Brother's offline article is a three-step ladder. Step A: verify the machine is powered on and shows no error. If the screen is blank or the light is off, wake it from sleep mode, and make sure it is plugged into a working socket and any power switch is on; check the display for an error such as Paper Jam or Ink/Toner Empty and clear it first. Step B: make sure it is connected to the computer. For USB, check the cable at both ends and connect straight to the computer, not a hub;
The checks in more detail
for Ethernet, check the cable reaches the router or access point; for wireless, print the network configuration page to check the IP address. If you can no longer print or scan on the wireless network, restart the machine's Wi-Fi module: press Wireless Status, then Recover WLAN, then OK. Step C: the operating system checks. On Windows make sure the Brother machine is the default printer with a tick on its icon, delete all printer jobs from the queue (Cancel All Documents, and Open As Administrator if it is grayed out), then check the status:
if it says Offline, clear Use Printer Offline, and if it says Paused, clear Pause Printing. Windows 11 uses Settings, Bluetooth & devices, Printers & scanners, then Open print queue, Cancel all. The article has macOS steps too. A printer that goes offline after a router change usually needs its wifi setup repeated, which the wireless article describes. Print the network configuration page once the machine works and keep it; the IP address and network name on it make every later offline problem faster to solve, and after a router change you can compare the new range with the old.
One quick test is to print from a phone on the same network. If the phone prints, the computer has a Windows setting, queue or driver fault, and if neither prints, look at the machine or the network. If the machine goes offline every morning, it is probably dropping the wifi connection while asleep, so raise the sleep time or reserve its address on the router so that it wakes to the same address each day.
Differential
Likely causes of “Brother printers is offline or unavailable”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
Sleep mode or no power
What separates it The display is blank because the machine is in sleep mode or has no power
How to confirm Wake the machine, and check that the socket has power, then try again
- 2
An error on the display
What separates it The display shows a paper jam or empty toner because an error is stopping the machine
How to confirm Clear the error on the display first, and then check the connection
- 3
A lost wifi link
What separates it The machine cannot print or scan because its wifi link is lost
How to confirm Use Recover WLAN in the wireless menu, to restart the wifi module
- 4
Use Printer Offline ticked
What separates it Windows shows the machine offline because Use Printer Offline is ticked
How to confirm Clear the tick in Use Printer Offline, in the printer's Windows settings
- 5
A paused queue
What separates it Nothing prints and the printer shows offline because the print queue is paused
How to confirm Clear Pause Printing, in the printer's menu on the computer
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The machine model and the display message
- The IP address on the network configuration page
- The status that Windows shows for the printer
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedCheck power and the display
ReversibleCheck the power and the display, and clear any errors that the machine shows, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Check the connection
ReversibleCheck the connection, whether USB, Ethernet or wifi, and reseat any cable, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Print the network configuration page
ReversiblePrint the network configuration page, and read the IP address that it shows, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Use Recover WLAN in the wireless menu, to restart the wifi module
ReversibleRecover WLAN, by choosing Wireless Status, then Recover WLAN, and pressing OK, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Set the default printer
ReversibleSet the default printer in Windows, and check that it has the tick mark, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Cancel all jobs
ReversibleCancel all jobs, and clear Use Printer Offline, in the printer's settings, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Repeat wifi setup
ReversibleRepeat the wifi setup, if the machine still shows offline after these steps, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Lines
- Brother's offline steps apply to its inkjet MFC-J, laser MFC-L, DCP-L and HL-L machines.
- Label printers
- The QL label printer has a similar offline check in its own software.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit models L5915DW, L8905CDW, L3295CDW, J1010DW, J4535DW, J5855DW, QL-820NWB label printer.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the machine stays offline after Recover WLAN, repeat the wifi setup
- !If USB fails on another cable and port, contact Brother
- !If it will not power on, contact Brother customer service
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Power, connection, Recover WLAN and Windows checks.
Ten checks for wireless printing.
Status Monitor offline.
Firmware Update Tool and iPrint&Scan.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
What does Recover WLAN do?+
It restarts the machine's Wi-Fi module.
Should I print the network page?+
Yes, to read the IP address.
What if the screen is blank?+
Wake it from sleep or check the socket.
Can a hub cause offline?+
Connect USB straight to the computer.
What does Paused mean?+
The queue is paused in Windows.
What clears a stuck queue?+
Cancel All Documents clears a stuck queue, from the printer's menu on the computer.
Can I need administrator rights?+
Yes, you may need administrator rights, for options that are grayed out.
Does macOS have steps?+
Yes, macOS has its own steps, which are in Brother's article for the machine.
What is the drum unit?+
On laser models the drum unit is a separate consumable from the toner cartridge.
What is the corona wire?+
It is a wire in the drum unit that you can clean with the green tab, to remove streaks.
Where do I find the serial number?+
It is on a label at the back of the machine, or inside it, near the toner.
What is a network configuration page?+
It is a printout that shows the machine's IP address and its wifi settings.
Does macOS 15 need local network access?+
Yes, allow local network access for Brother iPrint&Scan, or the app cannot find the machine.