HL-3170CDW
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FAQs & Troubleshooting |
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HL-3170CDW
Date: 04/07/2023 ID: faq00100428_012
I cannot print using my Brother machine on a wireless network (Windows)
To resolve this issue and be able to print again, follow the recommendations below:
- Make sure your Brother machine is ready to use
- Check and repair your wireless connection
- Diagnose and solve other wireless connection issues
1. Make sure your Brother machine is ready to use
Make sure you have set up your Brother machine already.
If not, click here to set up your Brother machine.
Make sure your Brother machine is turned on and its screen displays no errors.
1.1 Make sure your Brother machine is turned on
If the machine's screen is blank
The machine is not turned on or is in Sleep Mode.
- Press any button on the machine to see if it wakes from Sleep Mode.
- If it does not, then check that it is plugged into a working socket and any power switches are turned to ON .
- If the machine is unresponsive even though you tried to turn it on and off, contact your Brother dealer.
1.2 Make sure your Brother machine's screen displays no errors
If the machine's screen is displaying printing errors
Printing errors, such as "Paper Jam" or "Ink/Toner Empty", may not allow you to print. Clear them first and then try to print.
For more information about error messages, see the Online User’s Guide or Basic User's Guide or User's Guide.
1.3 Make sure your Brother machine is set as the default printer
The screens and instructions may differ depending on your operating system and your Brother machine.
To check whether your Brother machine is set as the default printer:
Windows 11 or later
Make sure your Brother machine is selected to print in your application.
If your machine is selected, but you cannot print, go to Step 1.4.
Windows 7 / Windows 8 / Windows 10
Windows 10
- Click Start.
- Type "Control Panel", and then press the Enter key.
- Click Devices and Printers.
Windows 8
-
Open the Control Panel.
> Click here to see how to open the Control Panel. - Click Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers.
Windows 7
Click Start > Devices and Printers.
If the check mark is not on your Brother machine, right-click your Brother machine's icon and select Set as default printer.
1.4 Delete all print jobs
Windows 11
- Click Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
- Select your Brother machine, and then click Open print queue.
-
If any print job in the queue, click
> Cancel all.
When you have completed the checks in this section, try to print. If you still cannot print, go to Section 2.
Windows 7 / Windows 8 / Windows 10
Right-click your Brother machine's icon > See what's printing > Printer > Cancel All Documents.
If Cancel All Documents is greyed out like above, click Open As Administrator. Enter a password for an administrator and click Yes.
When you have completed the checks in this section, try to print.
1.5 Check your Brother machine's status
This step is available until Windows 10.
If you use Windows 11 or later, go to Section 2.
(Windows 10 or earlier)
To check your Brother machine's status, hover your mouse pointer over its icon and wait for the information pop-up to appear.
-
If the machine status is "Offline"
Right-click your Brother machine's icon > See what's printing > Printer > Use Printer Offline (Make sure no check mark appears next to this setting.)
If Use Printer Offline is greyed out, click Open As Administrator. Enter the administrator password and click Yes.
-
If the machine status is "Paused"
Right-click your Brother machine's icon > See what's printing > Printer > Pause Printing (Make sure no check mark appears next to this setting.)
If Pause Printing is greyed out, click Open As Administrator. Enter the administrator password and click Yes.
When you have completed the checks in this section, try to print. If you still cannot print, check your wireless connection as described in section 2.
2. Check and repair your wireless connection
Make sure your Brother machine is correctly connected to the network.
The network connection between your computer and the wireless router may be unavailable or set up incorrectly.
If you replaced your wireless router or access point, or changed its settings, reconnect your Brother machine to the new wireless router or access point.
> Click here to here to set up the wireless connection.
2.1 Make sure your computer is connected to the wireless network
To test the connection, you can try the following:
- Visit an Internet site or send and receive emails. If you can access the Internet, but your Brother machine cannot be found over the network, go to 2.2.
- Print the WLAN report, which will show you the status of your connection. If there are any error codes on the report, click here to check the error codes on the WLAN report.
2.2 Make sure the Brother machine's wireless network interface is enabled
If you cannot print wirelessly, your Brother machine's wireless network interface may be disabled. To enable the Brother machine's wireless network interface:
> Click here to see how to change Brother machine's network interface setting.
