Brother Printer Wireless Setup: Panel, WPS or the App

This Brother printer wireless setup guide walks through the four usual ways to get a Brother printer onto your home Wi-Fi: the setup wizard on the printer’s control panel, the WPS push button, the Brother Mobile Connect app, and the installer on a computer. Which one fits depends on whether your model has a display and whether your router has a WPS button. We are an independent guide, not affiliated with Brother. Menu names vary between models, so use the steps below as a map and check your model’s online user’s guide for the exact wording.

Before you start

• Finish the hardware setup. Remove the packing tape, install the toner or ink and the drum if your model has one, load paper and let the printer finish starting up. Our new printer unboxing checklist covers this.
• Write down your Wi-Fi name and password. Brother’s own guide recommends noting the network name (SSID) and network key before you begin, and says you cannot continue the wireless setup without them. Passwords are case-sensitive.
• Check the Wi-Fi band. Many home printers join only the 2.4 GHz band. If your router combines 2.4 and 5 GHz under one name, setup usually still works; if it fails, see our guide to connecting a printer to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi.
• Put the printer within reach of the router for setup. You can move it later once you know it works.

Method 1: the control panel setup wizard

This is the most direct method on models with a display. On the HL-L2460DW family, Brother’s online guide gives these steps:

1. Press the arrow keys to select Network, then press OK.
2. Select WLAN(Wi-Fi), then OK.
3. Select Find Network, then OK.
4. When WLAN Enable? appears, choose On. This starts the wireless setup wizard and the printer searches for networks.
5. Select your network name (SSID) from the list and press OK.
6. Enter the network key (your Wi-Fi password) and press OK, then select Yes to apply the settings.
7. Wait. If the connection succeeds, the display shows Connected.

Other models use slightly different labels, such as Setup Wizard instead of Find Network, or a touchscreen with a Wi-Fi icon on the home screen. Entering a long password with arrow keys is slow; take your time and check upper and lower case.

Method 2: WPS push button

If your router has a WPS button, you can skip typing the password. On many Brother models, WPS is in the same WLAN(Wi-Fi) menu (look for WPS or WPS/Push Button). Start WPS on the printer, then press the WPS button on the router within the time the printer allows, usually about two minutes. Some models offer WPS during the wizard when they detect a router that supports it.

WPS is convenient but not universal: some routers have it disabled, and some internet providers’ routers do not offer it. Our WPS printer setup guide explains where to find the button and what to do if it does nothing.

Method 3: the Brother Mobile Connect app

Brother Mobile Connect is Brother’s current phone app for iOS and Android. Its store listings describe guided setup for eligible Brother printers, along with printing, scanning and supply monitoring, and say a wireless connection and an eligible printer are required. In practice you install the app, choose to add a printer, and follow the prompts, which pass your Wi-Fi details to the printer. Older models may use a different Brother app; the app store listing and your model’s support page say which one applies.

The app is optional. Once the printer is on Wi-Fi, you do not need it to print from a phone; see below.

Method 4: the installer on a computer

Brother publishes a full driver and software package for each model on its downloads page. During installation you can choose a wireless connection, and the installer walks you through connecting the printer. This is useful for models without a display, or if you want the full feature set on a Windows PC or Mac. Our guide to installing a printer driver in Windows 11 explains when the full package is worth it and when the built-in Windows driver is enough.

Check the connection

Do not skip this step. It saves guessing later.

• Watch the display. On models with a screen, Connected confirms success.
• Print a network configuration report. Most Brother models can print one from the reports menu. It shows whether the printer is connected, the network name, and the printer’s IP address. Keep it: our guide to finding a printer’s IP address explains why that number is useful.
• Print a WLAN report if it failed. Brother’s guides link the wizard to a Wireless LAN report with error codes, and the manual explains each code.

If the printer joined a guest network by mistake, it will be invisible to your computers. Re-run the wizard and choose the main network.

Add the printer on your devices

Getting the printer onto Wi-Fi is half the job. Each device then needs to add it:

• Windows 11: Settings, Bluetooth & devices, Printers & scanners, Add device. See adding a printer in Windows 11.
• Mac: System Settings, Printers & Scanners, Add Printer, Scanner or Fax. See adding a printer on a Mac.
• iPhone and iPad: AirPrint-capable printers appear in the Print menu; see printing from an iPhone.
• Android: many printers work with Mopria or the built-in print service; see printing from Android.

If the setup fails

1. Re-check the password character by character.
2. Move the printer closer to the router and try again.
3. Restart the printer and the router, then run the wizard again.
4. Try a different method: WPS instead of the wizard, or the computer installer instead of the app.
5. Check the band: if the network list does not show your Wi-Fi, the printer may not see 5 GHz-only networks.
6. If you changed routers recently, follow our guide to connecting a printer to a new Wi-Fi network.

For a Brother printer that worked before and has stopped, the problem is usually troubleshooting rather than setup, and your model’s online guide has a troubleshooting section with the error codes it uses.