Have you ever excitedly finished a report, only to have your joy replaced with frustration when you were unable to print on your Brother printer? If you have, then you’ve likely encountered the “printer offline” error.
To save yourself (and your blood pressure) from unnecessary stress, check out the solutions below for getting your Brother Printer back online.
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The Meaning Behind the Brother “Printer Offline” Error Message
The “Printer Offline” error message is one of the most common errors received by Brother printer users. Though it can seem ominous, the error is not indicative of the end of days for your printer.
A printer typically shows an “offline” error message if it is experiencing a setting error, connectivity issue, or has outdated drivers or software. While all of these problems require different solutions, you can perform them efficiently and for free.
Simple Solutions for Getting Your Brother Printer Back Online
Our visitors are often faced with a similar predicament (and web search), “My Brother Printer keeps going offline.” If you’re in the same boat, here are some popular tips & tricks worth considering.
Physical Errors
It’s always best to start with the easiest solution first: checking your printer for any obvious physical malfunctions that would prevent it from printing. Ensure that all of your ink cartridges are properly installed and running smoothly and that your printer is not experiencing a paper jam.
If your printer is connected to the internet via an Ethernet cable, ensure that the Ethernet cable is properly connected to an active Ethernet port. Examine any cables and power cords to ensure they are all properly connected and in good working order. If your printer is connected to the computer via a cable, make sure that the cable is properly connected to both the printer and the computer.
Confirm that no errors are listed on the printer control panel. Possible errors that could prevent your printer from showing up as a viable printing option may include “Toner Empty,” “Paper Jam,” or “Low Ink.”
Verify that Both Devices are Powered up and Online
Make sure that both your computer and your printer are powered on. If your printer is connecting to your computer via WiFi, ensure that your computer and printer are connected to the same WiFi network. You can verify your Brother printer’s WiFi from the printer control panel.
If you are trying to print wirelessly (without using a cord to connect your printer to your computer), then both your computer and printer must be connected to the same active WiFi. If they are on different WiFi networks, they may not be able to communicate.
Restart the Computer and Printer
As simplistic as it sounds, this is a tried and true solution. Restarting your printer and computer can help refresh the components necessary for the two to communicate.
To restart your printer, turn the device off, unplug the power cord, and let the printer sit unplugged for at least 30 seconds. Plug the printer back in and turn the printer on. Reconnect the printer to the WiFi.
Set Your Default Printer
The default printer is the one that your computer will prioritize when choosing a printing device. If your default printer is not your Brother Printer, your computer may be ignoring it in favor of a different printer. Making your Brother printer the default printer will allow your computer to focus solely on that connection.
To manually set your printer as the default printer with Windows:
- Click on the “Start” button on your computer and select “Control Panel” from the list.
- In the window that appears, select “Devices and Printers” (or the equivalent menu option).
- Select your printer from the resulting window, and then select “Open Queue.”
- Under the “printer” drop-down, select “Set as Default Printer.”
To manually set your printer as the default printer with MacOS:
- In the “Apple” menu, click “System Preferences” and select “Print & Scan.”
- Click “Default Printer,” then select your printer as the default printer option.
Set Printer to Online Mode
If your printer is offline, there is a chance that it is your computer, not your printer, that is at fault. When this is the case, you can typically jumpstart the connection between your computer and printer by manually turning the printer to online mode on your computer.
To manually set your printer online with Windows:
- Click on the “Start” button on your computer and select “Control Panel” from the list.
- In the window that appears, select “Devices and Printers” (or the equivalent menu option).
- Click on “Printer” on the top menu of the “Devices and Printers” window and select “Use Printer Online” in the drop-down menu.
To manually set your printer online with MacOS:
- In the “Apple” menu, click “System Preferences” and select “Print & Scan.”
- If a yellow light appears next to your printer’s name, double-click the icon for your printer. Click “Resume” from the window.
Cancel Current Print Jobs
If you’ve been trying to print, chances are you have at least one print job in your queue. When print jobs are queued, it can overwhelm the printer and computer as they are trying to connect. Canceling print jobs allows the printer and computer to focus solely on communicating.
To cancel print jobs on Windows:
- Click on the “Start” button on your computer and select “Control Panel” from the list.
- In the window that appears, select “Devices and Printers” (or the equivalent menu option).
- Right-click on your printer’s icon and select “See What’s Printing.”
- Right-click each print job and select “Cancel,” then click “Yes.”
To cancel print jobs on MacOS
- In the “Apple” menu, click “System Preferences” and select “Print & Scan.”
- Click on your printer and select “Open Print Queue.”
- Click on each print job and select “Delete.”
Advanced Solutions for Getting Your Brother Printer Back Online
If your printer is still offline after trying the solutions above, you may have a driver or software issue. To fix these issues, use the solutions below.
Check for Duplicates
Brother printers occasionally end up offline thanks to one of their largest flaws: the installation occasionally duplicates on the computer. This can happen when you connect the printer using a different USB port on your computer or if you have installed the same printer driver multiple times.
To solve this issue, you will need to remove the copies that are not working and set the initial install as your default printer:
To removed printer duplicates with Windows:
- Click on the “Start” button on your computer and select “Control Panel” from the list.
- In the window that appears, select “Devices and Printers” (or the equivalent menu option).
- Look through your available devices and see if there are multiple printers with the same name (For example, “Brother HL-6180DW series” and “Brother HL-6180DW series (copy 2)”)
- If there are multiple versions of your printer, hover your mouse over the first one until the printer status appears. If the printer status is “ready,” set this printer as your default option by right-clicking the icon and select “Set as Default Printer.”
- For the duplicates that are not working properly, it is best to remove them from your device to avoid similar problems in the future.
To remove printer duplicates with MacOS:
- In the “Apple” menu, click “System Preferences” and select “Print & Scan.”
- Look through your available devices and see if there are multiple printers with the same name (For example, “Brother HL-6180DW series” and “Brother HL-6180DW series (copy 2)”)
- If there are multiple versions of your printer, select the version with a green light next to it, indicating that it is online and available.
If you have a Brother printer with a model name that begins with “MFC-“ or “DCP-,“ you can use the provided CD to run an automatic uninstallation and reinstallation of your printer. Simply insert the CD into your computer and select “Repair MFL-Pro Suite” from the CD options.
Update Your Printer Driver
The printer driver is responsible for converting the item you are trying to print into a format that the printer can understand. These drivers are periodically updated by the manufacturer. If you have an older device, your printer driver may need to be updated to allow you to print. The driver may also need to be redownloaded if it is corrupted when the driver duplicates.
To download the newest driver for your printer:
- Go to the Brother Driver Downloads
- Enter your device model and click “Search.”
- Click on the driver for your device.
- Select your computer operating system and click “Okay.”
- Once the driver is installed, it is typically best to remove and reinstall your printer software using the steps above.
Brother Printer Support
If all of the solutions above fail you, it might be time to bring in additional expert help. The Brother Support Center is available around the clock to help you with all of your printer needs.
For more useful printing techniques and tips, check out “Why is My Printer Offline?” or visit our homepage at https://printertesting.com to explore our entire blog.
