Brother Printer Won't Connect to Wi-Fi: Step-by-Step Fix

Your Brother printer was fine last week. Now the Wi-Fi light keeps blinking, the screen says the connection failed, or it turns down a password you know is right.

In most cases, the printer isn't broken. Either it lost track of the network it knew, or your router is set up in a way the printer can't work with. Both are things you can fix at home.

This guide starts by reading what the printer is already telling you. Brother printers have a Wi-Fi light or a signal indicator, and they can print a report that names the exact reason a connection failed. After that, the fixes run from quick to involved. Stop as soon as the screen says Connected.

It covers Brother laser, inkjet, and ink tank printers with built-in Wi-Fi. Menu names change from model to model, so where they differ, you'll see each version.

Start Here: What Your Brother Is Telling You

Look at the printer before you change any settings.

If your printer has a Wi-Fi button with a light: Brother says a lit Wi-Fi light means the printer is connected to a wireless router. A blinking light means the connection is down, or the printer is still trying to connect. After turning the printer on, give it at least three minutes before you decide a blinking light is a problem.

If your printer has a screen: Wireless models show a four-level signal indicator while they're on Wi-Fi. More bars means a stronger signal. If you never see it, or the printer's WLAN report says the connection failed, the printer isn't on your network.

Then find your starting point:

Quick Checks First

These take about two minutes and clear up the boring causes.

1. Is the network itself working? Try a phone on the same Wi-Fi. If a website won't load, restart the router, and if that doesn't help, check with your internet provider. Brother's own checklist starts by confirming that the router is on and its link light is blinking.
2. Do you have the network name and password in front of you? Brother's manuals say you can't finish wireless setup without them, and that Brother can't look them up for you. On many routers, they're on a sticker. The password may be labeled Network Key, Security Key, or Encryption Key. Brother also points out that a router's default network name is sometimes the manufacturer's name or model number.
3. Is a network cable plugged into the printer? A Brother printer that has both Ethernet and Wi-Fi can use only one at a time. With a cable connected, Wi-Fi setup fails, and the printer's report names that as its first error code (TS-01). Unplug the cable if you want wireless.
4. Is Wi-Fi turned on in the printer? It can be switched off in the network menu. The setup wizard in Fix 3 asks "WLAN Enable?" and turns it on when you answer yes.
5. How far is the printer from the router? For setup, Brother suggests bringing the printer within about 3 feet (1 meter) of the router. Once it's connected, you can move it back. Brother says large objects, walls, and other electronics interfere with the signal, and its troubleshooting pages name microwave ovens, digital cordless phones, and Bluetooth devices as things to move away from the printer.

Why a Brother Printer Won't Connect to Wi-Fi

Most cases trace back to one of these:

• The printer remembers a network that's gone. A new router, a new internet provider, or a new password leaves the printer searching for something that no longer exists. It won't switch over on its own.
• The password or security details don't match. Brother's WLAN report separates a wrong network name or password (TS-05) from mismatched security settings (TS-06), so the report can tell you which one you're dealing with.
• Your router's security is newer, or different, than the printer expects. Brother's supported lists differ by model. Newer printers such as the HL-L2460DW and MFC-L2820DW add WPA3. Older ones stop at WPA and WPA2, and a router locked to WPA3 only will turn them away (TS-04).
• The band doesn't match. Many Brother printers only see the 2.4 GHz band. Others handle 5 GHz too, but only on certain channels.
• The router is set up to keep the printer out. MAC address filtering and a hidden network name both block printers that haven't been set up for them.
• A network cable is plugged in. A Brother printer uses Ethernet or Wi-Fi, not both.
• Two routers are offering WPS at once. If you connect with WPS, a second router in range can confuse it (TS-08).
• The signal is weak. Distance, walls, and other electronics all cut into it.
• The router or gateway is one Brother says it can't stabilize. Brother's support pages say this about Arris and Ubee gateways (in articles for several inkjet models) and about eero systems. The details are in the section on printers that keep disconnecting.

How to Fix a Brother Printer That Won't Connect to Wi-Fi

Work through these in order. After each one, look at the Wi-Fi light or the signal indicator, or print the WLAN report. Once the screen says Connected, the printer's side is done.

Fix 1: Restart Everything in the Right Order

A restart in the right sequence gets a surprising number of printers back on Wi-Fi.

1. Turn the printer off.
2. Unplug the router, wait about 10 seconds, and plug it back in. Wait until its internet light is back to normal.
3. Turn the printer back on and give it at least three minutes to join the network. Brother says a printer can take that long.
4. Check the Wi-Fi light or the signal indicator.

