When Windows says a Brother printer is offline, it means the computer has not heard back from the printer recently. The printer may have dropped Wi-Fi, Windows may have enabled Use Printer Offline, or an old print job may be blocking communication.
Does this affect you?
Use this guide if the printer looks powered on but Windows marks it offline, jobs pile up in the queue, or the printer works from one device but not another.
Bring the printer back online
Work through these in order. The offline toggle and stuck queue are especially common.
- Check the printer display for Wi-Fi status. If it is disconnected or has weak signal, reconnect the printer to Wi-Fi first.
- On Windows, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, select the Brother printer, and open the print queue.
- In the queue window, open the Printer menu and make sure Use Printer Offline is unchecked.
- Cancel stuck jobs in the queue.
- If Wi-Fi is disconnected, use the printer control panel network or WLAN setup wizard to join the correct Wi-Fi network again.
- Restart the printer and computer to clear stale connection state.
- If it still shows offline, remove the printer from Windows and add it again from scratch.
More control
Give the printer a fixed IP address
If the router keeps assigning a new IP address, Windows can lose track of the printer. A DHCP reservation in the router for the printer MAC address keeps the IP stable.
Adjust sleep behavior
Some Brother models drop off Wi-Fi during deep sleep. In the printer settings, look under general setup, ecology, or sleep options and try a longer sleep delay.
Sources
- Brother Support – Printer Shows Offline Status (2025)
- Microsoft Support – Fix printer connection and printing problems in Windows (2025)
- Brother Support – Wireless Network Setup (2025)