Brother's article on scanning over the network gives the order. Step 1: check the machine can print over the network; if it cannot, fix printing first using the wireless printing article. Step 2: scan with Brother iPrint&Scan, the software that supports current models, and on macOS 15 or later make sure iPrint&Scan has permission for the local network under System Settings, Privacy & Security, Local Network.
The checks in more detail
Step 3: if the Scan button on the machine does nothing, a firewall may be blocking the application, so allow ControlCenter Launcher, BRCTRLCNTR.EXE, Brother iPrint&Scan.exe and iPSNotifier.exe on Windows; on newer macOS install the iPrint&Scan Push Scan Tool, allow the WorkflowAppControl and NETserver prompts, and then configure the scan button settings from iPrint&Scan. Step 4 for macOS: make sure the router allows Bonjour communication, since a router that blocks it hides the machine from the Mac.
Other Brother fixes: if ControlCenter4 will not open or shows a blank window with no scan options, install the ControlCenter4 Update Tool; if a firewall stops iPrint&Scan connecting, allow it and try scanning again from the Scan menu. For scan quality, clean the glass with a soft cloth and place the original face down. If USB scanning works but network scanning does not, the fault is the network or firewall, not the scanner. Update the driver and firmware.
Scan a single page at a moderate resolution first to test, since very high resolutions take long and can stall on a network. Keep the glass clean with a soft dry cloth. If scan-to-PC works from the app but not from the machine's Scan key, the firewall or push-scan tool is the likely cause, not the scanner. Save scans to a folder you can find, and check the folder setting in the app if scans seem to vanish, since the file is often saved where you did not look.
Differential
Likely causes of “Brother printers scanner is not found or scanning fails”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A firewall
What separates it The Scan button does nothing because a firewall blocks the Brother application
How to confirm Allow the Brother applications in the firewall, and try scanning again
- 2
No local network permission
What separates it macOS cannot scan because local network permission is missing
How to confirm Allow local network access for the Brother app, in macOS settings
- 3
Bonjour blocked
What separates it The Mac cannot see the machine because Bonjour is blocked
How to confirm Allow Bonjour on the router, so the Mac can find the machine
- 4
A ControlCenter fault
What separates it The window is blank because of a ControlCenter fault
How to confirm Install the Update Tool for ControlCenter, and open it again
- 5
A network fault
What separates it Printing also fails, which points to a network fault
How to confirm Fix the wifi first, since the scanner uses the same network
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The scan method and the application that you use
- The operating system that your computer runs
- Whether printing to the machine works
- Which firewall is in use on the computer
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedCheck network printing
ReversibleCheck network printing first, and fix that before you try to scan, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Scan with iPrint&Scan
ReversibleScan with iPrint&Scan, and not with old software, which may not work, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Allow local network access
ReversibleAllow local network access on macOS 15, in the privacy settings, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Allow the applications
ReversibleAllow the applications in the Windows firewall list, and try scanning again, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Install the Push Scan Tool
ReversibleInstall the Push Scan Tool on macOS, so that the Scan button works, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Check Bonjour
ReversibleCheck Bonjour on the router, since the Mac uses it to find the machine, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Test by USB
ReversibleTest by USB, to isolate whether the network is the cause of the trouble, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Models
- Scan features differ between DCP, MFC and HL models; HL models do not scan.
- Feeder
- Models with a feeder can scan stacks.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit models L8905CDW, L3295CDW, L2460DW, L2640DW, J1010DW, J4535DW, J5855DW, QL-820NWB label printer.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If scanning fails after allowing the applications and permissions, test by USB
- !If the Scan key does nothing on macOS, install the Push Scan Tool
- !If the scan module fails on USB, contact Brother
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Network, iPrint&Scan, firewall and Bonjour.
ControlCenter4 Update Tool.
Firmware Update Tool and iPrint&Scan.
Ten checks for wireless printing.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Which software should I scan with?+
Scan with Brother iPrint&Scan, which is the current software for scanning.
What if the Scan button does nothing?+
If the Scan button does nothing, a firewall or a missing tool is the cause.
Which files do I allow on Windows?+
ControlCenter Launcher, BRCTRLCNTR.EXE, iPrint&Scan.exe and iPSNotifier.exe.
What is the Push Scan Tool?+
A macOS tool for the machine's Scan key.
What is Bonjour?+
Network discovery the Mac uses to find the machine.
What if ControlCenter4 is blank?+
If ControlCenter4 is blank, install the ControlCenter4 Update Tool.
Does printing need to work?+
Yes, printing needs to work first, since the scanner uses the same network.
Can USB help?+
Yes, USB can help, since it isolates whether the network is the cause.
Should I clean the glass?+
Yes, clean the glass, since dust and marks show up in the scans.