When you have completed the checks in this section, try to print. If you still cannot print, go to 2.3.
2.3 Make sure that all your wireless devices are working correctly
Turn all the following devices off and then on again in the order shown in the illustration:
Wait at least five minutes for your Brother machine to join the wireless network, and try to print.
If you still cannot connect, use the Network Connection Repair Tool (see 2.4 below) to diagnose and repair your wireless network connection.
2.4 Try Network Connection Repair Tool
This tool assists you in restoring printing capability with minimal user interaction. This utility will automatically locate and update your Brother machine's IP address within your printer driver.
You must log on with Administrator rights.
Make sure the Brother machine is turned on and is connected to the same network as your computer.
> Click here to download the Network Connection Repair Tool in the Downloads section.
The instructions of Network Connection Repair Tool are available on the download page.
Try to print. If you still cannot print, set up your Brother machine again, go to 2.5.
2.5 Try to set up your Brother machine again
If you have carried out the above checks and connection repair, and still cannot print, try reinstalling the driver (Full Driver & Software Package).
> Click here to see how to set up your Brother machine.
Temporarily change your firewall/security settings to allow network connection
Your computer's firewall/security software may be preventing the network connection from being established. If you receive firewall-related notifications, we recommend temporarily changing the security settings on your computer to establish the connection.
IMPORTANT
- Before disabling the firewall, make sure the changes you want to make are suitable for your network. Brother will not take any responsibility for any consequences of disabling the firewall.
- When finished, make sure to turn the firewall on again.
If you have set up your Brother machine again and still cannot connect and print, perform additional wireless connection checks, go to 3.
3. Diagnose and solve other wireless connection issues
3.1 Print the Network Configuration Report and check the connection to the wireless router or access point
When your Brother machine is connected to the wireless network, check the machine's wireless connection status by printing the Network Configuration Report:
> Click here to see how to print the Network Configuration Report.
Check the Wireless Link Status on the printed report:
Wireless Link Status | Action |
Link OK | Check your computer's and Brother machine's IP address. > Go to 3.2 |
Error | Reset the network settings to the factory default. > Go to 3.3 |
3.2 Check your computer's and Brother machine's IP address
3.2.1 How to check the IP address of your computer and your Brother machine
-
To check the IP address of your computer:
Windows 11
Click Start > (All apps >) Windows Tools, then launch Command Prompt.
Windows 10
Click Start > (All apps >) Windows System, then select Command Prompt.
Windows 8-
On the Start screen, click
. If
is not on the Start screen, right-click somewhere on an empty spot, and then click All Apps from the bar.
- Click Command Prompt.
Click Start > All Programs > Accessories, and then select Command Prompt.
-
On the Start screen, click
-
Type ipconfig and press Enter.
Check the IP address and Subnet Mask.
Make sure that the Subnet Mask is "255.255.255.0". If your Subnet Mask is different, contact your network administrator.
-
Type exit and press the Enter key on your keyboard to close the Command Prompt window.
-
Now check the IP address of your Brother machine on the Network Configuration Report.
> Click here to see how to print the Network Configuration Report.
-
Check the IP address next to <IP Settings> on the printed report.
-
Compare your computer's and the Brother machine's IP address.
-
Make sure the addresses are the same and only the end numbers are different.For example:
Computer: 192.168.1.2
Brother Machine: 192.168.1.110 - Make sure your computer and the Brother machine use different end numbers between 2 and 254.
- Each machine or computer on your network must have a unique IP address.
- If the IP Address on the Network Configuration Report shows 0.0.0.0, wait for at least five minutes and try to connect again.
-
Make sure the addresses are the same and only the end numbers are different.For example:
Next, ping your Brother machine (see 3.2.2) to check if it is communicating correctly with your computer.
3.2.2 Ping the Brother machine
-
While still in the Command Prompt window, type: ping [Brother machine's IP Address].
(Brother machine's IP Address is listed in the Network Configuration Report you printed.)
-
Press the Enter key on your keyboard. The computer will ping or try to communicate with the Brother machine. When completed, you will receive the ping statistics.
-
If you receive replies and they are from the Brother machine's IP address (see the image below as an example), then there is communication between the computer and the Brother machine. Close the window.
