WiFi printers are great as they provide users with the flexibility of printing anywhere without directly connecting the device to the printer. Brother offers a fantastic range of options for wireless printers.
However, when your Brother Printer can’t connect to a WiFi network, it turns what was once a convenience into frustration. Technology is supposed to make our life better, not add complications.
This article will aim to get your Brother Printer to work efficiently without delay as we provide troubleshooting methods to solve the connection problem.
Brother Printer Not Connecting To WiFi: Possible Causes
There are several possible causes of WiFi connection problems in a Brother Printer. Getting where the problem is will ease the stress of the diagnosis. The main reasons why your Brother Printer is not connecting to WiFi include:
- Weak WiFi signal
- Wrong WiFi network settings
- Invalid wireless password
- Software and drivers problem.
- Faulty or bad hardware component
Brother Printer Not Connecting To WiFi: DIY Causes
The important thing in solving a problem is knowing the cause. Since we’ve established the possible causes above, we can use suitable diagnosis methods. Below are proven and tested ways to solve WiFi connection issues on a Brother Printer.
1. Power Cycle All Devices
First, before we delve into deep ends, we should consider a simple step to solve the Brother Printer not connecting to WiFi. Power cycling all the devices can solve the connection problem.
When we say all devices, we mean the computer, the WiFi router, and the Brother Printer itself. Simply turning them off, leaving them for about 2 minutes, then turning them on again can reset the problem and get your printer back to being productive.
You can also try restarting your printer and WiFi router as follows:
- Turn off both devices (printer and router)
- Restart the device by pressing the Power button for approximately 15 seconds.
- A green light will display, showing that the devices are ON.
- Navigate to Wireless Settings and try to reconnect.
If the problem persists, read along as we provide more troubleshooting options.
2. Reset Network Settings
Have you recently changed the wireless password on your router? If yes, trying to connect to the network again might fail because your printer might be trying to connect to the previous network profile. You’ll need to reset the network settings to fix this problem. Follow the steps below to reset the network settings:
- Switch your printer and press the Home or Menu button
- Use the arrow key or next button to navigate to the Network option.
- Select the Network Reset option
- Click on Yes to confirm the process.
Your process of network settings will start. Once complete, your Brother Printer should reconnect to the WiFi network.
3. Check The Network Connection
Another method to diagnose your Brother Printer not connecting to the WiFi is to inspect the wireless network. If it’s not working correctly, it could be aiding the problem. You can try to use another device to check the WiFi connection.
If the internet access is good, and the Brother Printer still can’t connect, the problem could be from the printer or its connectivity. Follow the steps below for more diagnoses:
- Adjust the wireless channels on the standard mode 9 or 11.
- If the problem persists, change the Router Settings
- Jump to the router dashboard on the computer
- Locate the Wireless Security settings
- Choose the Encryption Type option. Please change it to WEP 64-bit.
- Generate a new key for your network and select the Apply Settings option.
Does the problem persist? Then follow along as we establish more diagnosis methods.
4. Update Printer’s Firmware Or Drivers
Your printer’s driver ensures a smooth interface between your printer and the computer. When your printer’s driver is outdated, it can hinder it from connecting to the Wi-Fi.
Similarly, Firmware is the software that runs your printer. If your printer is old, the firmware might be outdated and require you to update it to solve the connection problem.
Brother Printer provides a simple guide to update both on their website. You can download the Brother Printer’s firmware tool and complete the installation process yourself or follow the process below:
- Click on Administrator
- Select the Firmware Update and enable the option
- Select the Check For New Firmware and click on the submit button
- From the list of printers available, click on your Brother Printer model
- Select the Next Option tab
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
The procedure usually takes around 15 minutes and will prompt you with the “completed” message when it’s done. When the process is complete, your Brother Printer should be able to connect to the WiFi network.
5. Print Your Brother Printer WLAN Report
Another great way to solve the Brother Printer not connecting to WiFi is to print the WLAN report. You can follow the process below:
- Go to the Menu tab and click on Settings
- Please navigate to the Print Reports option and select it
- Select “WLAN Report” and choose from the options ( Start, Black(Mono) Start, or Color Start).
When the result is printed, look for the connection column to interpret the result. If the status says “Connection:Ok,” then there’s no problem with the connection, and you might only need to reset to factory settings as the option.
If it reads ” Failed,” it will also prompt an error code, then you can solve the error accordingly to fix the problem.
Other diagnostic methods you can try include:
- Check the Network Configuration Report to inspect the IP address of your printer and the computer. Ensure the numbers are the same except the end numbers.
- Reset the Network Settings to factory settings
Also, note that if you recently switched to 5GHz WiFi, this could be a problem too. Brother Printers do not support 5GHz WiFi. Your internet provider can help split the combined network into distinct ones- 2.4GHz and 5GHz. It is then you can connect your Brother Printer to the 2.4GHz
6. Contact Manufacturer’s Support
If you have tried all the above tips and methods, but your Brother Printers still can’t connect to the WiFi network, you’ll have to contact Brother’s customer support for more diagnoses.