Your Brother printer is on, has paper and ink, but your computer says "Offline." Print jobs queue up but nothing happens. This is typically a communication issue between your computer and the printer — not a hardware failure. Here's how to fix it on Windows and Mac.
Fix 1: Uncheck "Use Printer Offline" (Windows)
- Open Settings → Bluetooth & Devices → Printers & Scanners
- Select your Brother printer
- Click Open print queue
- Click Printer menu → uncheck "Use Printer Offline"
- Also click "Cancel All Documents" to clear stuck jobs
Fix 2: Restart Print Spooler
- Press Win + R → type services.msc → Enter
- Find Print Spooler
- Right-click → Stop
- Navigate to
C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS→ delete all files - Back in Services → right-click Print Spooler → Start
- Try printing again
Fix 3: Verify WiFi Connection
- On the Brother printer: Menu → Network → WLAN → TCP/IP → IP Address
- If IP shows 0.0.0.0 — printer is not connected to WiFi
- Reconnect: Menu → Network → WLAN → Setup Wizard
- If connected, note the IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.XX)
On your computer, verify you can reach the printer:
ping 192.168.1.XX
If ping fails, the printer and computer aren't communicating — check they're on the same WiFi network.
Fix 4: Set Static IP Address
The #1 cause of recurring "offline" is the printer's IP changing:
- On printer: Menu → Network → WLAN → TCP/IP → Boot Method → Static
- Set IP Address: 192.168.1.200 (unused address on your network)
- Set Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
- Set Gateway: your router IP (usually 192.168.1.1)
- On computer: remove old Brother printer → add new printer by IP address
Fix 5: Update Brother Driver
- Go to brother.com/support → enter your model
- Download the Full Driver & Software Package for your OS
- Uninstall existing Brother software: Settings → Apps → Brother → Uninstall
- Restart computer
- Install the new driver → select Wireless Connection during setup
Fix 6: Fix on Mac
- Open System Settings → Printers & Scanners
- If Brother shows a yellow warning, click Resume
- If still offline: remove the printer (click −)
- Re-add: click + → select Brother from list → make sure Brother driver is selected (not Generic)
- If Brother doesn't appear, download driver from brother.com first
Fix 7: Disable Sleep Mode
If your Brother goes offline after sitting idle: Menu → General Setup → Ecology → Sleep Time → set to a longer duration. Some models have a Deep Sleep setting — disable it if available. Deep sleep can make the printer unresponsive to network print requests.
Fix 8: Power Cycle Everything
Turn off Brother printer → turn off computer → unplug router for 60 seconds → plug router in → wait for full connection → turn on printer → wait 2 minutes → turn on computer. This forces fresh DHCP assignments and network associations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my Brother printer keep going offline?
Top causes: (1) WiFi connection dropped — printer and computer must be on the same network, (2) 'Use Printer Offline' is checked in Windows, (3) Print Spooler service crashed, (4) Printer's IP address changed after router reboot, (5) Sleep mode — printer goes to deep sleep and doesn't wake for network requests, (6) Outdated driver incompatible with latest Windows update.
How do I check if my Brother printer is connected to WiFi?
On the printer: Menu → Network → WLAN → TCP/IP → IP Address. If it shows 0.0.0.0, it's not connected. Or print a Network Configuration Report: Menu → Print Reports → Network Configuration. This shows the current IP, connection status, signal strength, and MAC address.
Brother printer offline after changing router/WiFi password
The printer still has the old WiFi credentials. You need to re-enter the new password: Menu → Network → WLAN → Setup Wizard → select your network → enter the new password. On your computer, you may also need to remove the old Brother printer and add it again with the new IP address.
How do I disable sleep mode on Brother printer?
Menu → General Setup → Ecology → Sleep Time → set to a longer value or Off. Note: Some Brother models will always sleep but should wake when a print job is received. If they don't wake, it's usually a network issue — assigning a static IP often fixes this.
Brother printer works via USB but not WiFi — why?
This confirms the printer hardware is fine — the issue is network-based. Check: (1) Both devices on same network, (2) AP isolation disabled on router, (3) Firewall not blocking Brother ports (9100 for printing, 54925-54926 for scanning), (4) Try pinging the printer: open Command Prompt → type 'ping [printer IP]'. If no response, it's a network issue.
Brother Still Offline?
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