A faster option on some models. The HL-L2405W, HL-L2420DW, HL-L2460DW, HL-L2460DWXL, and HL-L2865DW have a Recover WLAN option, and Brother lists it as the fix when one of these printers drops off its wireless network. Press Wi-Fi, use the arrow keys to select Recover WLAN, and press OK. The screen shows Connected when it works.

Fix 2: Print the WLAN Report and Read the Code

When a Wi-Fi connection fails, your Brother can print a WLAN Report. It says Connection: Failed and gives a code that names the reason. That's a lot more useful than retyping the password and hoping.

How to print it

Menu names shift a little between models. If the report won't print, look for an error on the printer's screen, wait a minute, and try again.

What the codes mean

A note on model differences: the lists aren't identical. Older lasers such as the MFC-L2750DW series don't include TS-03, and their TS-02 entry adds a reminder that the printer can't use a 5 GHz network name, so the router must be broadcasting 2.4 GHz or a mixed mode. The WPA3 entry under TS-04 appears only on newer models. If your code isn't on this list, look it up in the Online User's Guide for your exact model at support.brother.com/manuals.

Once you're connected, print the Network Configuration Report too. It shows the printer's IP address and its Link Status, which should read Link OK. Our Brother printer offline guide explains how to tell a good address from a bad one.

Fix 3: Reconnect With the Printer's Own Setup Wizard

Write down your network name and password first. Then use the steps for your printer type.

Laser printers with a small screen and arrow keys (like the HL-L2460DW)

1. Use the arrow keys to select Network and press OK.
2. Select WLAN(Wi-Fi) and press OK.
3. Select Find Network and press OK. When WLAN Enable? appears, choose On. On some older models of this style, this option is called Setup Wizard instead.
4. The printer searches and lists the networks it can see. Select yours and press OK.
5. Type the password and press OK. When it asks, choose Yes to apply the settings.
6. Wait for Connected.

Inkjets with a small color screen and arrow keys (like the MFC-J4335DW and MFC-J4345DW)

1. Press the Wi-Fi icon, then use the arrow keys to select Find Wi-Fi Network and press OK.
2. When Enable WLAN? appears, press the button for yes.
3. Select your network from the list, press OK, and type the password.
4. Wait for Connected.

Touchscreen inkjets (like the MFC-J4535DW)

1. Tap Settings > Network > WLAN(Wi-Fi) > Find Wi-Fi Network.
2. When Enable WLAN? appears, tap Yes.
3. Select your network from the list and type the password.
4. Wait for Connected.

Typing on a small screen. You enter the password one character at a time with the arrow keys, and holding an arrow scrolls faster. Passwords are case sensitive. Read it back before you press OK, and watch for lookalikes such as 0 and O.

Your network isn't in the list? Move the printer closer to the router and restart the router. Check that your router is broadcasting a band your printer can use (see Fix 5). If your router hides its network name, do this:

1. In the list of networks, select <New SSID> and press OK.
2. Type the network name exactly as it's spelled on the router.
3. Select the authentication method your router uses. The choices include Open System, Shared Key, WPA-Personal, and, on newer models, WPA3-SAE.
4. Choose the encryption type. For WPA-Personal, that's AES or TKIP+AES.
5. Type the password and apply the settings.

Fix 4: Connect With WPS

If your router has a WPS button, you can skip the password. This is also the fix Brother's report points to when you see TS-07 or TS-08.

Printers with a menu (most current models)

1. Go to Network > WLAN(Wi-Fi) > WPS/Push Button. On a touchscreen, the path starts with Settings > Network.
2. When WLAN Enable? appears, choose On.
3. When the screen says Press Key on rtr, press the WPS button on your router. How long to hold it depends on the router, and Brother says a few seconds is typical.
4. Wait for Connected.

Older mono lasers with a wireless setup button on the back (the HL-2270DW and HL-2275DW, for example)

Press the button for less than 2 seconds, using something pointed like a pen. Brother's warning is specific: hold it for 3 seconds or more and the printer switches to PIN mode, which is a different WPS method. If that happens, wait 5 minutes or turn the printer off and on again, then start over.

If WPS keeps failing:

• Make sure only one router or access point nearby has WPS turned on, and try again after a few minutes (TS-08).
• Make sure your router really supports WPS. It usually has a WPS symbol on it (TS-07).
• Use the wizard in Fix 3 instead. Typing the password works even when WPS doesn't.

Windows asked for a WPS PIN? Brother says this happens when Wi-Fi Direct is turned on for the printer and you try to add it through Printers & scanners in Windows. Click Cancel, reset the printer's network settings (Fix 6), reconnect with the wizard or the control panel, and then install Brother's software from support.brother.com.

