Manufacturer and model directory
Brother printer model troubleshooting
Brother printer troubleshooting covers 7 model families: Brother printers (MFC, DCP, HL and QL series), MFC-L5915DW, HL-L2460DW, MFC-J5855DW, MFC-J1010DW, DCP-L2640DW and 1 more. Choose the complete Brother model family before opening a fix, and read the model number off your label first.
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27 complete records in this directoryBrother DCP-L2640DW is offline or unavailable
Open record Brother · fadedBrother DCP-L2640DW prints faded, streaked, banded or with missing colors
Open record Brother · maintenanceBrother DCP-L2640DW shows a maintenance box, drum, fuser, waste toner or service message
Open record Brother · offlineBrother HL-L2460DW is offline or unavailable
Open record Brother · slow printingBrother MFC-J1010DW is slow when printing
Open record Brother · AirPrintBrother MFC-J1010DW will not AirPrint, Mopria or print from a phone
Open record Brother · blank pagesBrother MFC-J5855DW prints blank pages
Open record Brother · paper jamBrother MFC-J5855DW shows a paper jam or repeatedly jams
Open record Brother · ADF jamBrother MFC-L5915DW automatic document feeder jams, skews or pulls multiple pages
Open record Brother · smudgesBrother MFC-L5915DW leaves smudges, spots or repeated marks
Open record Brother · fadedBrother MFC-L5915DW prints faded, streaked, banded or with missing colors
Open record Brother · not printingBrother MFC-L5915DW receives jobs but does not print
Open record Brother · scanner not foundBrother MFC-L5915DW scanner is not found or scanning fails
Open record Brother · cartridge not recognizedBrother printers (MFC, DCP, HL and QL series) does not recognize ink or toner
Open record Brother · firmwareBrother printers (MFC, DCP, HL and QL series) firmware update will not install
Open record Brother · offlineBrother printers (MFC, DCP, HL and QL series) is offline or unavailable
Open record Brother · smudgesBrother printers (MFC, DCP, HL and QL series) leaves smudges, spots or repeated marks
Open record Brother · blank pagesBrother printers (MFC, DCP, HL and QL series) prints blank pages
Open record Brother · fadedBrother printers (MFC, DCP, HL and QL series) prints faded, streaked, banded or with missing colors
Open record Brother · wrong colorsBrother printers (MFC, DCP, HL and QL series) prints the wrong colors
Open record Brother · not printingBrother printers (MFC, DCP, HL and QL series) receives jobs but does not print
Open record Brother · scanner not foundBrother printers (MFC, DCP, HL and QL series) scanner is not found or scanning fails
Open record Brother · maintenanceBrother printers (MFC, DCP, HL and QL series) shows a maintenance box, drum, fuser, waste toner or service message
Open record Brother · paper jamBrother printers (MFC, DCP, HL and QL series) shows a paper jam or repeatedly jams
Open record Brother · AirPrintBrother printers (MFC, DCP, HL and QL series) will not AirPrint, Mopria or print from a phone
Open record Brother · Wi-FiBrother printers (MFC, DCP, HL and QL series) will not connect to Wi-Fi
Open record Brother · blank pagesBrother QL-820NWB label printer prints blank pages
Open recordFind your model
Model numbers covered, and where each one's answers are
Match the identifier on your appliance or device label to a row below. Brother answers here cover these model numbers.
| Family | Model numbers | Published specs |
|---|---|---|
| Brother printers (MFC, DCP, HL and QL series) | MFC-L3780CDW, with the other Brother laser, inkjet and label models in the model notes; also MFC-L8905CDW (MFC-L8905CDW); HL-L3295CDW (HL-L3295CDW); MFC-J4535DW (MFC-J4535DW) | 18 researched |
| MFC-L5915DW | MFC-L5915DW | 4 researched |
| HL-L2460DW | HL-L2460DW | 4 researched |
| MFC-J5855DW | MFC-J5855DW | 4 researched |
| MFC-J1010DW | MFC-J1010DW | 4 researched |
| DCP-L2640DW | DCP-L2640DW | 4 researched |
| QL-820NWB label printer | QL-820NWB | 4 researched |
Brother printers: offline, jams, quality and Wi-Fi setup
Brother sells monochrome and color laser printers and multifunction machines for homes and small offices, and most faults on them fall into a few groups: the printer shows as offline, paper jams, print quality problems such as faded, streaked or blank pages, and Wi-Fi setup. The MFC-L3780CDW is a color laser multifunction with a scanner and fax, while the DCP-L2640DW is a monochrome laser with scanning but no fax. Both use toner cartridges and a separate drum unit, which is why a quality fault can come from either part.
A printer that is offline in Windows is usually a network issue: print a network report from the printer's menu, compare its IP address with the port in the Windows printer properties and set a reserved address in the router so it stops changing. A paper jam message that persists after the sheet is out often means a scrap is under the drum or in the rear cover, so open every cover and check the paper path with the toner and drum removed. Faded or streaked pages point to toner running low, an unevenly distributed cartridge or a dirty corona wire, which Brother's cleaning tab and corona cleaner address.
Brother's own support pages cover firmware updates, the Brother iPrint&Scan app for mobile printing and the maintenance messages that ask you to replace a part. Reset the counter only after replacing the part itself. Use the model page for your printer to find the steps that match its screen, buttons and consumables, and keep the model number and a printed configuration page ready before you contact Brother.