Brother Printer Not Available – How to Fix It

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If your Brother printer shows as “not available” on your device, it usually indicates a connection issue, offline status, or driver problem. Use the following steps to identify and fix the problem quickly.

Check Physical Connections

For USB Connection
  1. Make sure the USB cable is securely plugged into both the printer and the computer.
  2. Try a different USB port or cable to rule out hardware issues.

For Network/Wi-Fi Connection
  1. Confirm the printer is powered on and connected to the same network as your computer or mobile device.
  2. Print a network configuration report from the printer to verify its IP address and connection status.

Restart Printer, Router, and Computer
  1. Turn off your Brother printer and unplug it.
  2. Restart your Wi-Fi router.
  3. Restart your computer or mobile device.
  4. Plug the printer back in and turn it on.

Set Printer as Default and Online

On Windows
  1. Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
  2. Right-click your Brother printer and select Set as default printer.
  3. If it’s listed as Offline, right-click and select Use Printer Online.

On macOS
  1. Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners.
  2. Select your Brother printer and click Open Print Queue.
  3. If the status says Paused, click Resume.

Reconnect the Printer to the Network
  1. On the printer control panel, go to Network > WLAN > Setup Wizard.
  2. Follow the prompts to reconnect the printer to your Wi-Fi network.
  3. Make sure the printer displays Connected and shows a valid IP address.

Add the Printer Manually Using IP Address
  1. Find your printer’s IP from the network configuration report.
  2. On your computer, go to printer settings and Add a printer using the IP method.
  3. Select the correct Brother driver or use AirPrint if supported.

Update or Reinstall Brother Printer Driver
  1. Visit the Brother Support website.
  2. Download the latest Full Driver & Software Package for your operating system.
  3. Remove the existing printer from your system.
  4. Reinstall the printer using the updated driver.

Disable Firewall or Antivirus Temporarily
  1. Sometimes firewall or antivirus settings block printer communication.
  2. Temporarily disable these programs to see if the printer becomes available.
  3. If it does, create an exception in your firewall settings for the printer or its software.

Reset Network Settings on Printer
  1. On the printer, go to Initial Setup > Reset > Network Reset.
  2. Reconnect to the Wi-Fi network after the reset is complete.

Use Brother iPrint&Scan Tool
  1. Download Brother iPrint&Scan for Windows, macOS, or mobile devices.
  2. Launch the app and select your printer from the list.
  3. Use it to verify connectivity and test printing or scanning functions.

If your Brother printer still shows as not available after all these steps, test the printer on another device to determine if the issue is with the printer or your computer. If needed, contact Brother Support for further diagnostics.