Why Is My Brother Printer Not Connecting To WiFi & How Can I Fix It?

WiFi printers are convenient, and Brother offers a wide variety of excellent choices for printing the wireless way.

What was once a relief can become an annoyance if your Brother printer is not connecting to WiFi.

With technology, it is supposed to make life simpler, but instead it can cause headache-inducing delays that mess with your plans when it fails to function.

To that end, let us try some common fixes for your Brother printer's WiFi configuration to see if we can get you back up and running again with your print jobs.

Why Brother Printer Not Connecting to WiFi

Your Brother printer's inability to connect to a wireless network could result from a number of different problems.

Major causes include:

  • Poor WiFi signal strength. Try to reposition your printer closer to your wireless access point.
  • Misconfigured wireless network - Proceed to step 2.
  • Problems caused by outdated software (firmware, drivers, etc.) - Proceed to Step 3.

Step 1: Reboot All Devices

In the event that your Brother printer still is not able to connect to your wireless network, turning off and then restarting all of your connected devices is a quick and easy first step.

The Brother printer, PC, and wireless router all fall under this category that need a reboot.

Your Brother printer may have lost its WiFi connection, but a simple reboot should restore your network and get you printing again. If your devices do not re-join the network automatically, you can set it up again manually.

Step 2: Check WiFi Connection

In order to proceed, you must test the reliability of your wireless connection.

If the WiFi network is not functioning properly, you will not be able to link a wireless connection to a Brother printer.

If you want to check your WiFi connection, try using a different device like a cell phone. The ability to send and receive emails, use the internet, etc.

Note that your Brother printer's WiFi connectivity may be broken, even if your internet connection is fine.

Step 3: Review Software Issues

  • Drivers

The printer driver acts as the link between your computer and the printer.

To make matters worse, using an older driver may prevent your Brother printer from communicating wirelessly. The latest Brother printer drivers can be found on Brother’s website.

  • Firmware

The firmware on a printer is the core software that controls the device.

In order to fix the Brother printer WiFi setup issue, you may need to upgrade the printer's firmware if it is an older model. You can update to the latest firmware for your printer from Brother’s website.

Step 4: Other Solutions

When your Brother printer will not link up to your WiFi network, you can also try the following solutions:

  • Check the "Wireless Link Status" and print out the Network Configuration Report. If an error message appears, try reverting the network configuration back to its original settings.
  • Make sure the IP address listed on the Network configuration report matches the one listed for your computer and printer, except for the last digit.
  • Verify your computer's connection to the Brother printer by sending a ping to the printer from your computer.
  • Resetting the network to its original configuration may help. All data, including the IP address and password, is cleared in this manner.