If your Brother printer not connecting to wifi has been driving you crazy for the last hour, you’re not dealing with a rare glitch — this is one of the most common printer complaints in the US right now, and most of the advice floating around online only fixes it by accident. This guide skips the generic “restart everything” routine and actually walks you through diagnosing why your printer won’t connect, based on what the printer itself is telling you.
Before you try anything else, answer this: has this printer connected to your wifi successfully before, or is this a brand-new setup? That single answer changes which fix actually applies to you.
Why Your Brother Printer Won’t Connect to Wifi
There isn’t one single cause behind a Brother printer not connecting to wifi. It’s usually one of these six things:
- Your router is broadcasting only a 5GHz signal, and your Brother printer can’t see 5GHz networks at all
- The wifi password saved on the printer doesn’t match what’s currently set on the router
- The printer is too far from the router or blocked by walls, metal appliances, or floors
- The printer’s network settings got corrupted or stuck after a router change, firmware update, or power outage
- Outdated firmware is preventing the printer from completing the handshake with your router
- The printer’s wireless module itself has failed (rare, but it happens on older units) computer not connecting to wifi
Most troubleshooting guides list these causes and stop there. The real fix depends on figuring out which one applies to your situation — and Brother printers actually give you a built-in tool to find out.
Step 1: Print the WLAN Report First
Before you touch a single setting, print a WLAN report. This is the fastest way to diagnose a Brother printer not connecting to wifi issue because it tells you the exact error code instead of making you guess.
How to print it:
- On the printer control panel, go to Settings or Menu
- Select Print Reports
- Choose WLAN Report
- Press Black Start, Color Start, or just Start
The printout will show a “Connection” line at the top. If it says OK, your printer is technically connected and the problem is elsewhere (like your computer not detecting it). If it says Failed, you’ll see an error code next to it.
Common WLAN Report Error Codes
| Error Code | What It Means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| E-01 | No wireless access point found | Move printer closer to router, confirm router is broadcasting |
| E-02 | Multiple access points detected with same signal | Rename your SSID to something unique |
| E-04 | Connection failed, general network error | Restart router and printer, retry setup wizard |
| E-05 | Setup could not complete | Recheck wifi password for typos |
| E-08 | Wifi network not detected during setup | Check 2.4GHz band is enabled on router |
| E-16 | Authentication failed | Wrong password or security type mismatch |
| E-18 | No access point found matching security settings | Router security protocol unsupported by printer |
| E-19 | Duplicate SSID or connection timeout | Disable band steering or split SSIDs |
This table alone solves more Brother printer not connecting to wifi cases than any generic “restart your router” advice, because it tells you exactly where the handshake is breaking down.
Step 2: Fix the 2.4GHz vs 5GHz Problem
This is, by far, the single most common reason for a Brother printer not connecting to wifi — and it’s the one most articles mention in a single throwaway sentence.
Brother printers, even newer models, generally only support the 2.4GHz band. If your router broadcasts a combined network name (one SSID for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, which is common with mesh systems and newer routers), your printer may never find a network it can actually join.
How to fix it:
- Log into your router’s admin panel (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1, check the sticker on your router)
- Go to Wireless Settings
- Look for an option to separate the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands into different network names
- Rename the 2.4GHz network something distinct, like “HomeWifi-2.4”
- Connect your printer specifically to that 2.4GHz network
Router-Specific Notes for US Users
| Router/ISP | Where to Split Bands |
|---|---|
| Xfinity/Comcast | Xfinity app > WiFi > Advanced Settings > Band Steering (turn off) |
| Spectrum | Router admin page > Wireless > separate SSID per band |
| AT&T | Smart Home Manager app > WiFi > Advanced > Band Steering |
| Google Nest WiFi / Eero mesh | These systems auto-merge bands and don’t allow manual splitting on all models — you may need to temporarily place the printer near the router during setup so it locks onto 2.4GHz |
If you’re on a mesh network, this step alone resolves the majority of Brother printer not connecting to wifi complaints reported in forums, because mesh systems are especially aggressive about hiding the 2.4GHz band from devices.
Step 3: Re-Run the Wireless Setup Wizard
Once you’ve confirmed your 2.4GHz network is separated and visible, reconnect the printer manually.
- Press Menu on the printer control panel
- Navigate to Network > WLAN(Wi-Fi) > Setup Wizard
- Select your 2.4GHz network from the list
- Enter your wifi password carefully
- Wait for the confirmation message
A password-entry trick most guides skip: if your wifi password contains dashes or special characters and the printer won’t accept the cursor movement, try pressing the asterisk (*) or pound (#) key — on many Brother models this toggles between letter and symbol input modes on the keypad. This single tip resolves password-entry failures that otherwise look like a wrong password error, even when the password is correct.
Step 4: Try WPS If the Setup Wizard Fails
If manually entering the password keeps failing, WPS (Wifi Protected Setup) skips password entry entirely.
- Press and hold the Wifi button on the printer until the light blinks
- Within two minutes, press the WPS button on your router
- The printer should connect automatically
WPS won’t work if your router has it disabled, or if you’re on a guest network — check both before assuming the printer itself is broken.
