If you have recently purchased a Brother Printer, be it new or second hand, if you are experiencing trouble setting it up, you can follow the information provided in this guide. Here, you will not only get information on how to connect your Brother Printer on a Wireless Network but also learn to fix common issues that occurs with the configuration and printing process. Now, let us know how to quickly connect your Brother Printer on a wireless network.
Guide to Set Up Brother Printer on a Wireless Network
Before you begin configuring your Brother Printer on a wireless network, it is suggested to consider the following:
Make sure to find out the wireless network settings of your wireless router or access point. Find and note down the current wireless network settings as you will need this information later.
- Network Name (Which is also known as SSID or ESSID)
- Network Key (which is also known as “Password” “Security Key” “Encryption Key”)
To find the Network Name (SSID) and Network Key (Password)
- See the side or base of your wireless router or access point.
- Check the documentation you would have received with your wireless router or access point.
Once you have the above-mentioned information, you can proceed with the steps provided below for the configuration of Brother Printer on a wireless network. However, if you are unable to find the Network Name (SSID) and Network Key (Password) of your wireless router or access point, you can find them by following these steps:
For Window Users (Windows Vista / Windows 7 / Windows 8 / Windows 10)
The following steps may help you find your wireless security settings if you have connected your computer to your network using a wireless connection.
- Brother has developed a “Wireless Setup Helper” utility that helps you in locating the security settings (such as SSID and Network Key) of your wireless network.
- To download the utility, you will need to go to this page.
- Once you are on this page, you will need to select the version of your Windows system and click on the OK button.
- After that follow the on-screen prompts to complete the utility setup process.
If still, you are unable to find the Network Name (SSID) and Network Key (Password) of your wireless router or access point, you will need to contact your internet service provider or router manufacturer.
For Macintosh Users
The following information may help you find your wireless security settings if you would have connected your Macintosh to your network using a wireless connection. If you have connected your Macintosh to the network with an Ethernet cable, or if you are unable to access the Keychain Access application, you will need to contact your router manufacturer or network admin to determine your wireless network’s security settings.
To Determine the Wireless Password (Network Key)
- Click Go > Utilities > double-click on the Keychain Access
- In the Keychains section, you will need one of the following:
- For Mac OS X v10.5.x users: Select All Items and find your Network from the list. In case the network is not listed under All items, you will need to click Passwords and find your Network from the list.
- For Mac OS X v 10.6.x or above version users: Click on the login option and find your Network from the list. In case the Network is not listed in the login section, you will need to click System and find your Network from the list.
- Next, you will need to double-click on the Network Name (SSID) in the Name
- Then, you will need to select the checkbox next to the Show password option in the Attributes Tab.
- After that, you will need to enter the Mac Administrator’s password or Keychain password in the dialog box and then click on the Allow or OK
- Make sure to note down the password listed in the Show password field as you will need it at the time of connecting to the Wireless network.
To Determine the Wireless Authentication Method Using Network Utility
- Click on the Wi-Fi or Airport icon in the Menu Bar.
- Next, you will need to click on Open Network Preferences
- Then, in the list of network connections, you will need to click Wi-Fi or Airport option in the list of network connections.
- Now, you will need to ensure that the correct Network Name is listed. Then, click on the Advanced
- From the Wi-Fi or Airport section, you will need to note down the Network Name and Security type on the list of Preferred Networks.
Now, as you have the network information of your wireless router or access point, you can continue with the steps to set up your printer on a wireless network.
Steps to configure your Brother Printer on a Wireless Network
- Begin by connecting the power cord to your Brother printer. Once it is connected, you will then need to connect it to a power supply (electrical socket) and turn ON your brother printer.
- Next, you will need to press the Menu button on the Control Panel of your Printer.
- Now, you will need to press the Up or Down arrow key to select Network and press the OK
- Then, you will need to press the Up or Down arrow key to select Network and then press the OK
- Similarly, you will need to press the Up or Down arrow key to select the Setup Wizard and press the OK
- Once you see “WLAN Enable?” on your screen, you will need to select the Yes option to enable the wireless network. Doing so will begin the wireless setup wizard.
- As the wireless setup wizard will open, your printer will search for your network and display a list of available Network Names (SSIDs). Once you see the list of SSIDs on your screen, you will need to press the Up or Down arrow keys to select the SSID you note down earlier and press the OK
- After that, you will need one of the following:
- If you are using an authentication and encryption method which requires the Network Key (Password), you will need to enter the Network Key in the provided field and press the OK button to apply the settings. You will need to select the Yes option to apply the settings.
- In case your authentication method is Open System and your encryption mode is None, skip to the next step.
- In this step, your printer will try to connect to the wireless network you would have selected.
- If your Brother machine connects successfully, the LCD screen of your printer will display Connected.
- If your Brother Printer connection fails, your printer will print a wireless connection report. In this case, you will need to check the error code given in the printed report.
- Once you have addressed the issue and successfully connected your printer, you will need to download and install the software of your Brother Printer.
Steps to Download and Install Brother Printer’s Software
After successfully setting up the connection of your printer, you will need to download and install the driver. Below you can find the information for downloading and installing
For Windows Users: If you are using the Windows system, you will need to download the driver from this page. Once you are on this page, select the version of Windows you are using, press the OK button and follow the on-screen prompts.
For Macintosh Users: If you are a Mac user, you will need to download the driver from this page. Once you are on this page, select the radio button next to the Mac option, select the appropriate version of macOS, press the OK button, and follow the on-screen prompts.