-
If you do not receive any replies or they are not from the correct IP address, there is a communication problem between the Brother machine and the computer. To resolve the issue, follow the steps below:
-
Make sure your computer and Brother machine are connected to the same wireless network (with the same Network Name (SSID)).
If your computer and Brother machine are connected to different wireless networks, and you cannot resolve this, contact your router manufacturer, network administrator, or Internet service provider to troubleshoot your computer's network connection.
-
Make sure no firewalls or other applications are running as they may be preventing the network connection from being established. Temporarily change the security settings on your computer to establish the connection. When finished, make sure to turn the firewall on again.
- Repeat 3.2.2 after changing any settings.
- If you still cannot ping the Brother machine, try to ping from another network-connected computer to check if the issue is specific to your computer's network connection. If so, contact your computer's manufacturer or network administrator for further support with troubleshooting your computer.
- If you still cannot ping the Brother machine, go to 3.3 to re-establish a network connection.
-
Make sure your computer and Brother machine are connected to the same wireless network (with the same Network Name (SSID)).
-
If you receive replies and they are from the Brother machine's IP address (see the image below as an example), then there is communication between the computer and the Brother machine. Close the window.
3.3 Reset the network settings to the factory default
> Click here to see how to reset the machine back to the factory settings.
If you can print or scan from other computers on the network, do not reset the Brother machine's network settings but contact your computer manufacturer, network administrator, or Internet service provider. Firewalls or security software may be blocking the communication.
3.4 Additional checks to establish whether the router or access point is working correctly
The access restriction security settings on your wireless router or access point might be enabled. Carry out the checks recommended below and take action, where necessary.
- Make sure any privacy separator options are disabled.
- If there are more than two routers, the settings of all wireless routers and access points may not be configured correctly.
-
If using MAC address filtering in the wireless router or access point, you need to configure the MAC address of your Brother machine.
> Click here to see how to verify the Mac Address.
3.5 Try to set up your Brother machine again
If you have carried out the above checks and connection repair, and still cannot print, try reinstalling the driver (Full Driver & Software Package).
> Click here to see how to set up your Brother machine.
DCP-375CW, DCP-585CW, DCP-J140W, DCP-J152W, HL-2280DW, HL-3140CW, HL-3170CDW, HL-3180CDW, HL-4070CDW, HL-4570CDW, HL-4570CDWT, HL-5280DW, HL-5470DW, HL-5470DWT, HL-6180DW, HL-6180DWT, HL-L8350CDW, HL-L8350CDWT, HL-L9200CDWT, HL-L9300CDW(T), HL-S7000DN, MFC-255CW, MFC-490CW, MFC-495CW, MFC-5895CW, MFC-640CW, MFC-6490CW, MFC-665CW, MFC-685CW, MFC-6890CDW, MFC-7840W, MFC-7860DW, MFC-790CW, MFC-795CW, MFC-820CW, MFC-845CW, MFC-8690DW, MFC-8710DW, MFC-8810DW, MFC-885CW, MFC-8870DW, MFC-8890DW, MFC-8910DW, MFC-8950DW, MFC-8950DWT, MFC-9130CW, MFC-9320CW, MFC-9325CW, MFC-9330CDW, MFC-9340CDW, MFC-9560CDW, MFC-9840CDW, MFC-990CW, MFC-9970CDW, MFC-J265W, MFC-J270W, MFC-J280W, MFC-J285DW, MFC-J410W, MFC-J415W, MFC-J425W, MFC-J430W, MFC-J4310DW, MFC-J4320DW, MFC-J435W, MFC-J4410DW, MFC-J4420DW, MFC-J450DW, MFC-J4510DW, MFC-J4610DW, MFC-J4620DW, MFC-J470DW, MFC-J4710DW, MFC-J475DW, MFC-J5520DW, MFC-J5620DW, MFC-J5720DW, MFC-J5910DW, MFC-J5920DW, MFC-J615W, MFC-J625DW, MFC-J630W, MFC-J650DW, MFC-J6510DW, MFC-J6710DW, MFC-J6910DW, MFC-J825DW, MFC-J835DW, MFC-J870DW, MFC-J875DW, MFC-L8600CDW, MFC-L8850CDW, MFC-L9550CDW
If you need further assistance, please contact Brother customer service:
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