Seeing your brother printer offline how to turn online" can be frustrating, especially when you need to print something urgently. This common issue can be caused by several factors, such as connectivity problems, incorrect printer settings, or outdated drivers. In this guide, we'll walk you through the steps to turn your Brother printer online and get it back to printing in no time.
Why Is My Brother Printer Offline?
Before diving into the steps to fix the issue, it’s helpful to understand why your Brother printer might be showing as offline:
- Connectivity Issues: The printer may have lost connection with your computer or Wi-Fi network.
- Printer Settings: Your printer might be set to offline mode or not be selected as the default printer.
- Outdated Drivers: If your printer drivers are outdated, the printer may not communicate properly with your computer.
- Pending Print Jobs: A large queue of pending print jobs can sometimes cause the printer to go offline.
How to Turn Your Brother Printer Online: Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these steps to troubleshoot and resolve the issue, turning your Brother printer back online.
Step 1: Check Printer Connections
The first step is to ensure that your Brother printer is properly connected to your computer or network.
For Wired Connections:
- Check that the USB cable is securely connected to both your printer and computer.
- If you’re using an Ethernet cable, make sure it’s firmly connected to both the printer and the router.
For Wireless Connections:
- Ensure your printer is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your computer.
- If necessary, restart your router and reconnect the printer to the network.
Step 2: Restart Your Printer and Computer
A simple restart can often resolve minor connectivity issues.
Restart the Printer:
- Turn off your Brother printer, wait for about 30 seconds, and then turn it back on.
Restart Your Computer:
- Restart your computer to refresh its connection with the printer.
Step 3: Set Your Brother Printer as the Default Printer
If your Brother printer isn’t set as the default printer, your computer might not send print jobs to it.
On Windows:
- Go to “Settings” “Devices” “Printers Scanners.”
- Find your Brother printer, click on it, and select “Set as default.”
On Mac:
- Open “System Preferences” “Printers Scanners.”
- Select your Brother printer and click “Set as default.”
Step 4: Disable "Use Printer Offline" Mode
Your Brother printer might be set to offline mode, preventing it from printing.
On Windows:
- Open the “Printers Scanners” settings.
- Click on your Brother printer and select “Open queue.”
- In the print queue window, click on “Printer” in the menu bar and uncheck “Use Printer Offline” if it’s selected.
On Mac:
- Open “System Preferences” “Printers Scanners.”
- Select your Brother printer and click on “Open Print Queue.”
- If the printer is paused or offline, click on the “Resume” button.
Step 5: Clear the Print Queue
A large or stuck print queue can cause your printer to go offline.
On Windows:
- Go to the “Printers Scanners” settings.
- Select your Brother printer and click on “Open queue.”
- Right-click on any pending print jobs and select “Cancel” to clear the queue.
On Mac:
- Open “System Preferences” “Printers Scanners.”
- Select your Brother printer and open the print queue.
- Click the “X” next to each pending job to cancel it.
Step 6: Update or Reinstall Printer Drivers
Outdated or corrupted printer drivers can lead to connectivity problems.
Update Drivers:
- Visit the Brother support website and download the latest driver for your printer model.
- Follow the installation instructions to update your drivers.
Reinstall Drivers:
- If updating doesn’t work, uninstall the current driver from your computer.
- Reinstall the latest driver by downloading it from the Brother website.
Step 7: Check Your Network Configuration
For wireless printers, issues with network configuration can prevent the printer from coming online.
Check IP Address:
- Ensure that your printer has a unique IP address on the network to avoid conflicts.
- Access your router’s settings to verify and assign a static IP to the printer if necessary.
Disable Firewalls Temporarily:
- Firewalls or antivirus software can sometimes block the connection between your printer and computer. Temporarily disable these to see if the printer comes online.
Step 8: Use the Brother Printer Troubleshooter
Brother printers come with built-in troubleshooting tools that can help diagnose and fix common issues.
On Windows:
- Go to “Settings” “Update Security” “Troubleshoot.”
- Select “Printer” and run the troubleshooter.
On Mac:
- Use the “Printer Scanner” preferences to reset the printing system if other solutions don’t work.
Step 9: Contact Brother Support
If your Brother printer is still offline after trying all the above steps, it may be time to contact Brother customer support for further assistance.
Conclusion
When your brother printer is offline how to fix, it can disrupt your workflow, but by following these step-by-step troubleshooting methods, you can quickly resolve the issue. Ensuring that your printer is properly connected, configured, and updated will help keep it online and ready to print. If you continue to experience issues, don’t hesitate to reach out to Brother’s support for additional help.