Still Unable to Print from your Brother Printer on a Wireless Network
While following these above-mentioned instructions should help you complete your connection process, however, if even after following this configuration process, you are unable to connect, consider taking the following measures:
For Macintosh
If you are a Mac user, you will need to follow the below-mentioned steps to be able to print from your Brother Printer.
- Make Sure that Your Brother printer is Ready to Use
The first thing you need to keep in mind is that your Brother Printer is ready to use. For this, you will need to follow the below-mentioned steps according to the problem you are facing.
If the screen of the printer is blank
- Make sure the printer is not in sleep mode. To check this, you will need to press any button on the Printer to wake it up from sleep mode.
- If pressing the button doesn’t fix the issue, you will need to make sure the power plug is plugged into a working socket and switches are turned to ON position.
- Contact your Brother dealer, if your printer is unresponsive even when you have turned it on and off multiple times.
Check if your Brother Printer is Displaying any Error
If you see that your printer is displaying printing errors such as Paper Jam or Ink/Toner Empty, you will first need to clear these types of errors.
Make Sure that you have Configured your Printer as the Default printer
To check whether or not you have set your Brother Printer as the default printer, follow these steps:
- Click Apple menu, select System Preference > Click Print & Fax, Print & Scan or Printers & Scanners.
- Next, select your Brother Printer from the Default Printer pop-up menu.
Check the Status of your Brother Printer
To check the status of your Brother Printer, you will need to:
- Click on the Open Print Queue
- When the Print queue appears, you will need to click on the Resume or Resume Printer.
- Then, try printing from your printer.
Clear all Print Jobs
- Click on the Brother Printer icon and select the Open Print Queue
- In the print queue section, you will need to delete all print jobs by selecting each job first and then clicking on the X icon.
- Check and Repair your Wireless Connection
It is recommended to ensure that your Brother printer is connected properly to the wireless network. For this, you will need to follow these steps:
Make sure that your computer or mobile device is properly connected to the wireless network
Make sure that your computer or mobile device is properly connected to the wireless network. You can check this by opening a random website on your web browser of the device. If the website doesn’t load properly, you will first need to address the connectivity issue and then try printing from your printer.
Ensure that the Wireless Network Interface of your Brother Printer is Enabled
When the wireless network interface of your Brother is displayed, you may not be able to print from your printer. To enable it:
- Press Menu and then press Up or Down arrow key to select Network. Then press the OK button.
- Next, you will need to press the Up or Down arrow key to select Wired LAN or WLAN and then press the OK
- Then, you will need to press the Up or Down arrow key to select Wired Enable or WLAN Enable and then press the OK
- After that, press the Up or Down arrow key to select On or Off
- Finally, press OK and then press Stop/Exit or Cancel
Make Sure that all your Wireless Devices are Working Properly
It is suggested to make sure that all your wireless devices are functioning correctly. For this you will need to Turn all the device Off and ON in the following order – Wireless Router/Access Point > Computer/Access Point > Brother Printer.
NOTE: you will need to wait at least 5 minutes to allow your Brother printer to get connected to the wireless network before you try printing. If still, you are unable to print from your printer, consider setting up your printer again.
- Diagnose and Fix other Wireless Connection Issues
Try printing the Network Configuration Report and Check the Connection to the Wireless Router or Access Point
Once your Brother Printer gets connected to the wireless network, you will need to check the status of the wireless connection of your printer by printing the Configuration Report. Once you have print the report, you will need to check the Wireless Link Status on the printed report.
Check the IP Address of your Computer and Brother Printer
To check the IP Address of your Mac Computer
- Click on the Apple Menu > select System Preferences > Network > Advanced option.
- Next, select TCP/IP and check the IPv4 Address and Subnet Mask. Here, you will need to make sure that the Subnet Mask is “255.255.255.0”. If the Subnet Mask is different, you will need to contact your Network Administrator.
- Then, you will need to check the IP address of your Brother Printer on the Network Configuration Report.
- From the printer report, you will need to check the IP address next to <IP Settings> on the printer report.
- After that, you will need to compare the IP Address of your Computer and Brother Printer.
- In comparison, you will need to make sure that the addresses are the same and only the end numbers are different.
To Ping the Brother Machine
- Click Go from the Finder bar and select Computer > Macintosh HD > System > Library > Core Services > Applications > Network Utility.
- Next, select the Ping tab and enter the IP address of the Brother Printer.
- Then, you will need to select the Send only_pings button and change the value to 4.
- After that, click on the Ping
Following this process will ping and try to communicate with the Brother printer. Once completed, you will be able to see the ping statistics.
- If you receive the replies and they are from the IP address of your Brother printer, this means there is a communication between the computer and the Brother printer. Simply close the window.
- In case you do not receive any replies or if they are not from the correct IP address, this means that there is a communication between your computer and Brother printer.
To fix the communication issue, consider these steps:
- Make sure that your Brother printer and computer are connected to the same wireless network.
- If they are on the different wireless networks and you are unable to resolve the issue, you will need to contact your router manufacturer, internet service provider, or network administrator to overcome the connectivity error.
- Make sure that no firewalls or other applications are functioning as they may also be preventing the connecting from getting established.
So, these are the workarounds that you can follow to connect your Brother Printer on a wireless network and fix common issues that might be preventing you from establishing the connection.