Fix 5: Change the Router Settings That Keep Brother Printers Off Wi-Fi

If the printer's side checks out and it still won't join, look at the router. Most internet providers let you change these settings in their app, and many routers have a settings page you can open in a browser. Menu names vary a lot, so keep the router's manual or your provider's help page open.

Find out which band your printer can use. Look up your model's wireless specifications on Brother's website or in its Online User's Guide. If the standards listed are only 802.11b/g/n, the printer is 2.4 GHz only, and the MFC-J4335DW is an example. If 802.11a/n is listed too, the printer handles 5 GHz, as the HL-L2460DW and MFC-L2820DW do. A 2.4 GHz-only Brother can't see a 5 GHz network at all, so it won't show up in the list.

If the printer is 2.4 GHz only, give each band its own name. Many routers put both bands under one network name. Brother warns that this can make a printer connect and then lose the connection to your computer again and again. Give the 5 GHz band its own name, and connect the printer to the 2.4 GHz one. Brother says computers on 5 GHz can still print to a printer on 2.4 GHz through a standard dual-band router. Network names often end in "g" or "2G" for the 2.4 GHz band, which is a convention, not a rule.

If your printer does use 5 GHz, mind the channel. Brother's troubleshooting says a printer can fail to join a 5 GHz network when the router is on a channel the printer doesn't support. Brother's advice is to set the router to a channel from your model's list and not to leave it on "Auto." Brother keeps the lists at support.brother.com/g/d/a5m6/. For one color laser family, the HL-L3220CDW series, Brother recommends channels 36 to 48. Other models have their own lists.

Match the security type. TS-04 in Fix 2 lists what your printer accepts. Every list in Brother's manuals for the models covered here includes WPA2-Personal with AES, so that's the safest setting for the 2.4 GHz network. If your router is set to WPA3 only and your printer isn't on the WPA3 list, switch that network to WPA2, or to a WPA2/WPA3 mixed mode. Mixed mode is designed to let WPA2 devices in, though some older devices still struggle with it. If the printer won't join in mixed mode, put that band on WPA2 by itself. Don't switch to an open network with no password just to get the printer connected.

Check filters and hidden networks. If the router filters by MAC address, add the printer's address to the allowed list. It's on the Network Configuration Report. If the router hides its network name, the printer can't find it on its own, so use the <New SSID> steps in Fix 3, or turn the hiding off while you connect.

Keep the printer and your computer on the same network. Guest networks usually keep devices apart. So does a second router plugged into the first with its own router function turned on, and so does a router setting called privacy separator or network isolation. Our Brother printer setup guide goes through these in Step 6.

Know the equipment Brother has flagged. Brother's help articles for several inkjet models (including the MFC-J1010DW and MFC-J4335DW) say its engineers found they can't stabilize a wireless connection with Arris or Ubee gateways, and its 2.4 GHz compatibility article says the same about eero systems. Its advice is a network cable to the router on models with an Ethernet port, or a USB cable straight to your computer. For other mesh systems, Brother says to give each band its own name and connect the printer to 2.4 GHz. Not every mesh system lets you split the names.

After you change anything, restart the printer, then connect again with Fix 3 or Fix 4.

Fix 6: Reset the Printer's Network Settings

This is the fix for a printer that's stuck on an old router or a password that's gone. It clears the printer's saved Wi-Fi and IP address settings so you can start fresh. It only touches the network settings, not your router.

Before you start, unplug any cables from the printer. Brother says to unplug all interface cables before a network reset.

What it clears. The saved network and password, and the IP address settings, including any fixed (static) address someone set up. Whether the printer's administrator password is also reset depends on the model. Brother's guide for the HL-L2460DW series says every network setting is reset except the administrator password. Brother's guide for the MFC-J4335DW series says the password and IP address go back to defaults. If you need the printer's settings page afterward, the default password is on a label marked Pwd on the back or bottom of most current models. Older ones use initpass.

After the reset:

1. Connect the printer again with the wizard (Fix 3) or WPS (Fix 4).
2. Print a Network Configuration Report and check that the IP address looks right.
3. Update your computer. The printer probably has a new address now, so use Brother's Network Connection Repair Tool or add the printer again. Our Brother printer offline guide shows how.

Fix 7: Set the Printer Up From Your Computer or Phone

Brother's software can do the connecting for you, and it's a good route when typing on a tiny screen keeps going wrong.

• On a computer: download the installer for your exact model from support.brother.com/downloads, start it, and choose Wireless Network Connection (Wi-Fi). Follow the prompts.
• On models with a Wi-Fi button: Brother's guide says you can press and hold the Wi-Fi button and then start the wireless installer on your computer.
• On Windows, if you're not sure of your password: Brother offers a free tool called Wireless Setup Helper. Run it on a computer that's connected to your Wi-Fi, and it helps you check the network's security settings. You'll find it on your model's Downloads page.

