Why is my Brother Printer offline? Please suggest the easy steps. | Website News and Help | Forum

Printer Not Turned On
Your Brother Printer could be listed as "Offline" because it is not turned on. Even if your printer is connected to your computer via USB, your computer will not recognize any connection if the printer is turned off. Brother recommends checking the printer's LCD screen; if it is blank, then the printer may not be powered on. Make sure the printer is plugged into an electrical outlet, the outlet is working and all switches are turned to the "On" setting.

Printer Error
Your Brother Printer could be listed as "Offline" if it is experiencing errors such as "Toner Empty" or "Paper Jam," both of which would prevent printing. Brother recommends checking the printer's LCD screen for any possible error messages. If you see an error message, attempt to remedy the error before checking the printer's online status again.

Printer not the Default Printer
Your Brother printer can be "Offline" if it is not set as the default printer on your computer. A default printer is the printer your laptop or computer automatically sends a print job (unless you specify otherwise) when you click "Print." If your Brother printer is not the default, your computer may be trying to connect to a different printer. You can make your printer the default in your computer's "Devices" section. If it is not listed as a device in the Devices section, you must re-install the printer driver from a CD-ROM or Brother's website.

USB Cable or Network Problem
Your Brother printer can also be listed as "Offline" if its connection is faulty. If you connect to your printer via a USB cable, the cable could have something wrong with its hardware; Brother recommends USB cables that have twisted-pair wiring, are shielded, and are not more than 6 feet long. If you connect to your printer via a network, the network could be down or firewall-protected; Brother recommends checking your network's router or hub, checking your computer's firewall setting to make sure it does not block the network connection, and running network connection diagnostics.

Regards,
Bruce