Brother wireless printers allow you to reduce your reliance on cables. As long as it connects to your network, the printer will work like any other. But what stops it from printing despite being connected?
When your Brother wireless printer is connected but won’t print, it could result from a power supply problem. Besides, printing problems and a print queue could also cause the same outcome. On the other hand, if the printer is fine, the wireless network or the computer’s connectivity might be the root cause.
This guide will walk you through why your Brother wireless printer won’t work correctly. You’ll also discover how to resolve those reasons quickly.
Why Is My Brother Wireless Printer Connected But Not Printing?
Getting your Brother wireless printer to work isn’t as challenging as it might seem. If your documents are not being printed, here are a few likely causes you’ll want to troubleshoot:
No Power Supply
What it is: Your Brother printer operates wirelessly but still needs a continuous power supply cable to function correctly. Look closer at the device, and you’ll find that it has a power supply unit and plug that fits into a standard wall socket.
How it fails: When you troubleshoot your Brother wireless printer, it’s always best to start with the most basic issues that might affect it. In this case, the first likely reason your device isn’t printing is that it has no power supply.
More specifically, there could be an issue at:
- The wall socket: The wall socket you’re using for the printer might not be working.
- The power adapter: The power adapter might be torn, ripped or otherwise damaged.
- The printer power connector: The power connector is likely not fully inserted into the printer
How to fix it: To solve this problem, you must ensure the printer receives the power it needs.
Start by checking that the wall socket is functioning. Then, ensure that the printer’s power adapter is free from damage. Lastly, ensure that the power connector is inserted fully into the printer’s power inlet.
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Active Printing Errors
How it fails: The next reason your Brother wireless printer isn’t printing is that it has one or more printing errors.
Some common printing errors include:
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- A paper jam
- A lack of printing ink
- A software glitch or other error
- Other types of hardware failure
These printing errors will prevent your Brother device from printing, even if it has a power supply and has a wireless connection to your computer.
In other words, your device will not print anything until you resolve these printing errors.
How to fix it: The solution here will depend on the specific error you’re facing.
For example, you’ll have to remove any paper jams and replace the ink cartridges if those are the issues affecting your printer.
Besides that, reinstalling your printer software will usually resolve software problems. However, other kinds of hardware problems might require the attention of a qualified repair technician.
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Printer Paused Or Has Other Print Jobs
What it is: Your Brother wireless printer offers plenty of options to manage the documents you want to print. For example, you can queue several print jobs back to back.
Besides that, you can pause individual print jobs that you don’t want the device to print just yet.
How it fails: Your device isn’t printing the document you want because the print queue is paused. Alternatively, there could be one or more previous print jobs on that queue that have yet to be completed.
As a result, the document you want to print will not come out until the print queue has been unpaused and the other documents ahead of it have been printed.
You can confirm if that’s the case by checking the print queue. Typically, that means going to your computer’s Control Panel (in Windows) or System Preferences (in macOS) and accessing the printer’s settings.
From there, you can see if the printer is paused and if it has any other jobs waiting in the print queue.
How to fix it: You can solve this problem by unpausing the print queue. But if there are other documents in the queue, you can delete or move them to the bottom of the queue.
That way, the document you want to print will come out first.
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Wireless Router Issues
What it is: Never forget that your computer and your Brother wireless printer aren’t the only devices involved in this process. Besides those two, you also have a wireless router that provides device connectivity.
In simple terms, your wireless router is where your computer and your printer connect to the same network.
How it fails: Once you rule out the issues listed above, you should switch your attention to your wireless router. Even if your Brother wireless printer is connected to the network, a glitch or short-term error within the wireless router could prevent you from successfully printing a document.
How to fix it: One way to resolve this problem is to power-cycle the router and the printer. Doing so will allow both devices to reestablish their connection anew. As a result, any short-term errors should be cleared, and you can resume your printing tasks.
Computer Connection To Wireless Network
What it is: Never forget that there are two sides to using a Brother wireless printer. Firstly, the printer must have a stable connection to your home wireless network. Secondly, the computer that you’re using must also be connected to that same network.
You can print documents easily when both devices are on the same network.
How it fails: Unfortunately, your computer (or other devices) might have lost its connection to your home network. When that happens, you can’t use it to send documents to your Brother printer for printing.
A common reason for that problem is the computer being out of the wireless network’s range. Alternatively, obstacles could be blocking the signal or signal interference from other devices.
Whatever the case, that lack of connection will prevent you from printing even if your Brother wireless printer is connected to the network.
How to fix it: Your focus must be on the computer and its connection to the wireless network. Start by rebooting the computer to renew its connection to the network.
If necessary, move the computer within your wireless network’s range and remove any obstacles or devices that might interfere with the signal.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are a few more quick questions and answers to help you troubleshoot your Brother wireless printer:
Does A Wireless Printer Have To Be Plugged Into The Router?
Not necessarily. Depending on the Brother wireless printer model you have, you might be able to connect to the router wirelessly. Then, any device on the same network can access that printer.
How Far Can A Wireless Printer Be From The Router?
Your printer should be within 150 feet of the router (on a 2.4Ghz connection) or within 50 feet (on a 5Ghz connection)
How Do I Get My Brother Printer To Print On Wi-Fi?
Firstly, you must connect your Brother printer to that wi-fi network. Then, any device on the same network can print using that printer.
Can I Connect More Than One Computer To A Wireless Printer?
Yes, you can connect more than one computer or device to a wireless printer. However, the precise number will depend on the printer model. Please refer to the user manual to know how many connections your printer can handle.
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How Many Ways Can You Connect A Printer To A Computer?
Depending on the printer model, you can connect a printer to a computer directly with a cable or Bluetooth connection. Besides that, you can connect both through a shared wi-fi network.
