00 on the H2D. Update first if your printer’s firmware is older.

How to use OrcaSlicer without a cloud account

OrcaSlicer can send prints to a Bambu Lab printer over LAN. Bambu Lab’s January 2025 announcement says OrcaSlicer “can connect to the printer via the cloud or LAN mode”. OrcaSlicer’s 2.4 release notes say its Stealth Mode “disables all cloud features”, and that “LAN mode now correctly falls back to the standard FTP transfer path”.

OrcaSlicer’s own wiki has no step-by-step page for connecting to a Bambu Lab printer in LAN mode. Have the printer’s IP address and access code from its LAN Only page ready. If the connection is refused after a firmware update, check whether your firmware needs Developer Mode for third-party control. From version 2.4, OrcaSlicer no longer uses Bambu Cloud to sync profiles. Its wiki says “Bambu Cloud for printer communication is unaffected.”

How to update firmware offline

You update firmware without the cloud by copying Bambu Lab’s update package to a memory card or USB drive and installing it from the printer’s screen. Bambu Lab’s offline update page says this works when the printer “does not connect to the Internet and cannot access the cloud service”. Download the package on another computer first.

Printer	Media	Menu path	Minimum firmware
X1, X1 Carbon	microSD card, FAT32	Setting, General, Firmware Version, Update Offline	01.08.02.00
P1 series	microSD card	Settings, Firmware, Update Offline	01.07.00.00
A1, A2L	microSD card	Settings, Firmware, Update Offline	01.04.00.00
P2S, X2D	USB drive	Settings, Firmware, Update Offline	Not stated

Do not rename or unzip the package. Bambu Lab’s X1 guide says “Do not edit the name of the update package, or unzip it”, and that “the printer supports FAT32 format only.” On the P2S and X2D, format the drive on the printer first, under Settings, USB Storage, Format External Storage. Bambu Lab says the update “takes 20-30 minutes.”

Using the camera in LAN mode

The camera works over LAN once you turn on liveview. Bambu Lab’s guide says to “turn on “LAN Only Liveview” to view the printer live screen in Bambu Studio.” On H2, P2S and X series printers, the printer offers a LAN mode liveview switch when you turn on LAN Only. On A series printers, Bambu Lab says “the Live View camera will be displayed in Bambu Studio.”