How to fix Brother printer offline issues on Mac and Windows

Brother printers have long been considered reliable tools in our digitally driven world, making them popular with users worldwide. Unfortunately, issues such as your printer suddenly appearing offline are common; this problem may surface in both Mac and Windows operating systems but don’t panic – troubleshooting steps available to take care of it quickly and easily.

Understanding the Issue

If your Brother printer is not responding, it means your computer has been compromised. The reasons for this could be connectivity issues, outdated drivers, or incorrect printer settings – it’s crucial to identify the root cause to solve.

Troubleshooting on Mac

For the successful resolution of Brother printer offline issues on a Mac, taking an organized approach to diagnosing connectivity problems is vital. Here is an in-depth breakdown of every step:

1. Test Connectivity

Ensuring proper connectivity between your Mac and Brother printer is vital in solving offline printing issues effectively. Here’s how you can conduct a comprehensive connectivity check:

Physical Connection: Begin by verifying that your Brother printer is connected securely and correctly to your Mac. To ensure a stable connection, it is essential to connect USB-connected models to their printer and an available port on your Mac. If you connect wirelessly, verify that its Wi-Fi network is compatible with your computer’s hardware or software.

Network Settings: Verify if your Brother printer is wireless or Ethernet-based by going to your Mac’s network settings. Verify that the network name and password are identical to those on your printer.

Diagnostic Tools: MacOS diagnostic tools such as Network Utility or Terminal commands like ping are useful for further troubleshooting network connectivity issues. The use of these tools can assist in identifying any network-related issues that may hinder printer connectivity.

2. Restart Devices

Simply rebooting your Mac and Brother printer can often resolve temporary glitches that cause offline issues. Here is how you can perform a thorough device restart:

Mac Reboot: To initiate a restart of your Mac, click on the Apple menu in the top-left corner, select “Restart,” and confirm. This ensures a full system reboot that may help address software-related issues on your computer.

Reboot Your Brother Printer: In a similar vein, power off and reboot your Brother printer before waiting several seconds before turning it back on again. This resets its internal software and hardware components, potentially alleviating any temporary issues or errors that arise from time to time.

3. Update Printer Drivers

An outdated or incompatible printer driver can often cause connectivity issues. Here’s how you can ensure you have the latest drivers installed:

Visit Brother Website: Navigating directly to their support section will allow you to find their drivers section.

Download Latest Drivers: Locate and download the appropriate printer drivers compatible with your Mac operating system’s version.

Installation Process: Carefully follow the instructions to install updated drivers on your Mac, typically by running an installer package and following on-screen prompts to complete this step successfully.

4. Resetting Printing System

Resetting the printing system on your Mac can help solve any printer-related issues that persist. Here’s how: Access System Preferences and select “Printers & Scanners.”

Reset Printing System: Right-click any printer list item, select “Reset printing system,” and confirm when prompted to take this action. This action removes all printers from your Mac and resets its printing settings back to defaults.

Re-Add Printer: Once you have reset the printing system, add your Brother printer by clicking “+” and choosing it from the list. Follow on-screen instructions to complete the setup process.

5. Check Printer Status

As with all printer setup steps, it is critical to regularly verify its status and configuration to ensure proper setup:

Setting Up the Default Printer: In System Preferences, navigate to “Printers & Scanners,” and set your Brother printer as the Default Printer – this ensures print jobs will go directly to it when they come in.

Print Queue: If the printer remains offline, review its print queue for any pending jobs or error messages that might affect its functioning. Clearing stuck print jobs may help restore normal printing functionality and solve the issue.

Troubleshooting on Windows

For effective Brother printer offline issues resolution on a PC running Windows OS, detailed attention must be paid to every detail and systematic troubleshooting steps must be followed. 

Here is an extended guide that can help resolve these issues:

1. Confirm Connection

Establishing a solid connection between your Brother printer and Windows PC is key to solving offline printing problems, so take these steps to validate it:

Physical Inspection: Before turning on your Brother printer and Windows PC, kindly check its physical connections. With USB-connected printers, inspect the USB cable for signs of damage or looseness; with Ethernet/Wi-Fi-connected printers, ensure network cables are securely attached, with strong Wi-Fi signals and stable Wi-Fi signal strength.

Network Configuration: If your Brother printer connects wirelessly, ensure it’s connected to the appropriate Wi-Fi network and that its settings match those configured on your Windows PC.

Diagnostic Tools: Utilizing Windows diagnostic tools can assist in further diagnosing any connection issues that might exist, including Network Troubleshooter which helps identify and resolve network-related issues impacting printer connectivity.

2. Restart Devices

For additional help when troubleshooting connection issues reboot devices whenever necessary to restore stability.

Rebooting both your Windows PC and Brother printer may help refresh their connections and resolve temporary glitches:

Windows PC Reboot: Click “Start,” select “Restart,” and confirm to initiate a system reboot.

3. Printer Reboot

Switch off and wait several seconds before powering back on your Brother printer to reset its internal hardware and software components and resolve connectivity issues.

Substantial issues with printer drivers may impede connectivity problems, so take these steps to ensure the latest drivers are installed: Visit Brother Website: Navigating directly to Brother’s support section will reveal drivers in its driver’s section.

Download Latest Drivers: Find and install the most up-to-date printer drivers tailored for your printer model and Windows version on your Windows PC.

Driver Installation: Once downloaded, open and follow the on-screen instructions to install your drivers correctly. Please restart your PC after completion to apply any changes made during installation.

4. Set Printer Online

To connect online printer setup you will first need the appropriate drivers downloaded for your PC’s operating system (Windows in this instance).

Checking and adjusting printer settings accordingly can help address offline issues: For Devices and Printers: Press the Windows Key + R shortcut to open the Run dialog box and enter “control printers” before pressing Enter for the Devices and Printers window.

Check Printer Status: Right-click your Brother printer and select “See What’s Printing,” ensure the “Use Printer Offline” box is unchecked; if it is checked, click it off to bring your printer online again.

5. Check Printer Status

Examining your printer’s status settings within Windows may offer additional insight into its issues: to access its properties: Navigate to the Control Panel on your Windows PC and select “Devices and Printers.”

Printer Properties: Right-click your Brother printer, select “Printer Properties,” and navigate to the “Ports” tab in Printer Properties. Make sure the correct port has been configured for your printer.

Conclusion

Brother printer offline issues on Mac or Windows can disrupt workflow and lead to frustration, but with these troubleshooting steps, you can swiftly address and resolve them. By checking connectivity, updating drivers, and making necessary settings adjustments, quickly restore seamless printing functionality. Should these efforts prove insufficient, seek assistance from Brother customer support for help if the issue stays. Eventually, you should successfully identify and rectify all Brother printer offline problems effectively with patience and persistence, thus assuring uninhibited printing functionality for years to come!