macOS 19-09 printer detection issues

macOS, version 1909. I'm trying to add a printer—just typing in the IP address for this HP LaserJet—but it can't find any drivers.
I tried going through macOS Update to see if it would suggest all the available drivers so I could just pick one, but...

Back when I was running an earlier version of macOS, like 1803, it used to work perfectly. You’d just punch in the IP address and boom, it found the driver and installed everything in seconds.

It’s a 32-bit system in both cases.
And yeah, I did a completely fresh install both times. Same exact steps, click-click-done, nothing unusual.
For some reason, 1909 just won't pull the driver even when I give it the direct IP.

Are there some new default network settings in macOS now that mess with this?

You probably already know this, but just in case

check your settings and make sure "Change device installation settings" is set to Yes so it grabs drivers automatically...

Yeah, everything looks solid on paper, but here's the kicker: it seems like Windows 10 keeps trying to shake hands with the network printer, only to just... give up after a few minutes
With 1803, that whole step wraps up in like two seconds flat