Encountering an offline brother printer offline how to turn online when you need to print something urgently. Fortunately, resolving this issue and bringing your Brother printer back online is usually a straightforward process. This guide will walk you through the steps to troubleshoot and fix the "Brother printer offline" issue.
Understanding Why Your Brother Printer is Offline
Before jumping into the solution, it’s helpful to understand why your Brother printer might be showing as offline. Common reasons include:
- Network Issues: The printer may have lost connection to the Wi-Fi network.
- Printer Settings: The printer might not be set as the default device.
- Driver Issues: Outdated or corrupted printer drivers can cause communication problems.
- Sleep Mode: The printer might be in sleep mode, which can appear as offline.
By identifying the cause, you can apply the appropriate fix to turn your Brother printer back online.
Step-by-Step Guide to Turning Your Brother Printer Online
Step 1: Check the Printer’s Connection
The first step is to ensure that your Brother printer is properly connected to your computer or network.
- Wired Connection: If you’re using a USB cable, make sure it’s securely connected to both the printer and the computer.
- Wireless Connection: If you’re using Wi-Fi, check that the printer is connected to the correct network. You can verify this by printing a network configuration page from the printer’s menu.
Step 2: Set Your Brother Printer as the Default Printer
If your Brother printer isn’t set as the default printer, your computer may attempt to send print jobs to a different device.
- Windows: Go to “Control Panel” > “Devices and Printers.” Right-click on your Brother printer and select “Set as default printer.”
- Mac: Open “System Preferences” > “Printers & Scanners,” and select your Brother printer as the default.
Step 3: Restart the Printer and Computer
A simple restart can often resolve the issue by resetting the connection between the devices.
- Restart Printer: Turn off your Brother printer, wait for a few seconds, and turn it back on.
- Restart Computer: Restart your computer to refresh the connection.
Step 4: Disable Offline Mode
If your Brother printer is set to work offline, you’ll need to disable this mode to bring it back online.
- Windows: Go to “Devices and Printers” in the Control Panel. Right-click on your Brother printer and uncheck “Use Printer Offline.”
- Mac: In “Printers & Scanners,” select your Brother printer, and make sure it’s not set to offline.
Step 5: Update or Reinstall Printer Drivers
Outdated or corrupted drivers can cause your Brother printer to appear offline. Updating or reinstalling the drivers may fix the issue.
- Windows: Visit the Brother website, download the latest driver for your printer model, and install it.
- Mac: Go to “System Preferences” > “Software Update” to check for any available printer driver updates.
Step 6: Clear Print Queue
A stuck print job can sometimes cause the printer to go offline. Clearing the print queue might help.
- Windows: Go to “Devices and Printers,” right-click on your Brother printer, and select “See what’s printing.” Cancel all documents.
- Mac: In “Printers & Scanners,” click on your Brother printer, then click on “Open Print Queue” and clear the jobs.
Step 7: Reconnect to Wi-Fi
If you’re using a wireless connection, you may need to reconnect your Brother printer to the Wi-Fi network.
- Access Network Settings: On the printer’s control panel, navigate to the network settings and reconnect to your Wi-Fi network by entering the correct password.
Conclusion
When your brother printer is offline how to fix, it can disrupt your workflow, but with the right steps, you can quickly turn it back online. This guide covers the most common reasons for a Brother printer being offline and provides simple solutions to resolve the issue.
