If you're seeing a “Brother Printer Offline” message on your Windows 11 system, you're not alone. This frustrating issue can interrupt your printing tasks and leave you wondering what went wrong — especially when your printer appears to be connected properly.

Don’t worry — in most cases, this error is caused by simple misconfigurations or communication glitches that you can resolve on your own. This guide will walk you through proven methods to fix the Brother printer offline error in Windows 11.

🔍 Why Does My Brother Printer Show Offline in Windows 11?

Even when your printer is connected, Windows 11 might report it as offline due to:

  • Printer not set as default

  • Paused or stuck print queue

  • Misconfigured printer settings

  • Outdated or incompatible drivers

  • Connectivity issues (Wi-Fi, USB, or network)

  • System updates resetting printer configurations

🛠️ Step-by-Step Solutions to Fix Brother Printer Offline on Windows 11

✅ 1. Check the Connection (USB/Wi-Fi)

Start with the basics:

For USB Printers:

  • Ensure the cable is securely connected to both the printer and the PC.

  • Try a different USB port if necessary.

For Wi-Fi Printers:

  • Make sure both your PC and printer are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

  • Restart your router, printer, and PC to refresh connections.

Tip: Print a Network Configuration Page from your printer to verify Wi-Fi connectivity.

✅ 2. Set Brother Printer as Default

Windows may try to send print jobs to a different device.

How to Set Default:

  1. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.

  2. Click your Brother printer name.

  3. Click Set as default.

Make sure "Let Windows manage my default printer" is turned off, so you can manually control the default printer.

✅ 3. Unpause and Set Printer to Online

Sometimes your printer may be paused or set to offline manually.

To Check and Fix:

  1. Press Windows + R, type control printers, and press Enter.

  2. Right-click on your Brother printer > Click See what’s printing.

  3. In the queue window:

    • Click Printer from the top menu.

    • Uncheck Use Printer Offline.

    • Uncheck Pause Printing if enabled.

✅ 4. Clear the Print Queue

A stuck job in the queue can cause the offline status.

To Clear:

  1. Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers.

  2. Right-click on your printer > Click See what’s printing.

  3. Cancel all documents in the queue.

✅ 5. Restart the Print Spooler Service

The Print Spooler service manages print tasks. Restarting it can resolve communication errors.

Steps:

  1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter.

  2. Locate Print Spooler in the list.

  3. Right-click > Click Restart.

  4. Wait a few seconds, then try printing again.

✅ 6. Update or Reinstall Brother Printer Driver

Outdated or incompatible drivers can break printer communication.

How to Update:

  1. Visit the Brother Support Site.

  2. Search for your printer model.

  3. Download the latest Windows 11 driver.

  4. Install it and restart your PC.

Alternatively, use Device Manager:

  • Press Windows + X > Click Device Manager.

  • Expand Printers, right-click your Brother printer > Click Update driver.

✅ 7. Change Printer Port Settings (For Network Printers)

A dynamic IP address can break the connection.

Steps:

  1. Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers.

  2. Right-click on Brother printer > Printer Properties.

  3. Navigate to the Ports tab.

  4. Click Configure Port.

  5. Check that the IP address matches your current printer IP.

  6. If not, update it or assign a static IP from your router.

✅ 8. Disable SNMP Status Monitoring (Advanced Fix)

SNMP can sometimes interfere with printer status reporting.

To Disable:

  1. Go to Devices and Printers > Right-click Brother printer > Printer Properties.

  2. Click the Ports tab > Select the active port > Click Configure Port.

  3. Uncheck the box for SNMP Status Enabled.

  4. Click OK, then test your printer.

Optional: Reinstall the Printer Completely

If all else fails:

Steps:

  1. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.

  2. Select your Brother printer > Click Remove device.

  3. Restart your PC.

  4. Reinstall the printer:

    • Either via “Add device” in Settings.

    • Or by installing the latest driver from the Brother website.

 Pro Tip: Prevent Future Offline Errors

  • Always use updated drivers.

  • Assign a static IP for wireless printers.

  • Turn off sleep mode or extend the auto power-off time on the printer.

  • Disable “Let Windows manage default printer” if multiple printers are installed.

 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. Why is my Brother printer offline but connected to Wi-Fi?

Even if it’s connected, Windows 11 may still fail to detect the printer due to IP mismatch, sleep mode, or outdated drivers.

Q2. What does “Use Printer Offline” mean?

This setting allows Windows to treat the printer as offline for troubleshooting, but can prevent printing if left enabled.

Q3. Do I need to reinstall the printer to fix this error?

Not always. Try updating drivers, resetting spooler, and checking port settings before reinstalling.

Conclusion

The “Brother Printer Offline” error on Windows 11 can usually be fixed with a few simple adjustments — from clearing print queues and restarting services to updating drivers and correcting network configurations.

By following this guide step-by-step, you can bring your printer back online and prevent the issue from happening again.