The Brothers printers are one of the most reliable printers out there. These machines are well-built, rugged and ready to perform.
However, the fact that Brother Printers are among the best doesn’t mean they are immune to technical issues. Any printer or device can have an issue, regardless of the brand.
You may have noticed your Brother Printer going offline even after attempting to connect it. The reason for this could vary. It could be an issue with the connectivity, Wi-Fi, paper jam, driver, or even the power supply.
We’ll discuss the reason your Brother Printer is offline and how to get it online. So, continue reading to learn more!
Reasons Your Brothers Printer Is Offline And How To Get It Online
Printers are sensitive machines. Thus, they could go offline for the most unimaginable reasons.
We’ll discuss how to get Brothers printer online. But first, let’s discuss factors that could make your printer go offline. By the way, you cannot solve your printer’s problem without identifying the cause of the problem.
So, several factors can make your Brother printer go offline, making it impossible for you to print your documents.
Here are the factors below.
- The printer is not turned on
- Failure to set the printer as the default
- Paper jam problem
- Printer’s driver problem
- Connectivity issue
- Firewalls and antiviruses
- Print offline in Windows features
Now that we have established the possible reasons your Brother Printer go offline, let’s discuss how to fix each problem and return your printer online.
1: Printer not turned on:
If your Brother printer is offline, chances are you forgot to turn it on. It does not matter if you have it connected via USB to your computer system. You must ensure it is connected to electricity.
How can you know if your printer hasn’t been turned on? Check the LCD screen. If the screen is blank, you are yet to connect the printer to the electricity supply.
So, connect your printer to the power supply. And ensure the power outlet is working. Sometimes, the printer might be connected to the power supply but fail to come on because the wall outlet is faulty. So check the wall outlet to know if it’s working fine.
If the outlet is faulty, change it or connect your Brother Printer to another wall outlet.
2: Failure to set the printer as default:
Your Brother printer may display “offline mode” if you fail to make it the default printer on your computer system. So, check and make the adjustment immediately.
Setting Brother Printer to default on your computer is crucial. It means your computer will recognize only the Brother Printer and send print jobs to it whenever you click on the “Print” icon.
However, you can easily make your Brother printer the default printer on your computer. Go to the “Devices and Printers” section on your computer and make the changes.
A Handy Tip: You’ll see your Brother printer as a “device” in your computer’s “Device and Printers” section. But if you’re not, you must reinstall the printer’s driver.
You may need the printer’s CD-ROM to do this, but if you no longer have it, kindly visit Brother’s official website.
Here is how to set Brother Printer as default:
Step1: Click on the “Control Panel.” Next is to click on “Devices and Printers.”
Step 2: Choose “Brother Printer.”
When you click the “Devices and Printers” icon, a list of printers will pop up. Move your cursor to “Brother Printer” since it’s the printer you want to set as the default printer.
Step 3: Right-click on Brother Printer:
While the cursor is still on the Brother printer, right-click on it and choose “set as default printer.” Now, you have made the printer your default printer.
3: Toner is empty or Paper jam error:
If your Brother printer displays offline mode even after you have connected it to the electricity supply and made it the default printer, don’t fret. There’s a chance your printer is experiencing a paper jam or toner empty error.
In either case, your printer won’t work, as it should. Instead, it will be displaying offline mode.
Now, what step can you take in such a situation? Firstly, check the printer’s LCD screen. Is it displaying an error message that suggests paper jam or empty toner? If yes, fix the problem. Then check if the printer has come online and works perfectly.
How to fix Brother Printer paper jam issue:
Follow the steps below to fix your printer paper jam problem to get your printer back online.
Step1: Unplug the printer from the wall outlet:
You have to open the printer, so it is wise to turn it off and unplug it. Please, do this to avoid electrocution or damaging the printer.
If the paper jam is between the rollers, unplugging it is the right step.
Step 2: Take off the rollers:
In this next step, you have to open up the printer to reach the rollers and take them off.
However, if you cannot take off the rollers, or would rather try a more straightforward process, then try this: pull the paper out carefully. Avoid using excessive force to drag the jammed paper out, so you don’t damage any internal components.
Step 3: Send print command:
Once the jammed paper is out of the printer, send a print command, and you’re good to go. Your printer should start working fine at this point.
4: Brother Printer driver problem:
Keeping device drivers up-to-date is essential for the smooth running of the device. It’s also the same thing with the Brother Printer.
If your Brother Printer’s driver is outdated, the device won’t function, as it should. And even when plugged into the power supply, it could display offline status. So, update your printer’s driver for the best result.
Here’s how to update Brother Printer drivers:
Step 1: Click “Device Manager” on the Windows menu
When you click on device manager, several options will pop up. Please, scroll down to “Print queues” located below Network adapters.
Step 2: Double-click on “Print queues”
When you double-click on the “Print queues” option, it will expand and display your printer’s name.
Step 3: Right-click on your printer’s name
Place the cursor on your printer’s name and right-click on it. Then, options like update driver, disable the device, uninstall the device, and scan for hardware changes will pop up.
However, the primary aim is to update the driver, so click on it, and that’s it. So download the needed drivers to get your Brother printer back online again.
5: Connectivity issue:
You can connect your Brother printer to your computer in several ways. You can choose USB, Wi-Fi, or wired network during installation.
So if your Brother printer is offline, the problem could be related to connectivity. Thus, if you’re using a USB, you must ensure the cable is in good shape. Note that if the USB cable is broken somewhere or not adequately connected, your printer won’t work.
In this case, the only way to make it work or get back online is to change the cable or ensure it is appropriately connected.
If the issue is Wi-Fi related, check your computer to see if the printer is connected. If it is, but the printer is showing offline, disconnect and reconnect it to your computer.
6: Firewalls and antiviruses:
Firewalls and antiviruses protect our computer systems against unauthorized access, including security threats. And they’re among the software you’ll find on most computers.
Security is paramount for PC users surfing the web now and then. But note that your antivirus and firewall could be the reason your Brother printer has refused to work.
How can both security programs prevent your printer from working? They may view certain communications between your computer and printer as a threat.
When an antivirus or firewall detects threats, they react by blocking or preventing the computer from interacting with the perceived threat.
How can you fix this problem? Here’s what you need to do if a firewall or antivirus is why your Brother printer has refused to come online or function, as it should.
Turn off the antivirus and firewall. Then try reconnecting your printer to the computer to know if the problem has been solved.
7: Print offline in Windows feature:
Is your printer still offline after doing your possible best to fix the issue? If yes, the “Use Printer Offline” feature could be the culprit.
This feature is available in Windows 10. And while it is a valuable feature, it’s not problem-free. The “Use Printer Offline” feature makes it possible to prepare the files for printing even when you’re yet to connect the printer to the computer.
So, if your printer has refused to come online, the “Use Printer Offline” feature could be the culprit.
Here is how to fix this problem:
Step1: Go to your “Devices and Printers” section.
Step2: Place the cursor on the printer and right-click on the icon.
Step3: Now, Click on “See what’s printing” and choose the printer tab. It is right there at the top menu.
Step4: Finally, uncheck the Windows 10 feature, “Use Printer Offline.” Now your printer can return online and start working correctly.
Conclusion
This post discusses how to get Brother Printer online. Several things can make the printer go offline or stop working.
For example, you may forget to turn the printer on, a paper jam issue, a connectivity issue, an outdated driver, the computer’s security software, or the “Use Printer Offline” feature may be responsible.
You can see the solution we gave for each problem. Now, find out what’s keeping your printer offline and fix it.