Brother Printer Offline? 10 Easy Fixes

Quick Fix

Brother printer showing offline? Restart both printer and router: turn off printer, unplug router for 30 seconds, plug router back in, wait 2 minutes, then turn on printer. On your computer, go to Printers, right-click Brother printer, and select “Set as default printer” and uncheck “Use Printer Offline.”

Why Is Brother Printer Offline?

Brother printers go offline due to WiFi disconnection, IP address changes, driver issues, sleep mode, or Windows print spooler problems. The printer may actually be connected but Windows incorrectly shows it as offline.

Method 1: Disable “Use Printer Offline”

Windows may have set it offline.

1. Open Control Panel > Devices and Printers
2. Right-click your Brother printer
3. Select See what’s printing
4. Click Printer menu
5. Uncheck “Use Printer Offline”

Method 2: Restart Print Spooler

Spooler service may be stuck.

1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc
2. Find Print Spooler
3. Right-click and select Restart
4. Wait for service to restart
5. Try printing again

Method 3: Check Printer WiFi Connection

Printer may have lost WiFi.

1. On printer, press Menu
2. Go to Network > WLAN > WLAN Status
3. Check if connected to your network
4. If not, run WLAN Setup Wizard
5. Reconnect to your WiFi network

Method 4: Check Printer IP Address

IP may have changed.

1. Print network configuration from printer
2. Note the IP address
3. On computer, open printer properties
4. Check if port IP matches printer IP
5. Update port if IP changed

Method 5: Set Static IP Address

Prevent IP from changing.

1. Access router settings (192.168.1.1)
2. Find DHCP reservation settings
3. Add Brother printer MAC address
4. Assign a static IP
5. Restart printer

Method 6: Remove and Re-add Printer

Fresh installation fixes driver issues.

1. Go to Settings > Devices > Printers
2. Select Brother printer and Remove
3. Restart computer
4. Click Add a printer
5. Let Windows find and install printer

Method 7: Update Brother Drivers

Old drivers cause offline issues.

1. Visit support.brother.com
2. Enter your printer model
3. Download latest Full Driver Package
4. Uninstall old driver first
5. Install new driver

Method 8: Disable SNMP

SNMP can cause false offline status.

1. Open Devices and Printers
2. Right-click printer > Printer Properties
3. Go to Ports tab
4. Click Configure Port
5. Uncheck SNMP Status Enabled

Method 9: Connect via USB Temporarily

USB helps diagnose network issues.

1. Connect printer to computer with USB cable
2. Let Windows install USB driver
3. Test printing via USB
4. If USB works, network is the issue
5. Reconfigure WiFi connection

Method 10: Reset Network Settings

Clear all network configuration.

1. On printer: Menu > Network > Network Reset
2. Confirm reset
3. Run WLAN Setup Wizard again
4. Reconnect to WiFi
5. Re-add printer on computer

FAQ

Why does my Brother printer keep going offline?

Recurring offline issues usually mean the IP address keeps changing. Set up a static IP through your router’s DHCP reservation. Also disable sleep mode on the printer which can cause disconnections.

How do I check if my Brother printer is connected to WiFi?

Press the WiFi button on the printer – a solid light means connected. You can also print a network configuration page from the printer menu to see the connection status and IP address.

Why is Brother printer offline but connected to WiFi?

The printer may be connected but Windows lost communication. Check if the printer IP changed, restart the print spooler service, and disable SNMP status checking in port settings.