How to Fix Wireless Disconnects on Your Brother Printer

Wireless disconnects can disrupt your workflow, preventing you from printing essential documents. This guide offers a comprehensive set of troubleshooting steps to resolve connectivity issues with your Brother printer.

1. Restart Your Printer and Router

A simple restart can often resolve temporary glitches in both your printer and router. This refreshes the network connection.

1. Turn off your Brother printer.
2. Unplug your wireless router from the power outlet.
3. Wait for 30 seconds.
4. Plug your router back in and wait for it to fully restart.
5. Turn your Brother printer back on.

2. Check Printer Placement

Physical obstructions or excessive distance can weaken the wireless signal. Optimal placement can strengthen the connection.

1. Move your Brother printer closer to your wireless router.
2. Ensure there are minimal obstructions (walls, metal objects) between the printer and router.
3. Elevate the printer if possible, to minimize interference.

3. Verify Wireless Network Settings

Incorrect network settings on your printer can lead to connection problems. Confirming the correct settings is essential.

1. Access your printer’s network settings (usually through the printer’s control panel or LCD screen).
2. Verify that the SSID (network name) and password are correct.
3. Ensure the printer is connected to the correct Wi-Fi network.

4. Update Printer Firmware

Outdated firmware can contain bugs that cause wireless connectivity issues. Updating the firmware can resolve these problems.

1. Visit the Brother support website for your printer model.
2. Download the latest firmware update.
3. Follow the instructions provided by Brother to install the firmware update.

5. Check Router Firmware

Just like printers, routers also require firmware updates. Outdated router firmware can cause network instability.

1. Access your router’s administration page (usually by typing 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 in your web browser).
2. Check for and install any available firmware updates.

6. Assign a Static IP Address

A dynamic IP address can change, causing disconnects. Assigning a static IP address can provide a stable connection.

1. Access your router’s administration page.
2. Find the section for DHCP settings or LAN settings.
3. Reserve a static IP address for your Brother printer (you’ll need the printer’s MAC address).
4. Enter the static IP address into your printer’s network settings.

7. Check for Wireless Interference

Other wireless devices or appliances can interfere with your Wi-Fi signal. Identifying and mitigating interference can improve connection stability.

1. Change the Wi-Fi channel on your router to a less congested channel.
2. Move cordless phones, microwaves, and other potential sources of interference away from the printer and router.
3. Use a Wi-Fi analyzer app to identify and avoid congested channels.

8. Reinstall Printer Drivers

Corrupted or outdated printer drivers on your computer can cause communication problems. Reinstalling the latest drivers can resolve these issues.

1. Uninstall the Brother printer drivers from your computer.
2. Visit the Brother support website for your printer model.
3. Download and install the latest printer drivers.

9. Check Firewall and Antivirus Settings

Firewall or antivirus software can sometimes block communication between your computer and printer. Adjusting these settings can resolve the issue.

1. Temporarily disable your firewall and antivirus software to see if the connection improves.
2. If the connection is restored, add an exception for your Brother printer in your firewall and antivirus settings.

10. Check for Network Congestion

Excessive network traffic can lead to dropped connections. Reducing network congestion can improve printer connectivity.

1. Limit the number of devices connected to your Wi-Fi network.
2. Close bandwidth-intensive applications or downloads.
3. Consider upgrading your internet service or router if you consistently experience network congestion.

11. Check the Printers wireless network connection report.

The printer itself can provide information about the quality of the wireless connection.

1. Find the wireless network report option within the printers settings.
2. Print the report.
3. Analyze the report for signal strength, and other network information.

12. Reset Network Settings on the Printer.

Resetting the network settings on the printer itself can sometimes resolve lingering software issues.

1. Access the network settings menu on your Brother printer’s control panel.
2. Look for an option to reset network settings to default.
3. Confirm the reset and follow the on-screen instructions to reconnect to your Wi-Fi network.

By systematically working through these steps, you should be able to identify and resolve the wireless disconnects on your Brother printer. If the problem persists, consider contacting Brother support for further assistance.