Brother Wi-Fi setup failures usually come from the printer trying to join the wrong network band or from weak signal. Many Brother printers support 2.4GHz Wi-Fi but not 5GHz, so a router with combined bands can make setup confusing.
Does this affect you?
Use this guide if the Brother printer cannot find your network, fails during setup, disconnects after a router change, or prints only when connected by USB.
Connect to the 2.4GHz network
This is the most common fix when the network does not appear or setup fails.
- Check whether your router has separate names such as HomeWiFi and HomeWiFi_5G, or one combined mesh-style name.
- If the router combines bands, temporarily split 2.4GHz and 5GHz in the router settings if possible.
- On the printer, open Settings > Network > WLAN > Setup Wizard.
- Choose the 2.4GHz network and enter the password exactly.
- Wait up to a minute for the printer to confirm the connection.
Reset network settings and reconnect
Use this when the printer used to work but stopped after a router, password, or firmware change.
- From the printer control panel, open Settings > Network > Network Reset and confirm.
- Move the printer closer to the router temporarily while setting it up.
- Run the wireless setup wizard again and join the correct network.
- Install or reinstall Brother software from the official support page for your exact model.
- Print a network configuration report to confirm the printer has an IP address and stable connection.
More control
Check MAC address filtering
If your router allows only approved devices, add the printer MAC address to the allowed list. The MAC address is usually shown in printer network status or on a network configuration page.
Update firmware
Older printer firmware can struggle with newer router security, including WPA3. Check for updates from the printer menu, Brother iPrint&Scan, or Brother Support.
Use USB as a setup bridge
If wireless setup keeps failing, connect the printer by USB, run Brother setup software, configure Wi-Fi through the software, and remove USB after the printer joins the network.
Sources
- Brother Support – Wireless network setup troubleshooting (2025)
- Brother Support – Printer cannot connect to the wireless network (2025)