On a phone with Brother Mobile Connect. The phone and printer have to end up on the same network. Some inkjet models, including the MFC-J5340DW, MFC-J5855DW, MFC-J5955DW, MFC-J6540DW, MFC-J6555DW, MFC-J6940DW, and MFC-J6955DW, can't be set up through the app while the phone is on a 5 GHz network. Brother's fix:

1. Restart the printer and wait at least three minutes.
2. Restart the router.
3. Turn your phone's Wi-Fi off and on.
4. Connect the phone to the 2.4 GHz network, and then tap Add Machine > Not Connected in the app.

If the app still can't connect, Brother says to use the printer's own screen instead (Fix 3), or to run the installer on a computer first.

Fix 8: Update the Printer's Firmware

Most Wi-Fi trouble is a setting, but firmware can matter. Brother has published a notice saying some printers lose their wireless connection after entering Deep Sleep, and that a firmware update fixes it. The notice covers a long list of recent lasers, including the HL-L2405W, HL-L2420DW, HL-L2460DW, HL-L2865DW, MFC-L2820DW, and MFC-L2900DW, along with several color laser lines. Brother doesn't give a version number or release date in that notice, so check your model's Downloads page for the current firmware.

On Windows, Brother's Firmware Update Tool checks for new versions. It needs Brother's Full Driver & Software Package installed, and both the printer and the computer need internet access. If Wi-Fi is the thing that's broken, USB or Ethernet is the way to get the printer talking to your computer for the update, on models that have that connection. Read the notes on the download page before you start, and leave the printer on until the update finishes.

If Your Brother Connects, Then Drops Off Again

A printer that never joins has a setup problem. One that joins and then vanishes has a stability problem, and those fixes are different.

• Update the firmware first. If your printer is on Brother's Deep Sleep list, the update in Fix 8 is the direct fix. Signs that you're in this situation: it prints fine right after you wake it, then falls off Wi-Fi after sitting idle.
• Try Recover WLAN. On the models that have it (Fix 1), it reconnects the printer in two button presses, without a full reset.
• Split the network names. When 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz share one name, Brother says the printer can connect and then keep losing its connection to your computer. Give each band its own name (Fix 5).
• Check the signal. Watch the four-level indicator on the screen. If it's low, move the printer closer to the router or move the router to a more open spot. Keep microwave ovens and cordless phones away from the printer.
• Look at your router or gateway. If you have an Arris or Ubee gateway, or an eero system, Brother says it can't make the wireless connection stable on the models its articles cover, and it recommends a network cable or USB instead. A wired connection is often the steadiest choice anyway if the printer sits near the router.
• Stop the address from changing. Sometimes the printer stays on Wi-Fi, but your computer loses it because the router gave it a new IP address. Reserving an address for the printer in your router prevents that. The steps are in our Brother printer offline guide.

Connected to Wi-Fi, but Your Computer Can't Find It

When the screen says Connected, and the Network Configuration Report shows Link OK and a real IP address, the printer has done its part. If your computer or app still can't see it, the problem sits between the two.

The usual suspects are a changed IP address, security software blocking the printer, a guest network, or the wrong port in Windows. This is also where a driver problem belongs. It doesn't stop the printer from joining Wi-Fi, but it can stop Windows from printing to it.

On Windows, Brother's Network Connection Repair Tool fixes the address mismatch for a lot of people. Run it after the WLAN report is clean, because Brother says the tool can't identify wireless setup errors on its own. Our Brother printer offline guide covers the tool and the rest of the Windows and Mac fixes, step by step. If the installer can't find the printer during a first-time setup, Step 6 of our Brother printer setup guide is the place to go. If the printer shows online but nothing comes out, try our Brother printer not printing guide.

Still Not Connecting? Narrow It Down

If you've been through the fixes and the printer still won't join, work out which side has the problem.

Test with Wi-Fi Direct. Wi-Fi Direct lets a phone connect straight to the printer with no router involved, and it works at the same time as a normal network connection. On the printer, open Network, choose Wi-Fi Direct, and pick the Manual option. The printer shows a network name and a password. Bring the printer within about 3 feet (1 meter) of your phone, then join that network from the phone's Wi-Fi settings.

If the phone connects, the printer's wireless hardware is working, and the trouble is most likely on the router side. Go back to Fix 5. If it can't connect, or the printer can't even print its own WLAN report, the printer needs attention.

Signs it's the printer, not the network:

• It can't print a WLAN report or Network Configuration Report from its own buttons.
• An error message with a number comes back every time you restart. Look it up in our Brother printer error codes and messages guide.
• Nothing connects to it, including Wi-Fi Direct.