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How to Connect a Brother Printer to WiFi

How to Connect a Brother Printer to WiFi: Step-by-Step Setup Guide

Setting up a Brother label printer or all-in-one on your wireless network doesn’t have to be complicated. Whether you’re working with an RJ-series label printer or a standard Brother inkjet/laser model, this guide walks you through every wireless connection method Brother supports — so you can pick whichever fits your setup and get printing wirelessly in minutes.

Before You Begin (How to Connect a Brother Printer to WiFi)

Before connecting your Brother printer to WiFi, make sure you have:

  • The network name (SSID) and password for your WiFi router
  • The latest Brother printer driver downloaded from Brother’s official support site
  • A USB cable (needed temporarily for some setup methods)
  • Your printer powered on and within range of your router

If you don’t know your WiFi network’s SSID or password, check the label on your router or ask whoever manages your home or office network.

Method 1: Connect Using a Temporary USB Cable (Easiest Option)

This is the method Brother recommends for most users, since the driver installer handles the wireless configuration automatically.

  1. Go to the official Brother downloads page and install the printer driver along with any bundled software (such as P-touch Editor for label printers).
  2. During installation, the setup wizard will prompt you to choose a wireless network. Enter your SSID and password when asked.
  3. Follow the remaining on-screen prompts until setup finishes — the wizard connects the printer to your WiFi network and completes driver installation in one pass.

If you skipped the wireless setup step during installation, you can still connect using one of the manual methods below.

Method 2: Connect Using WPS (Push-Button Setup)

WPS lets you pair the printer with your router without typing a password, as long as your router supports Wi-Fi Protected Setup.

  1. Confirm your router has a WPS button and place the printer within reliable signal range.
  2. On the printer, open the Menu, navigate to WLAN, and press OK.
  3. Turn WPS on from the menu.
  4. Press the WPS button on your router, then press OK on the printer. The display will show “WPS setting” while it connects.
  5. Once paired, the WLAN icon on the printer’s display turns blue.

The printer will attempt the WPS connection for about two minutes; pressing Menu during that window extends the attempt by another two minutes.

Method 3: Connect Using Infrastructure Mode (Manual SSID Entry)

Use this method when you want to enter your network details manually through Brother’s Printer Setting Tool.

  1. Connect the printer to your computer temporarily with a USB cable.
  2. Turn on WLAN from the printer’s menu (or hold the power button until the WiFi light flashes blue, depending on model).
  3. Open the Printer Setting Tool on your computer and click Communication Settings.
  4. Under the General tab, select Wireless LAN.
  5. Enter your SSID manually, or click Search to select it from nearby networks.
  6. Type your network password into the Passphrase field.
  7. Click Apply to send the settings to the printer.
  8. A blue WLAN icon or WiFi light confirms the connection succeeded.

How to Connect a Brother Printer to WiFi

Method 4: Connect Using Wireless Direct (No Router Needed)

Wireless Direct turns the printer itself into a WiFi access point, letting you connect a computer or phone straight to it without going through your home or office router.

  1. Turn on WLAN from the printer’s menu, or hold the power button until the WiFi indicator flashes blue.
  2. Connect the printer to your computer with a USB cable temporarily.
  3. In the Printer Setting Tool’s Communication Settings, confirm Wireless Direct is set as the selected interface.
  4. On your computer or phone, find the printer’s network in your WiFi list — it will appear as “DIRECT-br” followed by characters unique to your printer.
  5. Enter the default password printed on your printer’s label (or the custom password if you’ve already set one).

Method 5: Ad-Hoc Mode (Legacy Devices Only)

Ad-hoc mode allows a direct connection without a router, but it’s not supported on most modern devices — notably, Apple discontinued ad-hoc printer support starting with iOS 14. If you’re on a recent phone, tablet, or computer, use Wireless Direct instead.

Adding the Printer to Your Computer

Once your printer is connected to WiFi, add it as a device:

  1. Open Devices and Printers on your computer.
  2. Click Add a printer → Add a network, wireless or Bluetooth printer.
  3. Choose The printer that I want isn’t listed → Add a printer using a TCP/IP address or hostname.
  4. Set the device type to TCP/IP Device and enter the printer’s IP address (visible in the Communication Settings under the Wireless LAN or Wireless Direct tab).
  5. Leave the driver auto-selection option checked and continue.
  6. Choose to use your already-installed driver, name the printer, and select Do not share this printer.
  7. Click Finish to complete setup.

Troubleshooting Common WiFi Connection Issues

  • Printer won’t find your network: Move the printer closer to the router and confirm the SSID/password are typed correctly (they’re case-sensitive).
  • Connection drops after setup: Restart both the router and printer, then reconnect using Infrastructure mode.
  • WLAN icon stays white instead of blue: This usually means the connection failed — recheck your password and try WPS or manual entry again.
  • Printer connects but won’t print: Reinstall the driver and confirm the printer’s IP address hasn’t changed on your network.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I connect my Brother printer to WiFi without a computer? Yes — WPS setup only requires your router and the printer’s control panel, no computer needed.

Why does my Brother printer keep going offline? This is often caused by the router assigning the printer a new IP address. Setting a static IP or reserving one in your router settings usually resolves it.

Does Wireless Direct let me print without internet? Yes, Wireless Direct creates a local connection between your device and the printer, so no internet or router connection is required.

Still stuck after trying these steps? Printer Setup Guide offers downloadable setup checklists and one-on-one remote printer support if you’d rather have someone walk you through it live.