Step 5: Reset the Printer’s Network Settings
If your Brother printer not connecting to wifi issue started after it was previously working fine (say, after a router swap or a power outage), the printer may be holding onto stale network settings that no longer exist.
- Go to Settings > Network > Network Reset
- Confirm by selecting Yes
- The printer will reboot automatically
Important: this wipes all saved wireless settings, including any static IP configuration you set up. After the reset, you’ll need to run the Setup Wizard again from scratch as described in Step 3.
Step 6: Assign a Static IP Address
If your printer connects successfully but then randomly drops off the network hours or days later, the issue is often that your router’s DHCP is reassigning IP addresses and the printer loses its place.
- Log into your router’s admin panel
- Find DHCP Reservation or Static IP Assignment
- Locate the printer’s MAC address (found on the WLAN report or printer network settings page)
- Assign it a fixed IP outside your DHCP range
This is one of the more overlooked fixes for a Brother printer that connects fine initially but drops wifi intermittently — it’s a stability fix, not a connection fix, so only use it once you’ve confirmed the printer can connect at all.
Step 7: Update Printer Firmware
Outdated firmware can cause a Brother printer not connecting to wifi even when every setting looks correct, especially after router firmware updates change supported security protocols on the router side.
- Find your exact model number (on the front of the printer or the WLAN report)
- Go to Brother’s official support site and search that model
- Download and install the latest firmware update, either via USB cable to a computer or the printer’s built-in update check under Settings > Machine Info > Firmware Update
Windows vs Mac: Where the Fix Differs
Once the printer itself connects to wifi successfully, sometimes your computer still can’t find it. This is a separate problem from the printer-side wifi issue, but it gets lumped together constantly.
On Windows:
- Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners
- Remove the existing Brother printer entry
- Click Add device and let Windows rediscover it on the network
- If it doesn’t appear, reinstall the driver from Brother’s support site using the exact model number
On Mac:
- Go to System Settings > Printers & Scanners
- Remove the printer, then click the + icon to re-add it
- Make sure both devices are on the identical network name — a Mac connected to 5GHz and a printer connected to 2.4GHz under different SSIDs will not see each other
- If AirPrint specifically isn’t working while WiFi Direct does, this usually points to an mDNS/Bonjour conflict — restarting the router typically resolves it
When It’s a Hardware Failure, Not a Settings Problem
If you’ve printed the WLAN report, split your bands, reset the network settings, updated firmware, and your Brother printer still won’t connect to wifi, it may be a hardware issue rather than a configuration one. Signs to watch for:
- The printer status page shows “Wireless Off” or “Wireless Unavailable” and won’t toggle back on
- The wifi light never turns on or blinks at all, even after multiple resets
- The printer connects briefly, then disconnects within seconds, every single time, regardless of network
- WiFi Direct also fails (not just regular wifi), suggesting the wireless module itself is damaged
At this point, contacting Brother’s official customer support for a repair or replacement assessment is the right move rather than continuing to troubleshoot settings that were never the problem.
Quick Reference: Troubleshooting by Symptom
| Your Symptom | Most Likely Cause | Section to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Never connected, brand new printer | Router broadcasting 5GHz only | Step 2 |
| Was working, suddenly stopped | Stale network settings | Step 5 |
| Connects, then drops repeatedly | DHCP reassigning IP | Step 6 |
| “Wrong network key” error, password is correct | Special character entry issue | Step 3 |
| Setup Wizard keeps timing out | WPS as alternative | Step 4 |
| Wifi light won’t turn on at all | Possible hardware failure | Final section |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my Brother printer keep disconnecting from wifi?
This is usually caused by your router reassigning a new IP address to the printer over time. Assigning a static IP through your router’s DHCP reservation settings typically fixes it permanently.
Can a Brother printer connect to a 5GHz wifi network?
Most Brother printer models only support 2.4GHz networks, so if your router combines both bands under one network name, you’ll need to split them before the printer can connect.
What does WLAN error E-04 mean on a Brother printer?
E-04 indicates a general connection failure during setup. Restart both the printer and router, then rerun the wireless Setup Wizard from the printer’s Network menu.
How do I find my Brother printer’s MAC address?
Print a WLAN report from Settings > Print Reports > WLAN Report — the MAC address is listed directly on the printout along with your connection status.
Why won’t my Brother printer accept my wifi password even though it’s correct?
If your password contains dashes or symbols, the printer’s keypad may need you to press the asterisk or pound key to switch input modes before the character will register correctly.
Does resetting network settings delete anything else on the printer?
No, a Network Reset only clears wireless configuration and any static IP settings. It does not affect stored documents, print history, or other printer settings.
My Brother printer connects to wifi but my computer still can’t find it. What’s wrong?
This is a separate driver-level issue. Remove and re-add the printer in your Windows or Mac printer settings, and confirm your computer and printer are on the exact same network band.
Getting a Brother printer not connecting to wifi sorted out usually comes down to identifying which of the six root causes you’re actually facing rather than blindly repeating generic restart advice. Start with the WLAN report, work through the matching section above, and in most cases you’ll be printing wirelessly again within fifteen minutes.
