Is there a mysterious reason why your Brother printer is appearing offline? Thousands of customers frequently look for terms like “why is my Brother printer offline,” frustrated by unforeseen interruptions in their printing tasks. or “Offline, according to the Brother printer.” Whether you have a Brother printer, are using Brother iPrint&Scan, or are attempting to print a basic document, these issues can halt production and create unnecessary stress.
This blog post examines the reasons behind the frequent outages of your Brother printer and provides comprehensive solutions.
Why Is My Brother Printer Offline?
Your computer is incapable to attach to your Brother printer when it is offline. Though, there are a number of conceivable roots for this disconnect, such as:
1. Instability of the Network
The majority of contemporary printers connect via Wi-Fi. The connection may not work if your WiFi network is erratic, drops out of the blue, or the printer is too distant away from the router. The Brother iPrint&Scan app or your computer will then show the printer as offline.
2. Using the wrong printer settings
Unbeknownst to you, settings like “Use Printer Offline” can occasionally be activated. Even when the Brother printer is turned on and connected, this straightforward checkbox can cause it to appear as offline.
3. Problems with the Driver
A “printer offline” status might be caused by communication problems brought on by outdated or corrupted printer drivers. Making sure your drivers are constantly up to date is critical.
4. IP Address Conflicts
If your Brother printer has a dynamic IP address, which is prone to change, your computer may not always be able to find it. As a result, the Brother printer appearing offline via Brother iPrint&Scan becomes a regular issue.
5. Blocking antivirus programs or firewalls
It’s possible that your security software will prevent your printer and computer from communicating. This is especially typical when setting up new antivirus or firewall software.
How to Resolve Brother Printer Outages
Let’s review the doable steps to restore your printer’s functionality. These fixes are compatible with a number of models, including Brother printers that display as offline.
1. Restart your devices and printer.
Before exploring complex solutions:
- Turn off your printer by unplugging it from the power supply.
- Restart your router and PC.
- After two to three minutes, turn everything back on.
- This fixes any short-term issues and refreshes any network connections.
2: Turn off the “Use Printer Offline” option.
- Go to your computer’s Control Panel > Devices & Printers.
- Select When you right-click on the Brother printer icon, a menu will show you what is printing.
- Choose Printer from the menu bar.
- Click to turn off the setting if Use Printer Offline is selected.
- Verify whether the Brother printer indicates that the offline problem has been fixed.
3. Make the Brother printer your default printer.
If a different device is chosen as the default printer, your tasks could not be routed correctly.
- Go to Devices and Printers.
- On your Brother printer, perform a right-click.
- Choose “Set as default printer.”
- This guarantees that the right device receives all upcoming print jobs.
4: Reinstall or update printer drivers
Get the most recent drivers for your model by going to the official Brother support website.
- Remove the current driver using Control Panel > Programs and Features.
- After installing the latest version, Give your machine a restart.
- This frequently resolves offline or brother printer not printing issues.
5. Assign an IP address that is static.
To prevent the Brother iPrint&Scan issue from causing the Brother printer to appear offline:
- From the settings menu on your printer, print a network configuration document.
- Take note of the IP address as of right now.
- Go to the admin page of your router and set aside that IP address for the MAC address of your printer.
- In order to prevent communication problems, your printer will now always utilize the same IP.
6: Verify the antivirus and firewall settings
Turn off your firewall or antivirus program for a while to see if that’s the problem. Whitelist the printer’s IP address or port in the settings if your Brother printer continues to go offline when these are enabled.
7: Make Proper Use of the Brother iPrint&Scan App
Many consumers report that even when their Brother printer is online on their PC, Brother iPrint&Scan displays it as offline. To correct this:
- Validate that your mobile device and printer are allied to the equivalent wireless network.
- Restart the application.
- If problems persist, remove and reinstall the program from the app store.
Additional Troubleshooting Advice
- Make sure your printer’s firmware is always up to date.
- Connect straight to the PC and stay away from USB hubs.
- Verify that the fax and scan functions of Brother printers aren’t interfering with print mode.
When to Configure Your Brother Printer Once More
If none of these fixes work, it might be time to set up your Brother printer from scratch.
- Remove all relevant drivers and software.
- Take the gadget out of Devices and Printers.
- Restart your computer.
- To reinstall the printer, use the installation CD or get setup brother printer tools from Brother’s website.
- This “factory reset” method can resolve recurring issues that don’t go away with simple remedies, such as Brother printer saying offline.
Final Thoughts
Receiving a brother printer offline notification is definitely inconvenient, especially if you’re short on time. Most of these issues are readily fixed with a few adjustments. Whether your Brother printer is displaying offline, refusing to print, or losing Wi-Fi, the steps mentioned above can help restore smooth operation.
By understanding why my brother’s printer keeps going offline and implementing the necessary fixes, you can start printing again with the least amount of downtime.
FAQs
After being inactive for a while, why is my Brother printer offline?
Printers may shut down after idle time due to sleep mode, power-saving settings, or network failures. A bad Wi-Fi connection or programmed timeouts may cause the printer to disconnect and appear as offline after a period of inactivity.
Can my Brother printer seem to be offline due to outdated drivers?
Indeed, communication problems caused by out-of-date or corrupted drivers may cause the Brother printer showing offline. By guaranteeing proper communication between the computer and printer, driver updates reduce the possibility of frequent offline problems.
How can I resolve the Windows or macOS Brother iPrint&Scan offline error?
To fix the Brother iPrint&Scan offline problem, confirm that both devices are connected to the same network. Check for software conflicts, update printer drivers, and restart the application. Reinstalling the application might also fix ongoing offline problems.
Can a paper jam or error message make my MFC printer go offline?
Yes, the brother mfc printer shows as offline or stopped working due to a paper gridlock or an error message. The printer may cease operating until the issue is resolved, moving into offline mode until the error is corrected or the jam is eliminated.
Does printer connectivity get impacted by firewall or antivirus software?
If your printer is unable to connect to your computer due to a firewall or antivirus program, it may appear to be offline. Changing the settings to allow the printer’s IP address or temporarily disabling the firewall can resolve this issue.
Which network type—Ethernet or Wi-Fi—is more dependable for avoiding offline errors?
Ethernet is usually more reliable than Wi-Fi when it comes to preventing brother printer offline problems. Wired connections provide dependable, continuous communication between your printer and device, but Wi-Fi might experience interference and signal failures, leading to frequent offline problems.